Americans Score Big First Win in CHL-USA Prospects Challenge: Puck Drop

Center Wyatt Cullen and right wing Sammy Nelson both had a goal and an assists, and goaltender Brady Knowling made 42 saves to lead the U.S. National Under-18 Team to a 4-2 win against the top players from the Canadian Hockey League in the opening game of the CHL-USA Prospects Challenge at the Saddle Dome in Calgary.

The U.S. never trailed and scored in each period despite being outshot 44-26.

Knowling, a Boston University commitment, was named the player of the game.

Dayne Beuker (Denver commitment) scored the first goal off a turnover forced by Cullen (Minnesota commitment), and Nelson (Notre Dame commitment) scored off a rebound from a Luke Schairer (BU commitment) shot to put the Americans up 2-0. Chase Reid (Michigan State commitment) scored for Canada before the end of the second period, but Cullen’s goal off the power play at 6:46 of the third held up as the game-winner.

Goaltender Harrison Boettiger, the first player to participate in this event twice, took the loss. However, he was on the American side las year. Originally from Wheat Ridge, Colo., when the NCAA ruled that CHL players were no longer ineligible, the Denver commitment joined the Kelowna Rockets in British Columbia.

In the inaugural series last year, Team USA lost 6-1 and 3-2.

The two-game Challenge will conclude Wednesday in Lethbridge, Alberta (8 p.m. ET, NHL Network).

Wyatt Cullen lets one rip on the power play! pic.twitter.com/EFhAxh6Azm
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) November 26, 2025

Puck Drop: Tuesday, November 26, 2025

• Co-hosts Sacred Heart and Connecticut announced they will participate in the 2026 Ice Breaker Tournament along with Bowling Green and Penn State on Oct. 9-10. Sacred Heart's Martire Family Arena and UConn's Toscano Family Ice Forum both opened in 2023. The opening night will see Penn State at UConn, and Bowling Green at Sacred Heart, and the the visiting teams will switch venues for the next day.

Day 1 in Dublin ✅ #WeAreSHU pic.twitter.com/UqeR70Gmwm
— Sacred Heart University Men's Ice Hockey (@sacredheartmih) November 25, 2025

• In a a pair of goaltender moves, Justin Breisbois, out of Sherbrokke Phoenix in the QMJHL, announced his commitment to Yale, and Mason Vaccari is heading to Stonehill. A trio of players recenlty announced that they're joining the Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks for the 2026-27, center Evan Smith and defenseman Linden Burrett (Prince Albert Raiders WHL), anddefenseman Jack Willson (Youngstown Phantoms USHL).

• Dartmouth is celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Thompson Arena, which on this date in 1976 hosted its first hockey game with the Big Green tying the 1976 U.S. Olympic Team 3-3.

• Gophers never reached out to Edina two-sport star Mason West

• in honor of of Native American Heritage Day on Frida, the Minnesota Wild will have a first-of-its-kind Ojibwe language broadcast for its home game against the Colorado Avalanche. It can be heard on the FanDuel Sports Network.

Our home for the next week 🏠🔔#UBeforeMe x @Friendship_Four pic.twitter.com/aIXMy1xTTq
— Union College Men's Hockey (@Unionmhockey) November 25, 2025

Tuesday's Scores

MEN
AHA
Bentley 3, Army 1

Non-Conference
Stonehill 3, No. 12 UConn 3 (SO)

WOMEN
Non-Conference
Princeton 4, Yale 3 (OT)
No. 5 Cornell 2, Syracuse 2

Stonehill takes the shootout!

Here are both shootout goals from Teddy Lagerback and Matthew Romer and the big stop from Connor Androlewicz.@StonehillMIH pic.twitter.com/12sEroqemI
— Ryan Sikes (@rms_hockey) November 26, 2025

Games between ranked opponents are bolded. All times are local to where the game is being played.

Wednesday's Schedule

MEN
Non-Conference
Notre Dame at Merrimack, 2 p.m. ET
Holy Cross at Quinnipiac, 5 p.m. ET
Colgate at Michigan Stat e, 7 p.m. ET

This Date in Hockey History:

November 26, 1910: Milt Brink, who is in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame and spent most of his career in the American Hockey Association, was born in Hibbing, Minn.

November 26, 1917: The National Hockey League was founded. The charter members of the new league were the Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Maroons, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Arenas and Quebec Bulldogs.

November 26, 1925: The NHL added the New York Americans and Pittsburgh Pirates, and lengthened the season from 30 to 36 games.

November 26, 1925: The Pittsburgh Pirates played their first NHL game, losing at Boston 2-1. Defenseman and captain Lionel Conacher, one of three athletes in history to have his name engraved on both the Grey Cup and Stanley Cup, scored the first goal in franchise history.

November 26, 1949: Boston University center Jack Borotsik was born in Brandon, Manitoba.

November 26, 1960: Northern Michigan left wing Steve Bozek was born in Kelowna, British Columbia.

November 26, 1961: Cornell goaltender Darren Eliot was born in Hamilton, Ontario.

November 26, 1961: Gordie How became the first player in NHL history to reach 1,000 career regular season games.

November 26, 1972: Boston University defenseman Rich Brennan was born in Schenectady, N.Y.

November 26, 1975: Former St. Mary’s College (Division III) goaltender bob Paradise was traded by the Pittsburgh Penguins to Washington for its second-round pick in the 1976 NFL Draft, which was used to select center Greg Malone.

November 26, 1975: Bobby Orr played in his final game with the Boston Bruins. He had an assist.

November 26, 1982: Minnesota defenseman Keith Ballard was born in Baudette, Minn.

November 26, 1983: Former Minnesota center Neil Broten’s natural hat trick marked the first time in the NHL history that it was done with the last goal being in overtime. The North Stars won at Toronto, 7-6.

November 26. 1989: Former North Dakota goaltender Jon Casey made 51 saves to lead the North Stars to a 5-3 home victory against Chicago.

November 26, 1992: Minnesota goaltender Adam Wilcox was born in South St. Paul, Minn.

November 26, 1996: Defenseman Brandon Carlo, who twice played for the U.S. I the World Junior Championships, was born in Colorado Springs, Colo.

November 26, 1991: Hall of Fame Wisconsin and Team USA coach Bob “It’s a great day For Hockey" Johnson died in Colorado Springs, Colo. He was 60. Johnson won three national titles with the Badgers. He also played at Minnesota and briefly coached Colorado College and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

November 26. 1996: Former Alaska Anchorage left wing Mike Peluso was traded along with Richard Persson from New Jersey to St. Louis for Ken Sutton and a second-round selection in the 1999 NFL Draft.

November 26, 2000: Former Denver forward Antti Laaksonen scored the first hat trick in Minnesota Wild history and had an assist during a 4-2 win against the visiting Vancouver Canucks. It was his first hat trick as well.

November 26, 2005: Former North Dakota and Ferris State left wing Jason Blake scored 31 seconds into the game and went on to notch his third NHL hat tricks as the Islanders won in Philadelphia 4-2.

November 26, 2014: Former Minnesota center Nick Bjugstad scored 21 seconds into the game as Florida defeated Carolina 1-0. Roberto Luongo and former Michigan goaltender Al Montoya shared the shutout.

November 26, 2021: Former Wisconsin forward Joe Pavelski scored his 400th NHL goal to help lead Dallas to a 3-1 victory against the Avalanche.

Hockey Quote of the Day

"My recruiting key: I looked for people first, athletes second. I wanted people with a sound value system as you cannot buy values. You're only as good as your values. I learned early on that you do not put greatness into people, but somehow try to pull it out."
Herb Brooks

We'll Leave You With This ...

A 100-year-old camera is fitting for two Original Six teams. 👴🏻📸 pic.twitter.com/KToeNWdR1R
— NHL (@NHL) November 25, 2025