World Juniors Journal: Denver Hockey in Ottawa – University of Denver Athletics

The University of Denver hockey team is well-represented once again on the United States team at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
 
Richard and Kitzia Goodman Hockey Head Coach David Carle is guiding the Americans’ bench for the second-straight year after helping Team USA to the gold medal at the 2024 under-20 tournament in Gothenburg, Sweden. He is joined by the same coaching and support staff that helped the U.S. last winter.
 
Denver sophomore defenseman Zeev Buium is at his second World Junior Championship and is an alternate captain on this year’s team. He is expected to play a larger role than he did a year ago, as the 19-year-old should be on the top defensive pairing and quarterback the No. 1 power-play unit.
 
DU director of hockey operations Travis Culhane is back serving as the U.S. video coach and Nick Meldrum is working his third World Juniors as the equipment manager. In addition to last year in Sweden, Meldrum also led equipment operations for Team USA at the 2019 World Juniors in Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia.
 
Two other coaches on Carle’s staff have Denver ties, as University of Minnesota associate head coach Steve Miller spent 20 years as a Pioneer assistant coach and USA Hockey’s David Lassonde was also an assistant at DU for three seasons from 2011-2014. Fellow NCHC head coach Brett Larson of St. Cloud State and Augustana head coach Garrett Raboin are also assistant coaches on Carle’s bench.
 
The United States of America is in Group A with host Canada, Finland, Germany and Latvia and will play their preliminary-round games at Canadian Tire Centre, home of the NHL Ottawa Senators.
 
ZEEV BUIUM STATISTICS

 
UNITED STATES SCHEDULE (4-0-1-0)

 
THURSDAY, DEC. 26
United States (10) vs. Germany (4)
Team USA began its World Junior Championship defense with a 10-4 victory against Germany on Thursday afternoon at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario.
 
The Americans broke open the game in the second period with four straight goals after the Germans cut their deficit to 3-2 midway through the stanza. The U.S. scored four times each in both the second and third periods and outshot Team Germany 56-22 overall.
 
Cole Hutson led USA with five assists, while James Hagens had two goals and two assists and Gabe Perreault had a goal and three assists for a four-point game as well. Brodie Ziemer also tallied twice as seven different Americans scored and 13 registered at least a point.
 
Denver’s Zeev Buium finished with one shot and a plus-3 rating while playing a game-high 24:12. He was on the top defensive pairing with Drew Fortescue.

SATURDAY, DEC. 28

United States (5) vs. Latvia (1)

Zeev Buium scored his first goal of the tournament as the United States defeated Latvia 5-1 in the second preliminary-round game on Saturday afternoon at Canadian Tire Centre.

 

USA scored just 1:58 into the outing and led 4-0 after 40 minutes of play versus Latvia, which upset host Canada on Friday. Buium gave the Americans a 3-0 advantage after burying a wrist shot from the right side of the crease at 11:13 of the middle period. The DU D-man once again led all players in the game in ice time by skating 23:53.

 

Team USA outshot Latvia 41-26 and was led offensively by Danny Nelson, who tallied twice. James Hagens and Cole Eiserman each contributed two assists, while Western Michigan goalie Hampton Slukynsky made 25 saves in his World Juniors debut.

 

SUNDAY, DEC. 29

Finland (4) vs. United States (3) – Overtime

The United States tied the game in the third period but lost 4-3 as Finland’s Tuomas Urono scored the game-winner 1:46 into overtime on Sunday afternoon at Canadian Tire Centre.

 

Finland struck first midway through the first period, but goals by Carey Terrance and Cole Hutson gave the U.S. a 2-1 advantage early in the second frame. The Finns responded with a pair of tallies themselves to lead 3-2 after the second stanza, but Brodie Ziemer knotted the score once again for Team USA at 3:26 of the third period.

 

The Americans controlled the puck throughout OT, but Urono capitalized on Finland’s first shot in the stanza during a 2-on-1 rush. The Finns finished with a 44-33 edge in total shots on goal.

 

Zeev Buium played a personal tournament-high 28:33 of game time, including more than half of the third period (10:04) and 1:06-of-1:46 of overtime. He presently leads all players at this year’s World Juniors averaging 25:32 of ice time.

 

TUESDAY, DEC. 31

United States (4) vs. Canada (1)

Team USA celebrated the New Year by securing the top seed in Group A with a 4-1 victory in front of a sold-out crowd at Canadian Tire Centre against host Canada on Tuesday night.

 

Cole Hutson and Cole Eiserman each had a goal and an assist for the Americans, who scored three straight goals in the third period after Canada tied the game at 1-1 early in the frame. USA goaltender Trey Augustine made 38 saves as the Canadians finished with a 39-27 edge in shots on goal.

 

Zeev Buium led all U.S. players in ice time for the fourth-straight contest, skating 22:57. He also picked up his second point of the tournament with an assist on Eiserman’s tally that made it 3-1 with 6:39 left in the third period.

 

USA (3-0-1-0) will face Switzerland in the quarterfinals. The Swiss finished fourth in Group B with a 1-0-0-3 record.

 

THURSDAY, JAN. 2

United States (7) vs. Switzerland (2)

The Americans advanced to the World Junior Championship Semifinals and will at least play for a medal this weekend after defeating Switzerland 7-2 on Thursday in the quarterfinals at Canadian Tire Centre.

 

Zeev Buium had a goal and an assist in 20:28 of ice time, as he opened the scoring in the second period to give USA a 5-1 lead. The United States netted the game’s first three goals, led 4-1 after the first period and was up 7-1 at the end of 40 minutes of play.

 

Ryan Leonard and James Hagen each had two goals, while Gabe Perreault led all players in scoring with three assists. WMU goaltender Hampton Slukynsky stopped 17-of-19 shots in net for the U.S.

 

The United States will face Czechia in Saturday’s semifinals after the Czechs upset host Canada 4-3.

 

UP NEXT: UNITED STATES VS. CZECHIA – SEMIFINALS

Sat., Jan. 4, 5:30 p.m. MT

Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, Ontario

TV: NHL Network (USA), TSN (Canada)