Providence coach Nate Leaman, who led the United States to the gold medal at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship in Edmonton, will return as head coach of the 2022 U.S. National Junior Team.
Leaman will be joined by Ted Donato (Harvard), Kris Mayotte (Colorado College) and Steve Miller (Ohio State) serving as assistant coaches, and Theresa Feaster (Providence) as video coach.
The U.S. National Junior Team will take part in the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship Aug. 8-19, 2022, at Rogers Place in Edmonton. Team USA is seeking its sixth medal in seven years, and first-ever back-to-back gold medals at the event.
The event originally scheduled for Dec. 26, 2021 to Jan. 5, 2022 was cut short due to COVID-19. Teams will restart the tournament, and players originally eligible for the 2022 December tournament will remain eligible for the August tournament.
“We’re very excited to have the opportunity to play the 2022 tournament again and returning our entire staff from December is a big first step towards our goal,” said John Vanbiesbrouck, assistant executive director of hockey operations for USA Hockey and also the general manager of the 2022 U.S. National Junior Team, in a statement. “The championship pedigree and experience from the last two tournaments in Alberta will provide our team with great leadership heading into the August tournament.”
Player personnel staff include Ryan Martin, Keith Tkachuk, Jerry Forton and Marc Boxer.
Additional team staff include team physician Dr. Phil Johnson, athletic trainers Jason Hodges and Stan Wong, equipment managers Scott Aldrich and Nate LaPoint, team leader Brij Singh, and communications Aaron Westendorf and Kyle Huson.
USA Hockey will host a summer evaluation camp in advance of the 2022 championship with further details to come.
The United States enters the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship having earned medals in five of the last six tournaments, including most recently winning its fifth gold medal in 2021 in Edmonton, Alberta. To date, the U.S. National Junior Team has claimed 13 medals, including five gold (2021, 2017, 2013, 2010, 2004), two silver (2019, 1997) and six bronze (2018, 2016, 2011, 2007, 1992, 1986).
