Team USA Wins Gold in 2025 World Juniors

DAY 11: EISERMANN, NELSON EARN GOLD MEDAL WITH TEAM USA, NURMI EARNS SILVER

Back-to-back for the red, white and blue.

Three Isles medaled as Cole Eiserman and Danny Nelson took home the gold for Team USA in a 4-3 OT win over Finland and Jesse Nurmi earned silver on Sunday night.

The gold medal victory is Nelson's second straight, as he was part of Team USA's back-to-back World Juniors victories. Nelson, who served as an alternate captain, finsihed the tournament with six points (4G, 2A) and recorded 16:21 in the gold medal win.

It's the first taste of gold for 18-year-old Eiserman, who contributed seven points (3G, 4A) in his first showcase. The 18-year-old logged 9:34 TOI on Sunday.

Nurmi assisted on Finland's first goal of the game for his third point of the tourney (1G, 2A). Along with the assist, Nurmi finsihed the assist with 16:33 TOI. The silver medal victory capped off his first career run in the tournament.

Marcus Gidlof and Team Sweden fell to Czecha 3-2 in a shootout in the bronze medal match. Though Gidlof played in one contest in the tournament, he was between the pipes for Sweden and made 30 saves on 32 shots (.937 SV%).

DAY 10: TEAM USA AND TEAM FINLAND TO FACEOFF IN GOLD MEDAL GAME

Team USA advanced to the gold medal game with a 4-1 win over Czechia on Saturday evening, sending Cole Eiserman to his first World Juniors gold medal game while Danny Nelson will compete for gold for the second straight year.

Eiserman gave Team USA a 2-1 advantage in the second period, swiftly taking a feed from the slot and blasting it past Czechia's goaltender for his fourth goal and eighth point of the tournament.

Nelson hit the scoresheet in the victory with an assist on Team USA's fourth goal to seal the win. He finished the game with an assist and four shots on goal in 14:19 TOI. Eiserman completed the game with the game-winning tally and two shots on goal in 4:52 TOI.

Sunday's gold medal game featuring Team USA vs Team Finland is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. eastern. It'll be a high-stakes matchup with Isles prospects on both ends of the ice, as Eiserman, Nelson and Jesse Nurmi are guaranteed to medal.

Nurmi and Team Finland took down Team Sweden in a 4-3 OT victory against Team Sweden on Saturday afternoon. The Isles' 2023 fourth-rounder (113th overall) recorded four shots on goal in 15:22 TOI.

Marcus Gidlof will compete against Czechia in a bronze medal match on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. eastern.

DAY 8: TEAM USA ADVANCES TO SEMIFINALS

Danny Nelson, Cole Eiserman and Team USA punched their ticket to the Semifinals with a 7-2 win over Switzerland on Thursday in the Quarterfinals.

Nelson scored in the first period to take a commanding 4-1 lead for Team USA. The Islanders' 2023 pick (49th overall) found open space at the right side of the crease and chipped in a pass for his fourth goal of the tournament. He finished the contest with two shots on goal in 13:26 TOI.

Eiserman finished the game with three shots on goal in 7:55 TOI. He was separated from a line with Nelson, as Eiserman dressed as the 13th forward.

Marcus Gidlof and Team Sweden are also moving on to the Semifinals as they took down Latvia 3-2 on Thursday afternoon. Gidlof served as backup.

NURMI EXPLODES WITH

DAY 6: TEAM USA DEFEATS CANADA, MOVES ON TO QUARTERFINALS

Capping off the year on a high note.

Danny Nelson and Cole Eiserman each scored for Team USA in a 4-1 victory over Canada on New Year's Eve. Tied at one apiece, Nelson got the go-ahead goal on the power play, firing off a shot from the high slot as the tally held as the game-winner.

Eiserman kept the momentum going, also using the man advantage to wrist a shot through traffic to take a 3-1 lead. The 18-year-old finsihed the game with two points (1G, 1A) in 8:50 TOI. Nelson finsihed the contest with the game-winner in 17:58 TOI.

Nelson, Eiserman and Team USA will face Switzerland on Thursday in the Quarterfinals.

In other news in the Isles prospect realm, goaltender Marcus Gidlof and Team Sweden defeated Czechia 4-2 on Tuesday night, with Gidlof serving as backup. Sweden also qualified for the quarterfinals and will take on Latvia on Thursday.

Jesse Nurmi and Team Finland took down Latvia 3-0 on Tuesday night. Nurmi finished the contest with three shots on goal and a plus-one rating in 13:46 TOI.

DAY 4: FINLAND IS VICTORIOUS IN OT, GIDLOF AND SWEDEN COME OUT ON TOP

Danny Nelson, Cole Eiserman and Team USA's undefeated streak of two straight wins in the tourney came to an end on Sunday with a 4-3 OT loss to Finland.

The contest had Isles prospects on either side, as Jesse Nurmi recorded one shot on goal in 12:30 TOI for Finland. Nelson register four shots on goal but failed to record a point in 16:22 TOI, while Eiserman had three shots on goal in 12:42 TOI.

Team Sweden defeated Switzerland 7-5 on Sunday. Netminder Marcus Gidlof, who the Islanders selected in the fifth round of the 2024 NHL Draft (147th overall), served as backup.

DAY 3: EISERMAN AND NELSON EACH HAVE TWO-POINT GAMES

Danny Nelson (2G) and Cole Eiserman (1G, 1A) were part of a momentous 5-1 win for Team USA over Latvia on Saturday afternoon, each earning two points.

Latvia was coming in hot after pulling off an upset with a 3-2 shootout victory over Team Canada on Friday, but the two Isles prospects were quick to deflate their momentum with a goal 1:58 into the game.

Eiserman took a sharp angle shot from the goal line that was saved, but the 18-year-old picked up his own rebound from behind the net and chipped the puck to Nelson in the low slot, who batted the puck into the net in tight in front of the crease.

"It was important for us as a team to start quick, because we haven't played in a couple days so to get it going early was good for us," Nelson told NHL Network.

Up 3-0 late in the second period, Team USA kept pressuring as Nelson buried his second goal of the game with a nifty backhand to take a 4-0 lead, with Eiserman getting the secondary assist.

Eiserman finished the game with two points (1G, 1A) in 15:02 TOI and six shots on goal, while Nelson finished with his first career multi-goal game on an international stage along with three shots on goal in 14:45 TOI.

DAY 2: GIDLOF MAKES DEBUT IN TEAM SWEDEN WIN

Marcus Gidlof made his first World Juniors start between the pipes and got the win for Team Sweden in an 8-1 decision over Kazakhstan on Friday.

Gidlof, who the Islanders selected in the fifth round of the 2024 NHL Draft (147th overall), made 15 of 16 saves in the win. Team Sweden had some firepower in the second game of the tourney, recording 52 shots on goal with eight goals to show for it.

Earlier in the day, Jesse Nurmi and Team Finland earned a 3-1 win over Germany. The Isles' 2023 fourth-rounder (113th overall) recorded his first point of the tournament with an assist on his team's second goal of the contest, which held up as the game-winner. The 19-year-old rushed up ice on the left side and sent the puck in the slot for the helper.

DAY 1: NELSON, EISERMAN RACK UP POINTS IN TEAM USA'S WIN

Danny Nelson, Cole Eiserman and Team USA kicked off the 2025 World Juniors with a dominant 10-4 win over Team Germany to open the tournament on Thursday.

Eiserman, who the Islanders selected 20th overall in the 2024 NHL Draft, made his World Juniors debut and hit the scoresheet with a goal and as assist, while Nelson, who the Isles drafted in the second round of the 2023 NHL Draft (49th overall) recorded an assist in the win. The Isles propects started and finsihed the contest as linemates.

Eiserman recorded his first point of the tourney with a primary assist on Team USA's third goal of the game - a centering feed to Trevor Connelly in the slot - to make it 3-0 early in the second period. The 18-year-old then got a goal of his own, scoring with 1:47 left in the game to give Team USA a double-digit goal total. The Isles prospects connected on the insurance tally, as Nelson recorded the secondary assist.

Eiserman finsihed the game with two points (1G, 1A) in 11:58 TOI and a plus-two rating, while Nelson recorded four shots on goal and finished the game with an assist in 13:37 TOI and a plus-three rating.

Earlier in the day, Marcus Gidlof and Team Sweden defeated Slovakia 5-2. The Islanders' 2024 fifth-round pick (147th overall) served as Sweden's backup netminder.

Jesse Nurmi, who the Islanders drafted in the fourth round of the 2023 NHL Draft (113th overall), and Team Finland fell to Canada 4-0 on Thursday night. Nurmi recorded one shot on goal in 10:41 TOI.

SCHEDULE:

Dec. 26

Sweden 5, Slovakia 2

United States 10, Germany 4

Canada 4, Finland 0

Dec. 27

Finland 3, Germany 1

Sweden 8, Kazakhstan 1

Dec. 28

United States 5, Latvia 1

Dec. 29

Sweden 7, Switzerland 5

Finland 4, United States 3 OT

Dec. 31

Latvia vs. Finland, Canadian Tire Centre, 2:30 p.m. ET

Sweden 4, Czechia 2

United States 4, Canada 1

Jan. 2

Sweden 3, Latvia 2

United States 7, Switzerland 2

Finland 5, Slovakia 3

Czechia 4, Canada 3

Jan. 4 (Canadian Tire Centre)

Finland 4, Sweden 3 OT

United States 4, Czechia 1

Jan. 5 (Canadian Tire Centre)

Slovakia 3, Sweden 2

United States 4, Finland 3 OT