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Team USA Wins Gold at 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup

The win gave the United States their first gold medal at the international tournament since 2003.

Jacob Punturi

Feb 20, 2025; Boston, MA, USA; [Imagn Images direct customers only] United States forward Brady Tkachuk (7) celebrates a goal against Canada during the 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey championship game against Canada at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
Feb 20, 2025; Boston, MA, USA; [Imagn Images direct customers only] United States forward Brady Tkachuk (7) celebrates a goal against Canada during the 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey championship game against Canada at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images / Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

The United States are on an impressive international run over the past few years. Leading the way is the National Team Development Program, as they’ve captured back-to-back gold medals at the World Junior Championships. The success continued at the next level, as the national team captured its first gold in nearly a century at the International Ice Hockey Federation's World Championships earlier this summer.

Now, it’s the next wave of the United States’ talent bringing home gold medals. Team USA’s Under-18 Men’s Select Team defeated Sweden 5-3 in the gold medal game of the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. The win gave the United States their first gold medal at the international tournament since 2003.

USA got out to a fast start in the opening period. They scored three goals and gave up two to enter the second period with the lead. The back-and-forth affair continued in the middle frame, and they exited the second period with a 4-3 lead.

During the third period, USA’s defense and goaltending rose to the occasion. They shut the door on Sweden’s offensive attack and put the nail in the coffin with a fifth goal.

There were several noticeable standouts for the United States in their gold medal game. Chief among them was Jack Hextall. The 2026 NHL Draft-eligible forward and 2026 commit at Michigan State University was a consistent offensive producer for the Red, White, and Blue. In five games, he recorded two goals and five assists for seven points. In the gold medal game, he recorded a goal and two assists to lead the team in scoring. Hextall will play in the United States Hockey League in the upcoming season with the Youngstown Phantoms before joining MSU for the 2026-2027 season.

Another strong performer was Nikita Klepov. He’s already one of the more talked about prospects available in next summer’s draft, with many scouts projecting him as a first-round pick at this point of the summer. He scored the game-winning goal for the USA in the second period of the gold medal game, and it surely impacted his draft prospects. He will likely play in the Ontario Hockey League with the Saginaw Spirit this upcoming season before joining Hextall at Michigan State University the following year.

The international dominance is another sign of the progress the Untied States has made. The world’s biggest hockey programs, like Canada and Sweden for example, are now peers of the USA instead of an aspirational place to get to. It all leads up to the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, where the world’s best will battle for the precious gold medal at the Milano-Cortiva Games.

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Jacob Punturi
JACOB PUNTURI

Jacob is a featured writer covering the Pittsburgh Steelers for Steelers On SI and the NHL for Breakaway On SI. He also co-hosts the All Steelers Talk podcast. Previous work covering the NHL for Inside the Penguins and The Hockey News.

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