Honorary Coaches Announced, Officials Selected for BioSteel All-American Game

Top American prospects eligible for the 2020 NHL Draft to compete at USA Hockey Arena Jan. 20

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Hockey announced today that Scott Gomez (Anchorage, Alaska) and Mike Knuble (Kentwood, Mich.) will serve as the honorary head coaches for the BioSteel All-American Game, which will be held on Jan. 20 at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET.

The game, formerly known as the USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game, is a joint effort between USA Hockey, the USHL and NHL. This year's new format will feature players from the U.S. National Under-18 Team of USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program taking on a group of the best American-born players from the USHL, which is the lone Tier I junior league in the United States.

Both Gomez and Knuble represented Team USA at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Torino, Italy. Gomez competed with Team USA in two IIHF World Junior Championships (1998, 1999), while Knuble skated in four IIHF Men's World Championships (1995, 1999, 2001, 2005).

Gomez, who played in the NHL from 1999-2016 and spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the New York Islanders, will lead Team Gomez, which is comprised of American-born players in the USHL. Scott Owens (Madison, Wis.) of the Sioux Falls Stampede and Mike Hamilton (Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich.)  of the Muskegon Lumberjacks will join Gomez on the bench.

A current assistant coach with the Grand Rapids Griffins, Knuble played in the NHL from 1997-2013 and will be leading the U.S. National Under-18 Team. Joining the Team Knuble bench are current assistants Brent Darnell (Plymouth, Mich./USA Hockey NTDP), Nick Fohr (Plymouth, Mich./USA Hockey NTDP) and Mike Leone (Plymouth, Mich./USA Hockey NTDP).

In addition to the coaching staff, USA Hockey announced the four officials for the BioSteel All American Game. Referees Jake Jackson (Andover, Minn.) and Steve Sailor (Sewell, N.J.) will be joined by linesmen Neill Fredrickson (Lake Elmo, Minn.) and Kilian McNamara (Lantana, Fla.).

Tickets for the BioSteel All-American Game are currently on sale at the USA Hockey Arena box office or online, here.

NOTES: Media wishing to attend the 2020 BioSteel All-American Game should complete the online credential form, found here... To date, 188 alumni of the All-American Prospects Game have been drafted in the NHL, including 44 total first-round selections and a record 31 picks in last year’s NHL Draft … Standouts Jack Eichel (Buffalo Sabres), Noah Hanifin (Carolina Hurricanes), Dylan Larkin (Detroit Red Wings), Seth Jones (Columbus Blue Jackets) and Zach Werenski (Columbus Blue Jackets) are among the current NHL stars that have played in the game previously… The BioSteel All-American Game takes the place of both the USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game and the USHL Top Prospects Game ... Previous coaches for the game include Phil Housley and Rob McClanahan in 2012; Mark Johnson and Joe Mullen in 2013; Mike Grier and Eddie Olczyk in 2014; Derek Plante and Jeremy Roenick in 2015; Mark Howe and John LeClair in 2016; Chris Chelios and Brian Leetch in 2017 and Jamie Langenbrunner and Jordan Leopold last year ... Previous host sites have included Buffalo, New York, (2012, 2014, 2015, 2017), Minnesota (2018), Pittsburgh (2013) and Philadelphia (2016) … For more information on the BioSteel All-American Game click here.

For more information, contact Jennifer Greene (Jennifer.Greene@usahockey.org/719-538-1159)