How Bruins Prospects Fared In Team USA’s World Juniors Elimination Loss To Finland
Bruins prospects James Hagens and Will Zellers led Team USA in points
The United States’ time spent on its home ice was short-lived during the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship.
After a promising 3-1 start in the preliminary games, Team USA made a prompt first-round exit, falling to Finland late Friday night. The United States had the second-highest odds of winning the entire tournament, which is being played in Minneapolis, Minn.
The Americans lost, 4-3, but Boston Bruins prospects James Hagens and Will Zellers picked up right where they had left off in the preliminary round.
Zellers was tied for the most points in the tournament heading into the first round, recording seven points in the first four games.
He added an assist to his point total Friday, setting up the game-tying goal that forced overtime.
Hagens received the primary assist on that same game-tying goal. The Bruins’ first-round pick added two assists in the loss, with the first coming on a power-play goal that gave Team USA the lead in the second.
After the elimination loss, most of the squad will return to their respective universities.
For Hagens, this means returning to Boston College to finish his sophomore season before potentially making the jump to the Bruins’ system.
Zellers was a USHL standout last year but now attends the University of North Dakota, where he has 15 points as a freshman.
