The long wait has ended.
Teige Thompson scored a golden goal as the US beat Switzerland 1-0 to win its first World Ice Hockey Championship in decades on Sunday.
Thompson helped the shot past goaltender Leonardo Genoni from the top of the right circle for the winner 2:02 in the final with the 40th shot of goal. It was his sixth goal in the tournament.
Logan Cooley and Brady Skjei locked out Switzerland with 25 saves from assist and goaltender Jeremy Swayman.
USA Hockey says it was the second trophy that the Americans won in the tournament after beating Canada in 1933, and welcomed the victory by saying “first golden in 92 years.”
“What an amazing feeling,” said US head coach Ryan Waussovsky. “Everyone in our group helped us win the gold medal. We beat a great team in Switzerland tonight and honored them with a full credit for the tournament they had… I remember this for a long time.”
The Americans have not won the World Championship tournament they competed in since 1933, but the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) says that the United States also won the Olympic tournament in 1960, and was officially awarded the title when the world did not take place.
USA Hockey doesn’t count its 1960 title.
Switzerland, runner-up last year, has never won a tournament.
Regulation scoreless
The tightly contested game had no stars due to restrictions, so both goaltenders held the company.
Conner Garland wasted a penalty shot in mid-5:38.
The US began to put pressure on the mid-term, surpassing the Swiss 17-9, continuing to 11 shots with four goals in the third.
Swayman scored a perfect record in the world 7-0.
“We did that, the wait is over,” Swayman said in a social media post. “Thank you for sticking with us. It’s going to be a great summer.”
Amid the ice celebrations, American players displayed Johnny Gordlow’s jerseys, celebrating the forward who was killed along with his brother Matt in late August, riding a bike at his New Jersey home on the eve of his sister Katie’s wedding.
Gaudreau leads the highest scorer table in the world in the US history with 43 points.
The hockey community is mourning the deaths of NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew.
Thompson’s third medal
Switzerland locked out the US 3-0 in the group stage of the tournament, the Americans’ only defeat.
After winning bronze in 2018 and 2021, Thompson of the Buffalo Sabres won his third medal and won Allemban (2 silver, 1 bronze) for the world’s most decorated US player.
All players on the US team except the three goaltenders registered points at least in the tournament, with 21-year-old Frank Nazar and Logan Cooley leading by 12 points.
Switzerland lost its fourth final since the playoff system was introduced in 1992. It was defeated in 2013 and 2018 by Sweden and last year by Czechs.
Swedish bronze medal
Michael Buckland and Marcus Johansson each scored two goals as Sweden defeated Denmark 6-2 and won the bronze medal on Sunday.
Sweden’s second straight finish was third place finish, but fourth was Denmark’s best ever.
Lucas Raymond and Mika Zibanejad also scored winners, with Nick Olesen and Nickolazi Ehlers scoring in Denmark.
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