The sight of Finland’s Arttu Valila sliding into the Grand Casino Arena center circle on a celebratory knee Friday was not how the United States hockey community envisioned its journey ending at the 50th annual World Junior Championships.
For Team USA and a majority of an announced crowd of 11,779, the 4-3 overtime loss in the quarterfinals was a crushing setback. The hosts had dreams of a third consecutive championship and a semifinal matchup with powerful Canada. What they received instead was Valila’s deciding goal and elimination after only five games.
United States forward Ryker Lee, center, celebrates after scoring a goal during the third period of an IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship quarterfinals game against Finland, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
“We let our country down on home soil,” said Cole Eiserman, whose 2025 WJC team beat Finland by the same score in overtime in the title contest. “People did a great job coming to our games and we didn’t do it for them. That’s the hardest part.”
Coach Bob Motzko said his team played well Friday but was confronted by a steady foe that plays with the same discipline and excellence regardless of the score. The Americans and Finns have battled through a series of tight games in recent years and no one anticipated a blowout in their latest clash.
“This one hurts on so many levels,” Motzko said. “But that’s sports. It rips your bloody heart out.”
Team USA was energized by the return of Boston University defenseman Cole Hutson. His goal and assist Friday pushed him atop his country’s WJC career scoring list for rearguards.
Hutson was struck in the back of the neck by a shot last week and told nhl.com that he was knocked out and couldn’t move any part of his body upon regaining consciousness. He was stretchered off the ice but rejoined his teammates later that night.
Hutson returned Friday wearing a full, wire facemask but neither that nor his injury appeared to affect his game. He scored the first goal and his puckhandling, skating and passing vision, combined with a wicked shot, immediately boosted the home team.
“Look at how they played against Sweden without him and with him today,” said Finnish coach Lauri Mikkola, referring to the Americans’ 6-3 loss during its final pool-play game. “I think it was the confidence he gave for the team. They had a better pace of play and they didn’t take the stupid penalties.”
Team USA opened the scoring 35 seconds into the second period, Hutson ripping a wrist shot from the right circle’s inner edge, past a defender and inside the near post. His team had doubled the Finns up in shots to that point, 12-6, and would finish with a 31-25 advantage.
Finland equalized five minutes later after scrapping to keep the puck in the U.S. end. Max Westergard’s backhand pass from the bottom of the right circle zipped past Americans Will Zellers and Luke Osburn in the low slot. It found Heikki Ruohonen in the bottom of the opposite arc, from where he shot the puck under the crossbar at the near post.
The Finns were penalized for too many men on the ice midway through the second period and the U.S. capitalized less than a minute later. Hutson glided through the left circle before sending a backhand pass diagonally across the slot to Cole Eiserman in the opposite circle. His one-time blast went in off the near post for a 2-1 lead.
Finland forged a 2-2 tie 13 minutes into the third period, then moved ahead a minute later. That second tally began with Leo Tuuva holding the puck behind the U.S. net before threading it between defenseman Kamil Bednarik’s skates and into the low slot. Joona Saarelainen was wide open and beat goaltender Nick Kempf, who finished with 25 saves.
“I would want to relive that moment and do something differently,” Bednarik said. “I was kind of reading it while staying on that right post and I didn’t think he would pass it through my legs.”
Frustrated all night by Finnish goaltender Petteri Rimpinen, who stopped 28 shots, the U.S. sent the game to overtime with fewer than two minutes remaining. Zellers fought to get the puck near the net before James Hagens swooped in to take it around the net and feed out front for Ryker Lee to one-time the rubber home.
United States goalie Nick Kempf (31) prepares to stop the puck during the second period of an IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship quarterfinals game against Finland, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
The 3-on-3 overtime ended after two minutes. Matias Vanhanen cycled the puck out of the right corner and curled along the top of the near circle before cleverly feeding the puck back into its lower half. Valila scored inside the left post.
“I overplayed it a little bit and gave him that far side,” said a downcast Kempf, who attends Notre Dame. “I kind of blacked out in the moment after it went in. It’s definitely one I’ll be thinking about for a while.”
Rimpinen said he and his teammates have enormous respect for the Americans and weren’t focused on revenge for last year’s championship loss. They discussed before overtime the need to not play tentatively.
“We said don’t stand back, because I feel last year in the final we didn’t have the courage to play,” said the Los Angeles Kings draft pick. “This time we went in and tried to score a goal. You can’t win 3 on 3 overtime by taking yourself back and only being defensive.”
Hutson said he and his team committed too many turnovers, describing the Finns’ best chances as almost all coming as a result of American giveaways.
“I rushed myself back but didn’t do enough to help the team win,” Hutson said. “I don’t have a goal medal around my neck. I could have scored a goal in overtime. I could have done plenty of things better.
“It’s a game of bounces when two teams are that good and they got the better half of them tonight.”
Canada pummels Latvia
In Friday’s concluding quarterfinal, Canada pasted Slovakia by a 7-1 score.
The powerful Canadians took a seven-goal lead on the strength of scores from seven different players before Slovakia got on board at last with the final tally of both the second period and the game.
Canada called off the dogs for the final stanza at 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis en route to winning by a half dozen.
Czechs pound Swiss
In the opening quarterfinal in Minneapolis, Czechia punched its ticket for the semifinals with a 6-2 defeat of Switzerland.
The Swiss took a 1-0 lead with the only goal of the first period, coming off the stick of Leon Muggli.
However, the Czechs stormed back to score six of the final seven goals of the contest, with a different Czechia player notching each tally. Petr Sikora logged three assists.
Sweden tops Latvia
In the first quarterfinal in St. Paul, Anton Frondell scored twice in Sweden’s 6-3 victory over Latvia. Defenseman Leo Sahlin Wallenius had a goal and two assists to help the Swedes remain perfect in five games.
In Minneapolis, Czechia beat Switzerland 6-2. Tomas Galvas, Samuel Drancak, Adam Jiricek. Petr Sikora, Jiri Klima and Jakub Fibigr scored for the Czechs.
Germany rolls Denmark
Germany won the relegation game in Minneapolis, beating Denmark 8-4. Manuel Schams scored twice to help Germany keep its spot next year in the main event. Denmark dropped to Division I-A.
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