Written by: Jaden Chiang

2023 IIHF WJC Logo by Eugene Zelenko, CC BY 4.0 on Wikimedia

A 3-2 overtime win against Czechia! Eight returning players for Team Canada win their second straight gold after just four months since last year’s win at the summertime WJC, postponed due to COVID. Meanwhile, three NHL rookies joined in on the action to play at the tournament, including Seattle Kraken forward Shane Wright who captained Team Canada this year. 

The 2023 World Juniors were held in Halifax, NS and Moncton, NB in one of the most exciting tournaments to date. The event was celebrated after years of limited capacity viewing and public health restrictions. Atlantic Canada welcomed fans from across the world, but stayed true to its roots; Team Canada’s new goal song by St. John’s band, The Fables, blared through the arena more than forty times in the tournament, and one last time during the gold medal ceremony following the team’s win. The atmosphere in the arena was electric throughout the tournament, with fans cheering on their country and oftentimes shaking the building–literally.

It was a hard fought battle that landed Canada’s spot in the gold medal game. Things weren’t looking good in the quarter-finals against Slovakia on Monday night. After the Slovaks came back to tie the goals at 3-3 at the end of regulation, it took some overtime magic by Connor Bedard, who dangled the puck through the entire defending team, and into the back of the net. The 17-year-old secured 23 points (9 goals, 14 assists) in seven games at this year’s tournament, setting a new Canadian record for most points in a single tournament. In their last obstacle before heading for a chance at gold, Canada rallied past their American rivals with a 6-2 win and two disallowed goals for the United States.

Now came their redemption round, as Canada was pitted up against the only team they’d lost to in the tournament: Czechia. Their Boxing Day matchup and the first game for Team Canada ended with a disappointing 5-2 loss, but Canada quickly rebounded with 22 goals in the following two games. Tonight’s game–with the chance at gold hanging in the balance–started off well for Canada with a 2-0 hold. Over halfway into the first period, Dylan Guenther made it 1-0 with his 6th goal of the tournament on the power play, while Wright tucked home a backhand roofer in the second, on his birthday no less. With over ten minutes in the third period gone, things were looking good for Canada. Just like that, Czechia tied the game with two goals in under a minute. As the clock winded down, Canada prepared for its second straight overtime in a gold-medal game. After a nerve wracking back-and-forth of three-on-three play, Guenther completed a 2-on-1 rush with a pass from Joshua Roy, scoring the golden goal that erupted both Canada’s bench and the entire building. 

Players were ecstatic by the crazy win that was described as an unforgettable experience. On the other side of things, Team Czechia had a bittersweet end to a sensational run that landed their first medal since 2005 at the WJC.

“I don’t want to talk about myself right now. We’re not talking about me. We just won one of the biggest tournaments in the world. And man, I love this group, I love this country,”

Connor Bedard after winning the World Juniors (Sportsnet)

“So proud of this group…We faced a lot of adversity this tournament and gave it all tonight.”

Shane Wright after the game (Staff)

Works Cited

“Connor Bedard named world junior MVP after rewriting record books.” Sportsnet, 5 January 2023, https://www.sportsnet.ca/world-juniors/article/connor-bedard-named-world-junior-mvp-after-rewriting-record-books/.  Accessed 6 January 2023.

Murphy, Bryan. “Canada vs. Czechia final score, results: Dylan Guenther’s OT goal wins gold for Canadians at 2023 World Juniors.” Sporting News, 5 January 2023, https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nhl/news/canada-czechia-live-score-highlights-updates-2023-world-juniors-gold-medal-game/iynjfxssmdh9uqyuppavbj6c . Accessed 6 January 2023.

Staff, TSN. ca. “Guenther Scores in OT as Canada Beats Czechia to Repeat as World Junior Champs.” TSN, TSN, 6 Jan. 2023, www.tsn.ca/world-juniors/dylan-guenther-ot-winner-canada-beats-czechia-world-junior-championship-final-1.1902305 .