U.S. Edges Czech Republic in OT

The U.S. National Junior Team continues to roll along at the 2020 IIHF U-20 World Junior Championship. The Americans edged the host Czech Republic, 4-3, in overtime Monday to advance to the quarterfinal round on Jan. 2 (NHL Network).

Cole Caufield (Wisconsin) notched the game-winning goal just over three minutes into the extra session for the U.S., which has now won three straight games after an opening match loss to Canada on Dec. 26. Trevor Zegras (Boston University) set up two goals in the win over the Czechs, and now has nine assists through Team USA's four games.

Spencer Knight (Boston College) made 25 saves in picking up the win for the Americans, after previously backstopping victories over Germany (6-3) and Russia (3-1). Team USA is now 2-1-0-1 in Group B play, and can finish no lower than second place in round-robin play.

Happy New Year!

Canada Edges U.S. in 2020 WJC Opener

Shane Pinto (North Dakota) helped stake the U.S. National Junior Team to a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes, but rival Canada responded with three second-period scores en route to a 6-4 win on Wednesday in the opening game for both teams at the 2020 IIHF Under-20 World Junior Championship in the Czech Republic.

Pinto finished the day with two goals and an assist, including the tying goal with 3:18 remaining in regulation, only to watch as Canada tallied the final two goals of the game for the victory. Spencer Knight (Boston College) finished with 26 saves for the Americans, who will next face Germany today in Group 'B' Play.

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Merry Christmas 🏒🏒🏒

BC's Knight Makes U.S. World Junior Team

Spencer Knight is the lone current Boston College Eagle on this year's U.S. National Junior Team Roster. The group will compete in the 2020 World Junior Championship in the Czech Republic starting Dec. 26.

In all, 14 NCAA different schools are represented on this year's roster for the U.S., which finished runner-up to Finland at the WJC a year ago in Vancouver after falling by a 3-2 count in the gold medal game.

Knight has fashioned an 11-4-0 record with a 1.73 goals-against average, a .940 save percentage, and four shutouts so far for the No. 5 Eagles. Also in this year's American lineup is Oliver Wahlstrom (Boston College), who left BC after recording 17 points last season as a freshman and is now skating for Bridgeport (AHL).

Jacob Bernard-Docker (North Dakota) was the lone NCAA player selected for Team Canada's World Junior squad this year.

Dallas Dismisses Maine's Montgomery as Coach

The Dallas Stars have dismissed head coach Jim Montgomery (Maine) for "unprofessional conduct", according to multiple news sources. No specific event was mentioned, and no criminal investigation is apparently being pursued.

As an All-America forward, Montgomery led Maine to its first-ever NCAA hockey title in 1993. He did the same 24 years later with the University of Denver, as head coach of the Pioneers when he guided them to the national championship in Chicago in 2017.

Montgomery, 50, left Denver in 2018 to join the Stars, and went 60-43-10 in 113 NHL regular-season games before his dismissal. He also led Dallas to Game 7 of the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs earlier this year, where the Stars fell in double overtime to eventual Stanley Cup champion St. Louis.

A native of Montreal, Montgomery also coached Dubuque to two Junior A titles in the United States Hockey League before signing on at Denver, after previously serving four seasons as an assistant coach at Rensselaer. He played in 122 NHL games between 1993 and 2003 with St. Louis, Montreal, Philadelphia, San Jose and Dallas, after recording 301 points in four seasons at UMaine.

CC Completes Sweep of Princeton in OT

It was Tigers besting Tigers last weekend in central New Jersey, as Colorado College completed an NCAA non-conference sweep of Princeton with a 2-1 overtime victory at Hobey Baker Rink on Saturday night.

After a 7-2 victory by the visiting Tigers on Friday afternoon, scoring was much tougher to come by in the rematch. North Dakota transfer Chris Wilkie finished off a 2-on-1 rush with a successful one-timer 2:12 into the third period to break a scoreless tie, which stood up when a potential tying Princeton goal was waved off with about seven minutes remaining in regulation.

Christian O'Neill then scored in front on a power play with 31 seconds left for the host Tigers to tie things up, with goaltender Jeremie Forget having been pulled for an extra attacker. Following an icing against Princeton less than 20 seconds into the overtime, Wilkie wristed home the only shot of the extra session off the face-off for the win.

Northeastern transfer Ryan Ruck stopped 40 shots for CC on Saturday, while Forget had 25 saves for Princeton, which will now host American International College on Tuesday night. CC will a play a home-and-home series with in-state and NCHC rival Denver this weekend.

Devils Let Hynes Go as Head Coach

The New Jersey Devils released John Hynes (Boston University) on Tuesday as their head coach, after almost five seasons at the helm.

Hynes had served as head coach of the Devils since the 2015-16 campaign. They made the Stanley Cup Playoffs once in his tenure, in 2018 where they fell to Tampa Bay in the first round in five games. He finished with a record of 150-159-5 in 354 regular-season outings with New Jersey.

Prior to the Devils, Hynes served five seasons as head coach of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League, fashioning a 231-126-27 mark in 384 regular-season contests to go along with five Calder Cup Playoff appearances.

A native of Warwick, R.I., Hynes was a member of BU's 1995 NCAA title team, and played 43 games at forward for the Terriers from 1994 to 1997. He went on to coach with USA Hockey, Massachusetts-Lowell, and Wisconsin before entering the professional coaching ranks in 2009.