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Gophers' Bob Motzko named head coach of 2026 U.S. National Junior Team

The Americans begin their quest for their third straight gold this December.
Nolan O'Hara|
Former St. Cloud State coach Bob Motzko faces off with the Huskies for the first time as head coach of Minnesota Sunday, Dec. 29, 2019, at 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis.
Former St. Cloud State coach Bob Motzko faces off with the Huskies for the first time as head coach of Minnesota Sunday, Dec. 29, 2019, at 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis. | Zach Dwyer / St. Cloud Times via Imagn Content Services

Gophers men's hockey coach Bob Motzko was named head coach of the 2026 U.S. National Junior Team, USA Hockey announced on Tuesday. Motzko has previously served as head coach for the U.S., including for a gold-medal run in 2017.

Motzko, who just completed his seventh season as Gophers coach, has led the U to five straight NCAA Tournaments, three Big Ten regular-season titles, a Big Ten Conference Tournament Title and two Frozen Four appearances. On the international level, he's twice served as the head coach for the U.S. National Junior Team, leading the Americans to a gold medal in 2017 and a bronze medal in 2018. Before that, he served as an assistant coach for the Americans in 2014.

"We’re fortunate to have someone with (Motzko's) level of experience coaching our team on home soil," Team USA general manager John Vanbiesbrouck said in a statement. "Having guided our teams to medals on two other occasions in the World Juniors, he knows what it takes to have success, and we’re excited to have him leading our team."

Team USA will be the two-time defending champs entering the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship, which will take place in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn., from Dec. 26-Jan. 5, 2026. The U.S. will be in Group A and will compete against Germany, Slovakia, Sweden and Switzerland in the preliminary round at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. Group B features Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Finland and Latvia, which will compete at 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis for the prelims.

Two quarterfinals will take place at each venue, while the semifinals and the bronze- and gold-medal games will all take place at the X. Motzko will be leading the charge for the U.S., hoping to guide the Americans to their third straight gold.

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Nolan O'Hara
NOLAN O'HARA

Nolan O'Hara covers all things Minnesota sports, primarily the Timberwolves, for Bring Me The News and Sports Illustrated's On SI network. He previously worked as a copy editor at the St. Paul Pioneer Press and is a graduate of the University of Minnesota's Hubbard School of Journalism. His work has appeared in the Pioneer Press, Ratchet & Wrench magazine, the Minnesota Daily and a number of local newspapers in Minnesota, among other publications.

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