Team USA won its season opener yesterday (Oct. 7) against Czechia, 8-0, to move to 1-0-0-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L) at the IPH Cup. Travis Dodson (Deming, N.M.) and Evan Nichols (Haymarket, Va.) each scored twice, and Griffin LaMarre (Haverhill, Mass.) earned a shutout in goal to help lift the U.S. to victory. Dodson was named U.S. Player of the Game.
Canada enters the matchup with a 1-0-0-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record after skating to a 9-0 victory over Italy yesterday in the tournament opener.
The U.S. and Canada have faced off 123 times across all competitions, and Team USA holds an edge with a 53-12-7-49-2 (W-OTW-OTL-L-T) record. These two teams have matched up in four contests all-time at the IPH Cup, including the last two tournament championship games, with team USA skating to a 4-0-0-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record in those matchups.
Last time the U.S. and Canada played was the gold-medal game of the 2024 World Para Ice Hockey Championship in Calgary. Canada earned a 2-1 victory, and the U.S. took home silver.
Every game from the four-team event, which runs through Oct. 13, will stream live on the Czechia Para Hockey YouTube channel.
The U.S. is unbeaten at the IPH Cup since the inaugural tournament in 2022, holding an 11-0-0-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record all-time at the event, including back-to-back tournament titles.
