Just a few months removed from a stunning quarterfinals loss to Czechia, the United States has its eyes on World Juniors redemption. They will do so with a new coach at the helm of the junior program.
Quinnipiac University's Rand Pecknold is set to lead the U.S. U20 team at the 2023 World Juniors. Pecknold, 55, takes over for Providence College's Nate Leaman, who coached the team to a gold-medal win in 2021, but also was on the bench for the disappointing end of the 2022 tournament.
This is Pecknold's first time with the U20 national junior team. He has previous experience with the men's national team and U18 program as well. He's been a staple in college hockey since he arrived at Quinnipiac in 1994.
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As the United States aims to improve on its 2022 finish, here is everything you need to know about the new USA coach at the 2023 World Juniors.
Who is Rand Pecknold?
Pecknold has been a staple in Connecticut hockey for nearly 30 years now. He played at Connecticut College from 1986 to 1990 as a defenseman. Once his playing career was over, he joined the coaching staff as an assistant, a position he held for three seasons.
In 1994, Pecknold took the job at Quinnipiac University, replacing Jim Armstrong who has been there for 14 years. Pecknold helped elevate the program from DII to DI, needing just four seasons to do so.
Quinnipiac made the jump to the DI level in 1998, joining the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. The team finished either first or second in the conference regular season all five years the school participated in the MAAC, winning the conference championship in 2002.
The school made the switch to Atlantic Hockey in 2003, playing for two seasons in the conference before joining ECAC Hockey in 2005, the conference the team still plays in.
During his 28 years at Quinnipiac, Pecknold has led the program to two conference championships (one in the MAAC, one in ECAC Hockey), an ECAC Hockey championship, six ECAC Hockey regular season titles, eight NCAA tournament berths and two NCAA championship appearances.
Individually, Pecknold has been honored numerous times for his coaching. He is a four-time ECAC Hockey Coach of the Year, one-time Atlantic Hockey Coach of the Year and the 2016 winner of the Spencer Penrose Award, given to the top coach in NCAA hockey that year.
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While this is the first time he has been a head coach for the USA national junior team, it is not his first experience with USA Hockey. Pecknold served on the coaching staff for the U.S. men's national team at the 2017 IIHF World Championship, as well as with the U.S. U18 team at the 2018 IIHF U18 World Championship.
Rand Pecknold coaching record
Pecknold is the driving force responsible for Quinnipiac not just transitioning to the top level of college hockey, but becoming a consistent powerhouse year after year on the national level. The program has frequented the national rankings ever since the 2012-13 season when Quinnipiac was the top-ranked team in the country for the NCAA tournament.
Earlier this season, Pecknold passed Mercyhurst's Rick Gotkin for the most wins among active DI coaches. He sits third all-time in wins among active coaches in the NCAA, trailing only St. Norbert's Tim Coghlin and Salem State's Bill O'Neill, the heads of DIII programs.
| Year | Team | Record (W-L-T) | Conference Result | NCAA result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994-95 | Quinnipiac (ECAC South) | 6-15-1 | Did not make playoffs | — |
| 1995-96 | Quinnipiac (ECAC South) | 11-12-4 | Did not make playoffs | — |
| 1996-97 | Quinnipiac (ECAC South) | 13-12-2 | Did not make playoffs | — |
| 1997-98 | Quinnipiac (Independent) | 19-3-1 | N/A | — |
| 1998-99 | Quinnipiac (MAAC) | 26-6-2 | Lost in MAAC semifinal | — |
| 1999-00 | Quinnipiac (MAAC) | 27-6-23 | Lost in MAAC semifinal | — |
| 2000-01 | Quinnipiac (MAAC) | 22-11-4 | Lost in MAAC championship | — |
| 2001-02 | Quinnipiac (MAAC) | 20-13-5 | Won MAAC championship | Lost in NCAA Regional quarterfinal |
| 2002-03 | Quinnipiac (MAAC) | 22-13-1 | Lost in MAAC championship | — |
| 2003-04 | Quinnipiac (Atlantic Hockey) | 15-14-6 | Lost in Atlantic Hockey quarterfinals | — |
| 2004-05 | Quinnipiac (Atlantic Hockey) | 21-13-3 | Lost in Atlantic Hockey championship | — |
| 2005-06 | Quinnipiac (ECAC Hockey) | 20-18-1 | Lost in ECAC Hockey quarterfinals | — |
| 2006-07 | Quinnipiac (ECAC Hockey) | 21-14-5 | Lost in ECAC Hockey final | — |
| 2007-08 | Quinnipiac (ECAC Hockey) | 20-15-4 | Lost in ECAC Hockey quarterfinals | — |
| 2008-09 | Quinnipiac (ECAC Hockey) | 18-18-3 | Lost in ECAC Hockey quarterfinals | — |
| 2009-10 | Quinnipiac (ECAC Hockey) | 20-18-2 | Lost in ECAC Hockey quarterfinals | — |
| 2010-11 | Quinnipiac (ECAC Hockey) | 16-15-8 | Lost in ECAC Hockey quarterfinals | — |
| 2011-12 | Quinnipiac (ECAC Hockey) | 20-14-6 | Lost in ECAC Hockey quarterfinals | — |
| 2012-13 | Quinnipiac (ECAC Hockey) | 30-8-5 | Lost in ECAC Hockey semifinal | Lost NCAA championship |
| 2013-14 | Quinnipiac (ECAC Hockey) | 24-10-6 | Lost in ECAC Hockey semifinal | Lost NCAA Regional semifinal |
| 2014-15 | Quinnipiac (ECAC Hockey) | 23-12-4 | Lost in ECAC Hockey semifinal | Lost NCAA Regional semifinal |
| 2015-16 | Quinnipiac (ECAC Hockey) | 32-4-7 | Won ECAC Hockey final | Lost NCAA championship |
| 2016-17 | Quinnipiac (ECAC Hockey) | 23-15-2 | Lost ECAC Hockey semifinal | — |
| 2017-18 | Quinnipiac (ECAC Hockey) | 16-18-4 | Lost in ECAC Hockey quarterfinals | — |
| 2018-19 | Quinnipiac (ECAC Hockey) | 26-10-2 | Lost in ECAC Hockey quarterfinals | Lost in NCAA Regional final |
| 2019-20 | Quinnipiac (ECAC Hockey) | 21-11-2 | N/A* | N/A* |
| 2020-21 | Quinnipiac (ECAC Hockey) | 17-8-4 | Lost in ECAC Hockey championship | Lost NCAA Regional semifinal |
| 2021-22 | Quinnipiac (ECAC Hockey) | 32-7-3 | Lost in ECAC Hockey championship | Lost NCAA Regional final |
* = Playoffs canceled due to COVID-19
