Last year’s World Juniors was a rude awakening for the Americans in the Czech Republic as they struggled to overcome a lack of chemistry and head-scratching coaching. Their issues led to a disappointing exit in the quarterfinals against Finland, and a sixth-place overall finish behind Switzerland. While both Canada and Russia appear to be the early favorites, the Americans will be looking to rebound and thrust themselves directly into the gold medal discussion as well.
One of the challenges the US team faces is the same as many others in that they’re losing players to COVID-19 protocols surrounding the tournament.