Big Ten Hockey Plays a Role in USA's Gold Medal at IIHF Men's World Championship

ROSEMONT, Ill. — Nine players and a coach with ties to Big Ten Hockey were members of the United States National Team that captured the gold medal at the 2025 IIHF Men's World Championship on May 25 in Stockholm, Sweden.

The victory marked the first time since 1933 Team USA had won a "stand alone" world championship and ranks among the U.S.'s most significant international triumphs alongside Olympic golds in 1980 and 1960 (which also counted as world titles) and the 1996 World Cup of Hockey.

Helping the Americans to Gold were:
F Matty Beniers (Seattle Kraken/Michigan)
F Logan Cooley (Utah Mammoth/Minnesota)
F Isaac Howard (Michigan State)
F Frank Nazar (Chicago Blackhawks/Michigan)
D Jackson LaCombe (Anaheim Ducks/Minnesota)
D Mason Lohrei (Boston Bruins/Ohio State)
D Andrew Peeke (Boston Bruins/Notre Dame)
D Brady Skjei (Nashville Predators/Minnesota)
D Zach Werenski (Columbus Blue Jackets/Michigan)
Assistant Coach Adam Nightingale (Michigan State)

Eight of the players currently skate in the NHL while Isaac Howard is coming off a Hobey Baker campaign for Michigan State. MSU Head Coach Adam Nightingale was a member of Ryan Warsofsky's coaching staff. Cooley and Nazar shared team scoring honors with 12 points each.