World Junior Championships begin with a four-game slate on Thursday, Dec. 26. The U.S. won last year's tournament, defeating Sweden in the gold medal game. Canada, which entered the tournament as the two-time defending champions,

The United States is on a quest to win the World Juniors title in back-to-back years for the first time in the country’s history. Despite losing to Finland in the group stage, their loaded offense, powered by Ryan Leonard and James Hagens, helped them win Group A and ran away with a 7-2 win over Switzerland in the quarterfinals.