General | 12/10/2024 8:30:41 AM
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As USHL clubs gear up for their final games before the Christmas break, a group of 22 players are just getting started north of the border.
For the 16th time since the event’s 2006 inception, Team USA will be competing at the World Junior A Challenge this week, and its roster is once again made up of USHL players and coaches.
The U.S. has won the event nine times, including three of the last six, and earned medals in all 15 of its previous trips – pairing those nine gold medals with one silver and five bronze.
Team USA finished third last December and once again offers a talented roster, but they’re aiming for gold No. 10 this time around.
“It’s always a huge honor to represent your country and I know we’re all excited to get to work,” said Waterloo head coach Matt Smaby, who leads the U.S. for a second consecutive year. “The older you get, the slimmer the opportunities get to represent your country, so it’s a really special opportunity to see where our talent stacks up against some other countries and really talented teams.
“There’s a different level of intensity and pride that comes with playing at an event like this, and it’s a tremendous opportunity. There’s a tremendous group of players and talent that we get to work with at this event too, and that’s a testament to our league.”
While the event has showcased some of the USHL’s top draft-eligible prospects over the years, it’s also become a breeding ground behind the bench.
Whether it be Derek Lalonde and Jeff Blashill in the WJAC’s early years to Brett Larson, Anthony Noreen and Luke Strand, or Mike Leone in recent years – a number of American coaches have found themselves moving up the coaching ranks.
Smaby could be the next name on that list too as the Minneapolis native has enjoyed plenty of success over his tenure in Waterloo.
Yet if you ask any of them about their time at the WJAC, there’s one common sentiment… The experience is invaluable.
“When you coach in a league as talented as the USHL, you always have to be at your best, but I think an event like this really challenges you as a coach and gives you the chance to work with so many great people,” Smaby said. “We only get 15 days as a group so how do you create an identity? How do you get the guys to buy in? And how do you make everyone feel comfortable and on the same page?
“It’s a short window of time and it can be a huge challenge, but it’s something that pushes you and you just try to be a sponge with the people around you.”
As Smaby said himself, it’s an event where you learn something new every day and make a number of connections, many of which come full circle later in life.
“Hockey is such a close family, and the relationships you build are so important,” added Noreen, who led the U.S. twice and was also an assistant twice. “To this day some of the closest relationships I have in hockey come from that event and when you win a gold medal with someone, there’s always going to be a bond.
“The things you learn working in that environment help you so much and it’s something that makes you better as a coach. And you look at the amount of guys, both players and coaches, that have taken their opportunity and ran with it after being at (the WJAC).”
The USHL has received plenty of attention and recognition over the years for its player development, understandably so. It’s a league that’s produced 1,090 NHL draft picks and countless impact players at the NCAA level.
This year’s U.S. roster is no different as it features four NHL picks and numerous 2025 draft-eligible prospects. But the people behind the bench are an important part of the puzzle too.
“There’s no way I’d be where I am now without my time coaching in the USHL and it’s a league that prepares you so well,” said Brett Larson, who spent two years in Sioux City and is currently in his seventh season at St. Cloud State. “You learn so much and get a ton of opportunities, but (the WJAC) specifically was huge, and honestly, it’s a pressure cooker. Because when you’re representing your country at an event like that, there are expectations, and you expect to win.
“There’s a ton of pride that comes with representing your country too, but the experience you gain working in that type of environment is really valuable. Especially as a young coach, the exciting part is the opportunity to work with some of the other coaches and you learn so much.”
Larson led the U.S. to a WJAC gold in 2012, which kicked off a string of three consecutive gold medals. Lalonde won the WJAC in 2013, with Noreen serving as an assistant, and Jay Varady’s club also took gold in 2014.
The U.S. followed it up with gold medals again in 2016 and 2018, with Noreen – who spent 12 total seasons in the USHL and is currently in his first season at Miami – leading the charge in the latter.
“My first couple years coaching in the (USHL) I looked at the event and I thought, you’re getting your best players taken away and the points are so important every night in the standings, so why are we doing this,” Noreen said. “But once you experience the event, you get a whole new appreciation and truly realize how special it is.
“I look back at it now and having the chance to work with Derek (Lalonde) and PK (O’Handley), who is one of, if not the best coach in the USHL’s history, and having guys like Nick Oliver, Mark Abalan and David Wilkie on my staffs too. You get to pick the brains of so many people and it all makes you better as a coach. In all honesty, I would say it’s the most special thing I’ve been able to do in hockey, and there’s nothing better than winning for your country.”
As the puck drops this week in Central Alberta, Smaby and the U.S. hope to bring home some more hardware.
It’s an event that has treated the Stars and Stripes well and showcased USA Hockey’s talent over the years against countries such as Canada, Russia and Sweden, among others.
Perhaps the next Brock Boeser, Bobby Brink or Kyle Connor will emerge on the ice, or a member of the U.S. staff will show up behind a Division I or NHL bench in the near future.
It’s shaping up to be another exciting tournament and no matter what happens, it’s another showcase of the development that exists in the USHL.
“I just think it’s a ringing endorsement of our league and the talent on display,” Smaby said. “You look at the number of players that ultimately get drafted after playing in this event, that’s really exciting to see, and I think it’s a reflection of the way we’re able to prepare these players as a league throughout the season.
“It just shows the level of hockey and the types of players we have, and also the amount of talented people coaching them. So when you look around at the amount of scouts and college coaches at the event and how many people are watching, it’s a big deal, and we all want to represent everyone and our country well.”
