Canada captured its 20th World Junior Hockey Championship gold medal with a 3-2 overtime win over Czechia in Thursday’s final in Halifax.
Dylan Guenther scored the winner, marking Canada’s second straight overtime win in a world junior final
After winning the 2022 tournament with an OT win over Finland in August, Canada has successfully defended its crown and repeated as champions for the first time since 2009.
The Canadians struck first midway through the opening period off a Guenther one-time blast on the power play. It was his sixth tally of the tournament — all on the power play.
On his 19th birthday, captain Shane Wright extended Canada’s lead to 2-0 in the second period after putting a backhand top corner on Czech goalie Tomáš Suchánek.
The Czechs cut the lead to 2-1 on a goal by Jiri Kulich with less than eight minutes left in the third period.
Fifty-four seconds later, Jakub Kos tied it.
Canada had previously fell to Czechia in a 5-2 loss on Dec. 26 when both teams opened their tournament in Group A action.
Czechia was competing in its first gold-medal game since 2001, when it took home first-place honours.
Canada has now won five gold medals since the 2015 tournament.
More to come.
