OSLO – Vermont men's hockey assistant coach Stephen Wiedler will serve in the same capacity with the 2022 Norway National Junior Team in December. The Norwegian National Junior Team will compete December 12-18 in the 2022 IIHF U20 World Championship in Group A of Division I. Group A action will be hosted in Hørsholm, Denmark.
 
"When a player is selected to play for their country, his or her coaches are undoubtedly thrilled," said Vermont Head Coach Todd Woodcroft. "This also presents a rare opportunity that athletes never forget. This year, we expect several current UVM players as well as future Catamounts to have the experience of playing on the largest international stage during the World Junior Tournament."
 
"The men's hockey staff is proud to announce that Assistant Coach Stephen Wiedler has been invited by the Norwegian National Team to join them as an Assistant Coach this December," continued Woodcroft. "Steve's reputation as a tireless worker coupled with his hard-earned reputation of developing defensemen afforded him this unique opportunity. We wish Steve and the Norwegian team great success at the upcoming Junior Tournament."
 
Wiedler will serve under Head Coach Tobias Johansson. In Group A, Norway will compete with Belarus, Denmark, Hungary, Kazakhstan and Latvia for a spot in the top division at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championships which will be hosted in Novosibirsk and Omsk Russia. The winner of Group A will earn promotion in 2023.
 
"This is a great opportunity for Stephen to coach on a world stage," said Director of Athletics Jeff Schulman. "We're fortunate to have coaches who are so well-respected around the hockey world and will continue to be supportive of these unique professional opportunities as they provide valuable exposure for both our staff members and our hockey program."
 
Current Catamounts Simon Jellus and Luca Münzenberger competed at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championships in Edmonton, Alberta. Jellus had one assist in five games as Slovakia finished eighth overall. Münzenberger also played in five games, including 108 minutes of action for Germany who placed sixth. Vermont Head Coach Todd Woodcroft also served remotely as an assistant coach for Sweden in the tournament.
 
Handy Toyota is the presenting sponsor of the 2021-22 men's hockey season