USA Hockey named today its support staff for the 2020 U.S. National Junior Team that will compete in the 2020 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship set for Dec. 26, 2018 – Jan. 5, 2019, in Ostrava and Trinec, Czech Republic.
The group includes video coach Nick Siergiej (South Bend, Ind./University of Notre Dame); athletic trainers Dennis MacDonald (Plymouth, Mich./USA Hockey National Team Development Program) and Stan Wong (Boca Raton, Fla./USA Hockey); equipment managers Scott Aldrich(Colorado Springs, Colo./USA Hockey) and Chris Garner (Duluth, Minn./University of Minnesota Duluth) and team physician Dr. Phil Johnson (Fargo, N.D./USA Hockey).
All six have previously served on U.S. staffs in international competition, including four who have been a part of a collective nine medal-winning U.S. National Junior Teams. Wong is the most decorated U.S. staff member at the IIHF World Junior Championship level, having served on all U.S. medal-winning entries since 2004, including four gold medals (2004, 2010, 2013, 2017), one silver medal (2019) and four bronze medals (2007, 2011, 2016, 2018). Joining Wong as fellow returnees are Aldrich (8th appearance; gold – 2013, 2017, bronze – 2011, 2016), Johnson (14th appearance; gold -2010, 2013, 2017; silver – 2019; bronze – 2007, 2011, 2016) and Siergiej (2nd appearance; bronze – 2016).
The 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship will be the third international appearance for both MacDonald and Garner and their first with a U.S. National Junior Team. MacDonald has served as an athletic trainer on two U.S. Under-18 Men’s National Team staffs (2016-bronze, 2018-silver) while Garner has fulfilled equipment manager duties for the championship-winning U.S. Under-17 Men’s Select Team at the 2017 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament as well as the U.S. entry at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
