Abington resident named assistant coach for U.S. U18 Men’s Hockey team

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April 22nd, 2025 | By Ryan Genova

Chad Kolarik of Abington has been named an assistant coach for the U.S. Under-18 Men’s National Team that will compete at the 2025 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship from April 23 – May 3 in Frisco and Allen, Texas, USA Hockey announced today.

The tournament features 10 countries split into two groups for the preliminary round, which begins here tomorrow (April 23). Team USA will compete in Group B alongside Czechia, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland, with all games played at Comerica Center in Frisco. Group A includes Canada, Finland, Latvia, Norway and Slovakia, and will play its preliminary round games at Credit Union of Texas Event Center in Allen. Each site will host two quarterfinal games, while the two semifinal games and bronze and gold medal-games will be played in Frisco. 

The team is comprised of 14 forwards, eight defensemen and three goaltenders and hail from 12 different states as Minnesota leads the way with five players. Ten separate colleges are represented as 23 players are either committed or have played college hockey. The University of Michigan has the most with four, the same number of NCAA conferences represented. A total of 19 players participated in the 2025 Chipotle All-American Game and 22 are draft eligible for the 2025 NHL Draft. Of the 25 players rostered, 24 have skated for USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program.

Team USA is in search of its 12th gold medal in tournament history after winning gold in 2023 in Basel, Switzerland. The team’s 11 gold medals are the most of any competing team in tournament history. 

Team USA begins preliminary round play tomorrow (April 23) against Czechia at 8:00 p.m. ET. All U.S. games throughout the tournament will be broadcast live on NHL Network.

Previously, Kolarik served as an assistant coach of the gold-medal winning 2023 U.S Under-18 Men’s National Team and for the U.S. Under-18 Men’s Select Team in 2024.

He also served as an assistant coach with USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program last year.

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