Team USA finalized their roster for the World Junior Championship on Dec. 23. As expected, several players have been drafted into the NHL, giving new head coach Bob Motzko a lot of firepower as they search for their third consecutive gold medal.
A lot of players are also returning to Team USA, although winger Trevor Connelly, who was drafted by the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft, will miss the World Juniors due to a lower-body injury in a pre-tournament game against Team Germany, a game the USA won 8-0.
Team USA has Cole Eiserman, James Hagens, and Cole Hutson returning from the 2025 squad. Although the team has some questions surrounding their center and defensive depth, they should have the momentum to go for another medal this year. Here are three players who could be the difference-makers for the USA to win gold.
Max Plante
The Detroit Red Wings’ 2024 second-round pick, Max Plante, was the second-line center in the USA’s last practice game against Finland. He is one of eight returning players, and he will be critical to the team’s success, especially with concerns about their center depth entering the tournament, going up against a team like Canada, which has all first-round picks (Michael Misa, Michael Hage, Cole Beaudoin, Braeden Cootes, Caleb Desnoyers) at the center position.
Plante and Boston Bruins 2025 first-round pick Hagens are good enough to hang around offensively. Through 20 games at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, Plante has 16 goals and 30 points, and he has the potential to be a good two-way center.
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He’s a tad undersized, but he’s tenacious with the puck and can take advantage of turnovers easily. He has shown chemistry with New York Islanders 2024 first-round pick Cole Eiserman from last year’s squad, but he also played with Connelly a lot, and he’s not participating. Plante’s play in the 2026 WJC will go a long way towards fleshing out the USA’s center depth.
LJ Mooney
Montreal Canadiens 2025 fourth-round pick LJ Mooney will get extra playing time in Connelly’s absence, and he should take advantage of the opportunity.
Mooney was the right winger alongside Plante and Eiserman on the second line in that final practice game against Finland, so he will be playing with players who have experience at the World Junior Championship.
He also knows Motzko, who coaches Mooney’s team at the University of Minnesota. That experience will go a long way in establishing the team’s culture.
Like Plante, Mooney’s an aggressive, skilled winger who plays bigger than his size. He’s very shifty and has great skating abilities, but he’s more of a playmaker than a finisher due to his lack of size (at 5-foot-8). In Minnesota, he has four goals and 15 points in 19 games this season.
Blake Fiddler
Team USA’s biggest area of concern is on the blue line. Hutson, the Washington Capitals’ 2024 second-round pick, is slated to make up the first pairing with Buffalo Sabres 2024 second-round pick Adam Kleber, but the defensive depth behind them is questionable, especially on the left side.
They’ve tried two right-shot defensemen on their opposite side: New York Rangers 2024 first-rounder E.J. Emery and Seattle Kraken 2025 second-round pick Blake Fiddler. Emery has rarely played on the left side outside of practice games, but Fiddler has shown comfort on the left side. Fiddler was listed as the second left-handed defenseman behind Hutson in the USA’s game against Finland.
Fiddler is a tall two-way defenseman, at 6-foot-4. He has a great ability to read plays while also showing offensive prowess. This season, he has five goals and 18 points through 28 games for the Edmonton Oil Kings in the Western Hockey League.
Team USA Should Expect a Medal
Team USA is a well-oiled machine. Despite a new head coach, the team should expect to win a medal and be fighting for gold. Eiserman, Plante, and Pittsburgh Penguins 2025 first-rounder Will Horcoff will lead the attack offensively, but players like Fiddler and Mooney will help fill out the depth.
The team will open the tournament on Dec. 26 against Team Germany in Group A, which includes Sweden, Switzerland, and Slovakia as they look to win their group and advance to the quarterfinals.
