Motzko, Skilled and Veteran-Laden USA Squad Look to Become First Team to Win Gold on American Soil
Veteran college hockey coach and Minnesota head coach Bob Motzko is ready to lead USA Hockey into the U20 World Junior Hockey Championships for a third time. After leading the USA to gold in 2017 and a bronze medal in 2018, the current University of Minnesota bench boss is beaming with excitement over the veteran-laden USA squad that will kick off the 2026 tournament against Germany on Friday in St. Paul, Minnesota.
In an exclusive interview with Ratings, Motzko, a Minnesota native, discussed what it would be like for himself to win gold in his native state and for the USA to finally do so on home soil. He also touched on the combination of high-end skill and maturity that has the Americans believing this will finally be the season they sing their anthem last with their home fans.
What does it mean to be playing in the USA and, more specifically, in your home state? What would it be like to win it in Minnesota?
“Of course, we all know what USA Hockey has been doing over the last 20 years, and we couldn’t be in a better spot as a country from a hockey-playing standpoint,” Motzko replied.
“We know that we’ve got an excellent group, and we’re on home turf, and that’s something that hasn’t been done. But I think even more important is that USA Hockey has been looking for that spot in our country to host and have a true home advantage. It’s such a big tournament, such an outstanding tournament when it’s in Europe and in Canada, and our hockey is great, but we’re hoping Minnesota can really bring something special to the tournament, and fans can show up, and we can really put a flag down for a country to start to host this tournament here. You only get a chance every seven years. So, I think there’s excitement for that as well.”
How much has the experience of coaching in this tournament shown you how far USA Hockey has come and continues to grow?
“Well, when you go through it the first time, that’s when it really hits you at the talent level, the speed, and the hockey sense,” Motzko pointed out.
“This is a players’ tournament, it’s not a coaches’ tournament. You get together for a short amount of time, and coaches, of course, are pointing the arrow in the direction and giving guidance on how we want to play and what we want to do. But ultimately, when it’s all said and done in this tournament, it’s the players, and that’s what brings the excitement. It’s not just our country or Canada, I mean, it’s players’ hockey right now. We’re developing talent all over the world right now at an extraordinary rate. So fans are just going to be entertained with great hockey.”
In such a short time to be prepared, do you have time to form an identity for the team, or does that just happen organically?
“The players do it, the staff does it, and we bring people in,” Motzko replied.
“The great thing for us with a lot of our players, because of USA Hockey, the National Development Program and the Hlinka Tournament, is that these players all know each other. They’re very familiar from playing together through the years. So the camaraderie is strong in our country with the players, and they want to be in this tournament.
“Then for this team particularly, what we’re really seeing is the eight returning players. They’re really a close-knit group, and there’s a special bond inside this group. And we have felt that the four days we’ve been together this summer, and the four days now, that it’s great leadership and strong character in this group, and we think that’s something that we can really play off of.
“They’re a year stronger, another summer in the weight room, another year of maturity. And we see it all the time in our college guys. I mean, I can say with Brodie Ziemer for us, the step he’s taken in the last month and a half, he’s at a new level than he was in his freshman year, both from a strength standpoint and a confidence standpoint.”
*Note: Ziemer (University of Minnesota), Teddy Stiga and James Hagens (Boston College), Max Plante and Adam Kleber (Minnesota Duluth), Cole Eiserman and Cole Hutson (Boston University), and Logan Hensler (University of Wisconsin) are all returning players for the USA.
You could say the same about Wisconsin defenseman Logan Hensler too, right?
“There’s no question I would put two guys in the same breath,” Motzko said of Hensler and Ziemer.
“Same with Kleber. Both guys now in their sophomore years, and the development of both him and Max Plante, too, is another great example. I mean, he’s at a completely different level than he was a year ago. He’s leading the country in scoring (16 goals, 14 assists), and with Hensler, he’s much more comfortable. They’re doing a great job at Wisconsin with him, giving him the responsibility of being a well-rounded two-way defenseman, and it shows with what Wisconsin has been doing this year, and Duluth has been taking big steps.”
Finally, he’s in his first go-around, but how big a role can you envision Will Horcoff (Michigan) playing in this tournament?
“Well, he sure likes to score goals, I can tell you that,” Motzko said of Horcoff, who leads the nation in goals with 19 and is second in points behind Plante with 28 points.
“This is my first look at him now. He came in at Christmas last year, and what we saw even this summer, watching him the first half of the year, I should say, at Michigan, he’s got 19 goals. There’s something special going on with this kid. He’s got this tremendous confidence right now, and he’s got a great knack around the net, and he’s still got another year to play. He’s just hitting a stride, and we’ve been really high on him.”