The United States Collegiate Select hockey team has announced its coaching staff for the 2025 Spengler Cup and Guy Gadowsky (Penn State University) was selected as the inaugural head coach, while Mike Souza (University of New Hampshire) and Jason Lammers (Niagara University) will be the assistant coaches. The Selects will be the first team of its kind to participate in the 97th edition of the prestigious international event in Davos, Switzerland, this December.

“We are proud to unveil the coaching staff for this year’s Spengler Cup team,” said USCS GM Steve Metcalf. “Guy Gadowsky will serve as the head coach. His vision for bringing a college team to the prestigious Spengler Cup made him the clear choice to lead this effort,” he added. “Joining Gadowsky behind the bench are coaches Mike Souza and Jason Lammers, who both bring exceptional experience and a shared commitment to showcasing the best of the college game.”

Gadowsky has led the Nittany Lions for the last 14 seasons, including the team’s final year of AHCA action in 2011-12. Since elevating to Division I, Penn State has made four NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the 2025 Frozen Four. The program took home its first-ever Big Ten Tournament title in 2016-17, before capturing its first regular-season championship during the 2019-20 season with a single-season program record 12 conference victories. Last year’s Frozen Four squad helped Gadowsky reach 404 career wins, which ranks 29th all-time and eighth among active coaches.
“It’s an honor to be on the inaugural staff of the US Collegiate Selects and to be competing in such a prestigious tournament,” said Gadowsky. “The Spengler Cup will provide an incredible experience for the players selected and will be great for the continued exposure of college hockey outside of the United States.”
Prior to arriving in “Hockey Valley,” Gadowsky had two previous NCAA head coaching stops at Princeton University (2004-11) and the University of Alaska Fairbanks (1999-04). He also spent three seasons with the Fresno Falcons of the West Coast Hockey League (1996-99), following a playing career that included four years at Colorado College and stops in the AHL, DEL and the Canadian National Team.

Beginning his ninth year at the helm for the Purple Eagles in 2025-26, Lammers has put together three consecutive campaigns of a .500 winning percentage or better, including a career-high 19 wins in the 2022-23 season. Niagara has made the conference semifinals three times under his tutelage and climbed as high has fourth in the regular season standings in 2024-25, with a 16-9-1 conference mark.
The SUNY Geneseo graduate began his coaching career as an assistant at Clarkson University (2000-01), before notable stops at Alaska (2003-04), Princeton (2004-05) – where he worked under Gadowsky – Ohio State (2006-09) and UMass Lowell (2011-15). 

Souza has led New Hampshire on the ice for the last seven years after being elevated from his previous role as the team’s Associate Head Coach. In his time at the helm, the Wildcats have gone 91-118-27, including a 20-15-1 overall mark in 2023-24, which was the program’s best finish in 11 years. 
A native of Wakefield, Mass., Souza played at UNH from 1996-00, helping the Wildcats reach the national championship game in 1999. He went on the play professionally in the AHL and ECHL, before heading overseas to play in Germany, Switzerland and Italy. His coaching career began as an assistant at Brown University (2011-13), before heading to the University of Connecticut (2013-15) and eventually his alma mater (2015-18).

The U.S. Collegiate Select team will made up of 25 student-athletes from across NCAA men’s ice hockey, with each conference being represented. The competition runs from December 26-31, with the six participating teams playing a minimum of two contests apiece. Along with the Selects, host HC Davos, Team Canada, HC Fribourg-Gotteron, Sparta Praha and IFK Helsinki will be taking part in the 2025 edition. 
This will be the second time an American-based select team has taken part in the Spengler Cup, following a U.S. squad that won the tournament in 1988.

Text: Media release    Foto: NCAA