Alex Turcotte – Photo Courtesy of USA Hockey
The U.S. National Junior hockey team knocked off host Canada 2-0 to capture the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship in Edmonton, Alberta on Tuesday night. It is the fifth gold medal for the United States in the tournament and fifth medal overall in the last six years for the Americans.
Former Wisconsin Badger forward Alex Turcotte’s first-period goal turned out to be the game winner for the U.S. Turcotte and current Badger Cole Caufield are the 11th and 12th Badgers to win gold medals in the tournament. Current Badger Dylan Holloway captured a silver medal with the Canadians.
Goaltender Spencer Knight made 34 saves in the shutout for the Americans. He stopped all 15 shots he faced from the Canadians in the final period. Trevor Zegras scored the games other goal just :32 into the second period.
Turcotte, Caufield and Holloway return to Madison and will rejoin the Badgers when they return to the ice in the second half of the Big Ten season against top ranked Minnesota at LaBahn Arena this weekend.