July 17, 2025
Boys Hockey

Goss: Laczynski, USA win hockey gold at World Junior Championship

By DICK GOSS

Minooka graduate and Shorewood native Tanner Laczynski, who was selected by the Philadelphia Flyers in the sixth round of the recent NHL draft and is playing college hockey at Ohio State, was a member of the USA team that won the gold medal last week in the World Junior Championship tournament at Montreal and Toronto. (Provided Photo)

Of this and that:

Good things continue to happen on the ice for Shorewood native Tanner Laczynski.

The Ohio State freshman, a 2015 Minooka graduate, took time out from his Division I college schedule with the Buckeyes to play for the United State Junior National team in the prestigious International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship, which began Dec. 26 and ended Jan. 5 in Montreal and Toronto.

The Americans went 9-0 in the competition and claimed the gold medal with a 5-4 shootout victory over Canada. The USA also went to a shootout in the semifinals, where it beat Russia, 4-3.

Laczynski, a forward and the only USA roster member from Illinois, scored one goal and had one assist in the tournament. He finished at plus-2 on the charts.

The 10-nation World Junior Championship features the world's top men's players under 20 years of age. The USA previously won gold medals in 2004, 2010 and 2013.

It came as no surprise that Laczynski, given his background, made the USA roster, especially after he showed well late last summer in the World Junior Evaluation Camp run by USA Hockey in Plymouth, Michigan. Earlier last summer, the Philadelphia Flyers made him a sixth-round selection, the 169th overall pick, in the NHL draft. He also has played a couple of seasons in the USHL, the top Junior A league in the nation.

So far at Ohio State, which got off to a 9-3-4 start, Laczynski has played in 15 games and had six goals and 16 assists for a team-best 22 points. Two of his goals were game-winners.

His dream to play in the NHL is on track.

• Dick Goss can be reached at dgoss@shawmedia.com.