USA Wins Ice Hockey World Championship, Honors Johnny Gaudreau

STOCKHOLM, Sweden – The United States triumphed over Switzerland 1-0 in the final of the Ice Hockey World Championship on Sunday, capturing its first gold medal in 92 years. Tage Thompson scored the winning goal 2:02 into overtime, snapping a scoreless tie that had persisted through regulation.

Thompson wristed a shot past Swiss goaltender Leonardo Genoni from the top of the right circle, marking his sixth goal of the tournament and the U.S. team’s 40th shot on goal. Logan Cooley and Brady Skjei assisted on the goal, and goaltender Jeremy Swayman secured a shutout with 25 saves.

Amid the celebration, U.S. players honored Johnny Gaudreau, a star forward who tragically passed away in August along with his brother Matthew, when they were struck by an alleged drunk driver while biking in New Jersey. The team held up Gaudreau’s No. 13 jersey during the trophy presentation, a gesture driven by their emotional commitment to his memory.

USA Hockey indicated this championship is only the second for the Americans, following their win in 1933. While the team was also awarded the title in 1960 when they claimed Olympic gold, that title is not counted by USA Hockey as a World Championship win.

“What an absolutely amazing feeling,” U.S. head coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “Everyone in our group contributed to winning the gold medal. We beat an excellent team in Switzerland tonight and full credit to them for the tournament they had. We’ll remember this for a long, long time.”

The U.S. team outshot Switzerland 40-25, showcasing a dominant performance despite the earlier challenge of a scoreless regulation. Swayman, with a perfect 7-0 record at the tournament, reflected on the victory, saying, “We did it, the wait is over. Thanks for sticking along with us. It’s going to be a great summer.”

In the bronze medal game earlier on Sunday, Sweden defeated Denmark 6-2. Mikael Backlund and Marcus Johansson each scored two goals for Sweden, marking their second consecutive third-place finish. The fourth-place result for Denmark was their best-ever finish at the tournament.

The championship win added to the emotional stakes for the U.S. players as they dedicated their victory to Gaudreau. “This gold goes to him and the legacy that he’s paved for all USA Hockey players,” Swayman stated. “He would be here, obviously. We miss him terribly.”