The NHL Network - U.S. will provide live coverage of all U.S. games at the 2010 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship, Dec. 26 – Jan. 5 in Regina and Saskatoon, Sask. The NHL Network will also televise all medal-round games and six additional preliminary-round match-ups, airing a total of 16 games in high-definition from the tournament.

Gary Thorne, Dave Starman and Fred Pletsch will make up the broadcast team for the NHL Network’s coverage of Team USA’s games. All other contests aired on the NHL Network will utilize a feed from TSN.

Thorne, who will handle play-by-play duties, boasts over 30 years of sports broadcasting experience. He served a 12-year stint (1992-2004) as the voice of ESPN’s NHL telecasts and was also the lead hockey play-by-play voice of NBC’s 2002 Olympic Winter Games coverage. Thorne currently serves as a play-by-play commentator for college football on ESPN and ABC, and provides play-by-play for Major League Baseball on ESPN Radio.

Starman, who will serve as the analyst, is currently the lead analyst for CBS College Sports coverage of NCAA hockey. He served as the analyst for the NHL Network's coverage of Team USA's games at the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship, as well.

Pletsch, who will serve as the rinkside reporter, is in his 10th season as an analyst on the CCHA Game of the Week on Fox Sports Detroit and has also worked as a sideline reporter for ESPN during the NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Championship and for the NHL Network's coverage of Team USA's games at last year's IIHF World Junior Championship. He is currently the associate commissioner of the Central College Hockey Association.

The NHL Network's Team USA broadcast schedule is highlighted by the United States' final preliminary-round match-up against rival Canada at 8 p.m. EST on New Year's Eve. The complete NHL Network broadcast schedule is below.

NOTES: Broadcast coverage of the IIHF World Junior Championship coverage on the NHL Network is only available to those viewers in the United States ... The NHL Network - U.S. is providing coverage of the IIHF World Junior Championship for the third straight year.

2010 IIHF World Junior Championship - NHL Network Broadcast Schedule
Dec. 26 - Jan. 5, Regina and Saskatoon, Sask.