From 68/Selects to Gold
14 former CCM Athletes pave the way for Team USA at World Juniors
The World Junior Championships concluded on Tuesday with the Gold Medal game between the United States and Canada. Featuring the best under-20 players in the world, eventual champion Team USA was propelled to the top of the podium by 14 players who previously represented the CCM 68 and CCM Selects.
With Spencer Knight and Trevor Zegras at the forefront, alumni were on full display for the United States. Top scorers Alex Turcotte, Arthur Kaliyev, Matthew Boldy and John Farinacci combined with Zegras for 25 of the team’s 60 goals in the seven-game event. Knight, along with Dustin Wolf, anchored Team USA with a combined .941 save percentage and 1.43 goals-against average, including a 2-0 shutout of Team Canada in the championship.
Leading up to the gold medal game, all eyes were on the Canadians with 20 first-round NHL Draft picks, a 41-4 goal differential in the tournament and skating on home soil in Edmonton, Alberta. The Americans had nine first-rounders of their own, though, including University of Wisconsin sophomore Cole Caufield, who’s had plenty of experience stacking up against the best players on the planet. He’s competed at the CCM68 Combine, the U-17 World Hockey Championships, U-18 World Juniors and played two seasons with the U.S. National Team Development Program prior to this year’s U-20 World Juniors.
“The CCM 68 was big for me as it was a chance to size yourself up and compete with the best kids in your age group,” he said.
Caufield was part of the 2015 CCM 68 Combine that featured fellow USA teammates Cam York, Henry Thrun and Patrick Moynihan.
“It meant a lot to me, growing up in a small town you didn’t really get the exposure of a big town kid so playing with the Selects shaped me into the player I am today,” said Caufield. “Also It was the first time you got see where you were at as a player and it was big for me to know I had a lot of work to do.”
Fast forward six years to find Caufield and his countrymen squaring off against heated rival and heavy favorite Team Canada in the gold medal game. Turcotte recorded the opening goal in the first period, with a redirection in front of the net off of Drew Helleson’s shot from the point; Zegras picking up the secondary assist. Then in the second period, Kaliyev chipped a puck in behind the Canadian net, where Zegras quickly corralled it, brought it to the netfront and chipped it past Canadian goalie Devon Levi.
From there, Knight did the rest, turning away all 34 shots faced from Team Canada including 15 in the third period alone. His performance in net coupled with the efforts of many CCM alumni in front of him, ultimately propelled Team USA to a 2-0 shutout victory and gold medal at the 2021 World Juniors over Team Canada.
For more on our CCM Selects programs and the CCM 68 and how you can get involved, click HERE.