World Junior Update-

Cayden Primeau turned aside 28 shots but the U.S. National Junior Team fell to Finland, 3-2, in the gold-medal game of the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Team USA's (5-0-1-1/W-OTW-OTL-L) silver-medal finish continues its unprecedented medal streak in tournament play after winning gold in 2017 and earning bronze-medal finishes in 2016 and 2018. The U.S. now has 12 medals in tournament play, including four gold medals (2004, 2010, 2013, 2017), two silver medals (1997, 2019) and six bronze medals (1986, 1992, 2007, 2011, 2016, 2018). 

Great job to all of our AYHL alumni, keep making USA hockey proud! 

-Goaltender Cayden Primeau was named player of the game after leading the United States to a 2-1 win over Russia in the semifinals of the world junior championships Friday in Vancouver.

Primeau, a sophomore at Boston’s Northeastern University and a seventh-round draft choice on the Canadiens in 2017,  made 35 saves. Primeau, was the difference as Russia outshot the U.S. 36-27.

-The 2019 U.S. National Junior Team seeks a fourth-straight medal in IIHF World Junior Championship at the 2019 event in Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia. While tournament play begins Dec. 26

The AYHL would like to congratulate the following alumni on their selection to the team. Evan Barrat (Penn State), Tyler Madden (Northeastern), Cayden Primeau (Northeastern) and Mattias Smauelsson (Western Michigan). All four NCAA Division I athletes and NHL draft picks played youth hockey in the AYHL. We would like to wish them the best of luck and congratulate them on their hard work and dedication to USA Hockey.

The Atlantic Youth Hockey League is the USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier I AAA youth hockey league of the Atlantic District. From Connecticut to Maryland, the AYHL’s membership is comprised of over 100 teams, representing four districts, and is spread across six playing divisions. The AYHL’s mission is to develop young players with competition, fun, and good sportsmanship, and move them on to the next phase of their hockey career. With a distinguished alumni list of players that spent a portion of their playing career in the AYHL, today’s players choose to play in the AYHL knowing that it is a proven stepping stone for those serious in their hockey pursuits.