UND's Bernard-Docker Wins Gold with Canada

Jacob Bernard-Docker (North Dakota) was the lone current collegian to win a gold medal with Team Canada at this year's IIHF World Junior Championship in the Czech Republic. Canada defeated Russia, 4-3, in the gold medal game on Sunday.

Bernard-Docker, 19, scored one goal in seven WJC games this year for the Canadians. A first-round NHL draft choice (26th overall) by the Ottawa Senators in 2018, the sophomore defenseman has tallied three goals and 14 points in 17 outings with North Dakota so far this season.

In 53 career games with UND, Bernard-Docker has posted eight goals and 23 assists for 31 points. The Fighting Hawks are currently ranked first overall in NCAA Division I men's ice hockey.

U.S. Ousted at World Juniors

The United States will not medal at this year's IIHF U20 World Junior Championship in the Czech Republic.

The Americans fell, 1-0, to defending champion Finland in a quarterfinal match Thursday, despite 28 saves by Spencer Knight (Boston College). The loss snaps a U.S. string of four years worth of World Junior medals, including silver last season.

Trevor Zegras led all U.S. scorers in this year's tournament with nine points, all coming on assists, while Shane Pinto (North Dakota) tied for the American goal-scoring lead with four goals overall.

Finland moves on to the semifinal round against either Canada or Russia. The U.S. will seek to return to the WJC podium next year in Edmonton.

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.

Happy Hockey Holidays

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.