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 [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/boston-bruins] forward Alex Steeves [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/boston-bruins/latest-news/alex-steeves-named-to-usa-iihf-world-championships-roster] 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 [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/boston-bruins/latest-news/james-hagens-confirmed-to-play-for-us-at-iiihf-worlds] 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.
