Zellers Drives U.S. Past Germany 6-3 in World Juniors Opener North Dakota’s Will Zellers posts two goals and an assist as Team USA generates 47 shots and survives a midgame push

SAINT PAUL, Minn. — Team USA opened preliminary round play at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship with a 6-3 win over Germany on Friday night at Grand Casino Arena, getting a three-point night from Will Zellers and enough finish to separate after a tight middle stretch.

Zellers (University of North Dakota) scored twice, including the eventual game-winner, and added an assist as the Americans won their first game of the tournament. The U.S. directed 47 shots on goal and got 18 saves from Caleb Heil (Madison Capitols, USHL) to secure the result.

The U.S. started fast and built a 3-0 lead in the opening period.

Max Plante (University of Minnesota Duluth) opened the scoring 5:34 into the game, finishing at the top of the crease after Teddy Stiga (Boston College) nearly converted on a breakaway that rang off the post.

Just over five minutes later, Zellers created the next one. From the goal line, he slid a no-look drop pass back to the point for Chase Reid (Soo Greyhounds, OHL), whose shot slipped through the five-hole of Germany goaltender Lennart Neisse to make it 2-0.

The third goal came off pressure and a turnover. James Hagens (Boston College) forced the puck loose behind the German net, Brodie Ziemer (University of Minnesota) collected it, and Will Horcoff (University of Michigan) finished from the slot to stretch the lead to three.

Germany settled itself before the first intermission and got on the board when Timo Kose buried a rebound from the edge of the crease, cutting the deficit to 3-1.

That push carried into the second period. Germany closed within one early in the frame when Simon Seidl batted a puck past Heil after the U.S. lost possession in its own end.

From there, the game turned into a quick exchange of punches.

Zellers restored breathing room midway through the period, scoring through traffic off a rebound created by a Cole Hutson (Boston University) shot to make it 4-2. Germany answered less than a minute later when Lenny Boos finished a three-on-two sequence from the right circle to pull it back to a one-goal game.

The Americans responded with their best finishing stretch of the night.

Zellers struck again, snapping a high-slot shot to the top of the net off a feed from AJ Spellacy (Windsor Spitfires, OHL). Then Cole Eiserman (Boston University) made it 6-3 late in the period with a short-side wrist shot from the left circle. Hutson picked up his second assist of the night on that goal.

The third period was scoreless, and while the U.S. did not convert on the power play (0-for-3), it also kept Germany off the board with a perfect penalty kill (Germany 0-for-3). Denver’s Brendan McMorrow was named U.S. Player of the Game.

Next up, Team USA returns to the ice Saturday, Dec. 27, against Switzerland at Grand Casino Arena. Opening faceoff is set for 5 p.m. local time (6 p.m. ET) on NHL Network.