Ostrava, Czech Republic – The United States takes on Finland in the quarterfinal round of the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championships tonight at 5:30 p.m. local time/11:30 a.m. ET at Werk Arena. Team USA is 2-1-0-1 in this year’s tournament, while Finland is 2-0-1-1. This is the first time these two teams will play each other in this year’s WJC.
Today’s Opponent: Finland
The U.S. holds a 5-2-0-3 (W-OTW- OTL-L) advantage over Finland in their previous 10 matchups, including two quarterfinals victories. Finland defeated the U.S. 3-2 in the 2019 World Junior Championship gold-medal game, as Kaapo Kakko scored with 1:26 remaining in regulation. Finland has not won back-to-back World Junior Championship games against the U.S. since 2003.
The U.S. and Finland meet in 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship quarterfinals after playing in the 2019 gold- medal game. It is the first time since the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship, when Sweden and Finland squared off, that the previous year's gold-medal game teams played one another in quarterfinals the following year. Finland won the gold-medal game in 2014 over Sweden, 3-2, but would go on to lose the following year to Sweden, 6-3.
The U.S. and Finland led all teams in IIHF World Junior Championship play the past decade, with three gold medals apiece. The U.S. has medaled in seven of the last ten years, including its current four-year podium streak (gold - 2017; silver - 2019; bronze - 2018, 2016), the first time it has accomplished the feat in U.S. history. Only Russia, with eight medals, has more than USA since 2010.
Date | Opponent | Location | TIME (LOCAL/ET)/RESULT | Broadcast | U.S. Player of the Game |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Thurs., Dec. 26 | Canada Preliminary |
Ostravar Arena | L, 4-6 | NHL Network | Shane Pinto |
Fri., Dec. 27 | Germany Preliminary |
Ostravar Arena | W, 6-3 | NHL Network | Trevor Zegras |
Sun., Dec. 29 | Russia Preliminary |
Ostravar Arena | W, 3-1 | NHL Network | Spencer Knight |
Mon., Dec. 30 | Czech Republic Preliminary |
Ostravar Arena | OTW, 4-3 | NHL Network | Cole Caufield |
Thurs., Jan. 2 | Finland Quarterfinal |
Werk Arena | L, 0-1 | NHL Network | Spencer Knight |