skip navigation

Gameday: U.S. Faces Finland in WJC Quarterfinals

By USA Hockey, 01/02/20, 6:00AM EST

Share

Puck drops at 11:30 a.m. ET

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.


Team USA Prepares for Finland

Monday's Highlights


U.S. Roster

Sights and Sounds

Daily Notebook


U.S. Tournament Schedule

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

2020 IIHF Homepage

World Juniors History


More World Juniors News

2024 World Junior team celebrates with the gold medal trophy