By: Kate Vanderveen
SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Sophomore goaltender Nicholas Kempf has been named to the preliminary roster for Team USA ahead of the upcoming 2026 IIHF World Junior Championships. Kempf will be one of three goaltenders competing for Team USA as they try to win a third-straight gold medal in the Twin Cities, December 26, 2025–January 5, 2026. This will be Kempf’s debut with the USA Hockey U20 Team. He has appeared in 14 games this year with Notre Dame and has a save percentage of .902.
Kempf has previously represented Team USA at the U17 World Hockey Championship and U18 World Juniors Championship. He has twice earned a silver medal for Team USA on the international stage, picking up a second-place finish in overtime against Team Canada at the U17 WHC before finishing runners-up at the 2024 U18 team in Espoo, Finland.
Along with Kempf, two members of Notre Dame’s athletic staff will be heading to Minnesota as part of the 2026 USA U20 Team. Director of Hockey Operations Jessica Thibault and Equipment Manager Patrick Dooley have both been invited to support the team as they compete at the annual event.