The 2025-26 season will be John Draeger’s first as an assistant coach with USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program and will be on the bench with the U.S. National Under-17 Team.

Draeger most recently served as head coach of the Sioux Falls Power 18U program (2022–25), where he guided the team to three Tier 1 Elite Hockey League playoff finals, one league championship and four USA Hockey National Tournament appearances. During his tenure, more than 30 players advanced to junior and college hockey. He also spent two seasons (2017–19) as an assistant coach at Prior Lake High School, specializing in defensive development and penalty kill systems, and is the owner of Perfect World Hockey Training, where he has trained over 240 players, including NHL, AHL and NCAA Division I athletes.

As a player, Draeger was selected in the third round (68th overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft by the Minnesota Wild and went on to be a four-year starter at Michigan State University (2012–16), skating in 131 career games as a top-four defenseman. Prior to college, he helped Shattuck-St. Mary’s capture back-to-back Tier I National Championships in 2011 and 2012 and was the team’s top-scoring defenseman in his final season.

The Edina, Minn., native earned his bachelor’s degree in advertising from Michigan State and a master’s degree in strength and conditioning from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls in 2022.