Canada beat the Czech Republic 3-2 in overtime.
Connor Bedard and Canada celebrate the World Youth Championship gold. PDO
The final of the under-20 WC tournament was a great thriller. Fanatically cheered on by the home crowd, Canada took a 2–0 lead in the game.
The home team led the final seven and a half minutes before the end by Dylan Guenther and the captain and celebrating his birthday by Shane Wright with goals.
At the end, however, the Czech Republic came out on top Jiri Kulich and Jakub Kosin with goals. The crowd at Halifax’s Scotiabank Center fell silent for a moment.
There was extra time ahead, which was played three on three at a brisk 6:22. Then Canada’s newest puck hero Guenther struck again and ended the game and the tournament.
They pitched the historic game-winning hit Joshua Roy and Brandt Clarke.
Canada won their second World Youth Championship gold in less than five months. The previous gold came in August in Edmonton. At that time, Finland fell in the final – even then in overtime.
The Czech Republic played a great final, but it wasn’t enough until the gold.
Bedard’s brilliance
Connor Bedard scored 9+14=23 power points in the tournament. It is the fourth highest score in the history of World Youth Hockey.
In the final, the 17-year-old star did not score. However, he was chosen as the tournament’s most valuable player.
Canada and the Czech Republic met in the age group World Cup finals for the first time in this tournament format.