The 2026 IIHF World Championships have yet to officially begin, but the United States kicked off their exhibition campaign with a solid 5-2 over Germany.
Boston Bruins forward Alex Steeves scored the game-winning goal with 17 seconds left in the second period, just 65 seconds after Germany had made it a 2-1 game.
Earlier in the period, Steeves picked up an assist on a Sam Lafferty goal, giving the Bruins forward two key points in the game.
Just over a minute into the third period and James Hagens got in on the fun, assisting Max Plante for a 4-1 goal that gave the US a commanding lead.
Mason Lohrei did not play for the USA in this exhibition contest.
The game finished 5-2, and with his game-winning goal and assist, the IIHF named Steeves the MVP of the game.
The United States' tournament officially gets underway on Friday afternoon at 2:20 against the hosts, Switzerland, live on the NHL Network.