2019 U.S. NATIONAL JUNIOR TEAM GAME NOTES 2019 IIHF WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP | VANCOUVER & VICTORIA, B.C. | DEC. 26, 2018 - JAN. 5, 2019 SEMIFINAL • USA (4-0-1-0) VS. RUSSIA (5-0-0-0) • VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA • ROGERS ARENA • JANUARY 4, 2019 TONIGHT'S GAME THINGS WORTH MENTIONING The U.S. (4-0-1-0) meets Russia (5-0-0-0) tonight in the semifinal The two teams met in a pre-tournament game on Dec. 20, a round of the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship. Tonight's 3-2 U.S. win. Summary on page 3 ... Tonight's winner will play game, which will be televised live on NHL Network, is set for 1 for gold tomorrow against the Finland-Switzerland semifinal p.m. local time (4 p.m. ET) here at Rogers Arena. winner ... The U.S. is 5-9 all-time in semifinal play but has split All-time, the U.S. is 7-1-0-12 (W-OTW-OTL-L) against Russia in its last three appearances, 3-3 ... Team USA's last six semifinal tournament play. This is the fifth-straight year the two teams are appearances have all led to medals (three gold (2010, 2013, meeting in the playoff round. After three-straight losses, including 2017), three bronze (2011, 2016, 2018) ... Two U.S. players are two quarterfinal setbacks (2014, 2015) and one semifinal loss Vancouver Canucks prospects while three current Canucks have (2016), the U.S. claimed its first-ever playoff win over Russia with skated for Team USA previously. For more, see page 3 ... Jim a thrilling 4-3 semifinal shootout victory in 2017 before edging the Smith, president of USA Hockey, arrived yesterday ... For Series Russians in the quarterfinals, 4-2, last year on home ice. vs. Russia and Team USA's all-time semifinal results, see page 3. TALKING POINTS U.S. GAME SCHEDULE USA VS. RUSSIA • TALE OF THE TAPE DATE OPPONENT RESULT/TIME (ET) CATEGORY USA RUSSIA THURS., DEC. 20 RUSSIA* W, 3-2 Record 4-0-1-0 5-0-0-0 Kamloops, B.C. Sandman Centre Goals For/Avg. 21/4.2 23/4.6 Goals Against/Avg. 10/2.0 9/1.8 SAT., DEC. 22 CZECH REPUBLIC* W, 6-2 Power Play .300 (6-20) .313 (5-16) Langley, B.C. Langley Events Centre Penalty Killing .910 (10-11) .895 (17-19) WED., DEC. 26 SLOVAKIA W, 2-1 Shots For Gm/Avg. 209 (41.8) 148 (29.6) Victoria, B.C. Save-On-Foods Memorial Center POG: Barratt Shots Against Gm./Avg. 107 (21.4) 142 (28.4) FRI., DEC. 28 KAZAKHSTAN W, 8-2 Top Scorers Poehling (5-3--8) Denisenko (3-4--7) Victoria, B.C. Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre POG: Robertson Robertson (1-6--7) Romanov (1-6--7) SAT., DEC. 29 SWEDEN OTL, 4-5 Farabee (3-2--5) Alexeyev (2-4--6) Victoria, B.C. Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre POG: Poehling Norris (2-3--5) Kravtsov (2-4--6) MON., DEC. 31 FINLAND W, 4-1 Top Goalie Primeau Kochetkov (3-0, 1.33, .933) (3-0, 1.05, .965) Victoria, B.C. Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre POG: Madden WED., JAN. 2 CZECH REPUBLIC (QF) W, 3-1 LAST YEAR VS. RUSSIA: USA 4, RUS 2 (QF) Victoria, B.C. Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre POG: Cates On home ice in Buffalo, N.Y., the U.S. met Russia in the quarterfinal FRI., JAN. 4 RUSSIA (SF) 4:00 P.M. where Kieffer Bellows (Edina, Minn./Portland Winterhawks) Vancouver, B.C. Rogers Arena tallied twice to lead the U.S. to a 4-2 victory. Captain Joey SAT., JAN. 5 BRONZE-MEDAL GAME 4:00 P.M. Anderson (Roseville, Minn./University of Minnesota Duluth), Vancouver, B.C. Rogers Arena brother of current U.S. captain Mikey, added an empty-netter SAT., JAN. 5 GOLD-MEDAL GAME 8:00 P.M. while Joseph Woll (St. Louis, Mo./Boston College) made 27 Vancouver, B.C. Rogers Arena saves in the quarterfinal win. The win -- Team USA's third-straight against Russia -- eliminated the Russians from tournament play, *Pre-tournament game All U.S. tournament games will be televised live on NHL Network bringing to end its streak of seven-straight tournament medals. TEAM USA AT THE WORLD JUNIORS 2018 IIHF WJC SEMIFINAL: USA 2, SWE 4 Entering the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship, the U.S. After its victory over Russia, the U.S. met Sweden in the semifinal holds an all-time event record of 135-9-5-115-11 (W-OTW-OTL- where it fell, 4-2. Kieffer Bellows (Edina, Minn./Portland L-T) and has earned 11 podium finishes, including four gold Winterhawks) and Brady Tkachuk (St. Louis, Mo./Boston medals (2004, 2010, 2013, 2017), one silver medal (1997) and University) both scored while current U.S. forward and alternate six bronze medals (1986, 1992, 2007, 2011, 2016, 2018). captain Josh Norris (Oxford, Mich./University of Michigan) The U.S. has medaled in six of the last nine years, including the was tabbed the U.S. Player of the Game. Returning from last last three years (gold - 2017; bronze - 2018, 2016), the first time year's U.S. team are five players in Mikey Anderson (Roseville, it has accomplished the feat in U.S. history. Additionally, Team Minn./University of Minnesota Duluth), Quinn Hughes (Orlando, USA's three gold medals since 2010 (2010, 2013, 2017) are the Fla./University of Michigan), Josh Norris, Ryan Poehling most of any nation. (Lakeville, Minn./St. Cloud State University) and Dylan Samberg In each of the last three IIHF World Junior Championships, (Hermantown, Minn./University of Minnesota Duluth) as well as the U.S. has had two players earn Media All-Star Team honors, current assistant coach Steve Miller (Sun Prairie, Wis./Ohio State including Casey Mittelstadt and Kieffer Bellows (2018), University), who also helped the U.S. win its 2017 semifinal en Clayton Keller and Charlie McAvoy (2017) and Auston route to winning a gold medal in Montreal. Matthews and Zach Werenski (2016). Additionally, a year ago Mittelstadt earned the Directorate Award as Best Forward and SPECIAL TEAMS SUCCESS while Werenski was tabbed Best Defenseman honors in 2016. Tonight's game will see the tournament's top two performing powerplay and penalty kills units, as the U.S. is first in penalty MEDIA INFORMATION kill (.910%) and second in powerplay (.300%) while Russia ranks All U.S. National Junior Team players and staff, including head coach second in penalty kill (.895%) but first in powerplay (.313%). Mike Hastings, will be available for interviews in designated media areas Russia enters tonight having taken 26 penalties, second-most following practices. Members of the media are not allowed in the U.S. of any team, while the U.S. has been the tournament's most dressing room at any time. disciplined team having been called for just 13 infractions. MEDIA CONTACT: JON GOMEZ Since 2015, the gold medal-winning team in an IIHF World 973.723.5744 [email protected] Junior Championship has ended the tournament with the most All media availability with U.S. team members must be arranged through efficient powerplay unit. Additionally, in 2013 and 2014, the team Jon Gomez, who is on-site with Team USA throughout the event. with the tournament's best penalty kill unit also ended as gold ONLINE MEDIA GUIDE TEAMUSA.USAHOCKEY.COM/WORLDJUNIORS2019 medalists. Additionally, since 2010, the U.S. has finished top Team USA information, including bios, team schedule, news and team three in at least one special teams unit all but twice (2015, 2018). history are available at the official website of USA Hockey's national teams. @USAHOCKEY • TEAMUSA.USAHOCKEY.COM/WORLDJUNIORS2019 • USAHOCKEY.COM • #USAWJC 1 2019 U.S. NATIONAL JUNIOR TEAM NOTES SEMIFINAL • USA VS. RUSSIA • JANUARY 4, 2019 U.S. BOXSCORES JAN. 2, 2019 UNITED STATES 3, CZECH REPUBLIC 1 DEC. 28, 2018 KAZAKHSTAN 2, UNITED STATES 8 Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre • Victoria, B.C. • 6,263 attendance Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre • Victoria, B.C. • 6,185 attendance United States (h) 1 1 1 — 3 Kazakhstan (h) 1 0 1 — 2 Czech Republic (v) 0 0 1 — 1 United States (v) 4 3 1 — 8 1st: USA-Cates (Hughes J.), 12:12 1st: USA-Wahlstrom (Poehling), 1:37 2nd: USA-Norris (Robertson), 6:10 KAZ-Buyalski (Orekhov), 1:55 3rd: CZE-Kaut (Necas, Jenik), 5x4 PPG, 11:29 USA-Farabee (Robertson, Hughes Q.), 5x4 PPG, 5:13 USA-Chmelevski (Anderson), 19:21 USA-Farabee (Roberston, Norris), 8:53 USA-Farabee (Robertson), 12:05 Penalties: USA 1-2, CZE 3-6 Power Plays: USA 0-3, CZE 1-1 2nd: USA-Chmelevski (Poehling, Anderson), 5x4 PPG, 5:46 Saves: USA-Primeau (6-5-7--18) USA-Poehling, Shorthanded, 10:50 CZE-Dostal (12-12-14--38) USA-Madden (Miller), 12:11 Shots: USA 13-13-15--41; CZE 6-5-8--19 3rd: USA-Norris (Robertson), 0:23 Officials: Refs: Tobias Bjork, Jonathan Alaire KAZ-Mitenkov (Orekhov, Gatiyatov), 9:56 Lines: Dmitri Shishlo, Dmitri Golyak Penalties: KAZ 7-14, USA 5-10 Power Plays: KAZ 0-5, USA 2-7 Notes: Six different U.S. players registered a point as the U.S. captured Saves: KAZ-Nurek (33), 35:59 its fourth-straight quarterfinal win in tournament play. KAZ-Yeremeyev (25), 24:01 USA-Primeau (5-3-3--11) 60:00 DEC. 31, 2018 UNITED STATES 4, FINLAND 1 Shots: KAZ 6-2-6--14; USA 21-25-20--66 Officials: Refs: Jonathan Alarie, Daniel Prazak Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre • Victoria, B.C.