New York Islanders prospects Danny Nelson and Quinn Finley won the gold medal with Team USA at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championships.
LAS VEGAS -- The 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship is in the books, and it ended in gold for two New York Islanders prospects. USA Hockey defeated host nation Sweden in the Gold Medal Game on Friday 6-2, giving Danny Nelson and Quinn Finley the tournament’s top prize.
Our Brendan Yerkes broke down their play from the preliminary rounds:
Neither prospect notched any points in the contest, but both had strong showings in Gothenburg. Finley and Nelson each finished with one goal and one assist each.
Nelson scored in the team’s quarterfinal against Latvia. After defenseman and New Jersey Devils’ prospect Seamus Casey let a shot go from the right point, Nelson tipped the puck past goaltender Devis Rolovs to give the US a 3-1 lead en route to a 7-2 win.
Finley’s goal was part of an 11-3 rout of Switzerland. With a late power play opportunity, Chicago Blackhawks prospect Frank Nazar sauced a pass across the ice to Finley. The winger buried the one-time shot past the Swiss netminder, putting the US into double figures for the game in their highest-scoring game of the tournament.
Both players also held their own positionally, coming up with big moments on the defensive side of the puck. Most notably, the pair took the ice late in the team’s semi-final against Finland to kill a late penalty. Their efforts proved successful, as the U.S. advanced to the final in a come-from-behind win.
Finley finished with a plus-minus ranking of +2, while Nelson ended at +4.
The prospects join a long list of Islanders who attended the event and came away with medals. Names, including Mathew Barzal, Casey Cizikas, Julien Gauthier, Ilya Sorokin, and Semyon Varlamov, all earned silver at the event, while Brock Nelson earned a bronze medal. Kyle Palmieri and Mike Reilly both struck gold with USA Hockey.
The two prospects now return to the States and continue their roads to the NHL. Nelson will return to the University of Notre Dame, where his 11 assists and 14 points sit second for the Fighting Irish. Finley will continue at the University of Wisconsin, boasting five goals for the Badgers.