USA Hockey won its first gold medal at the IIHF World Championship in 92 years Sunday in Stockholm, Sweden, defeating Switzerland 1-0 behind a lone goal in overtime from Tage Thompson. The victory marked the Team USA’s first world championship since 1933.
Thompson, a current member of the Buffalo Sabres and former first-round pick by the St. Louis Blues in 2016, buried a wrist shot past Switzerland goalie Leonardo Genoni’s blocker just two minutes into overtime. Logan Cooley and Brady Skjei were credited with assists on the golden goal.
USA had not even appeared in the world championships final since 1934, but claimed four bronze medals in the past 12 years to show steady progress leading up to this historic gold medal run.
And after being recognized as the champions, the team posed with the jersey of the late Johnny Gaudreau, the American star who died alongside his brother, Matthew, while cycling after being struck by a drunk driver last August.
The Americans earned a spot in the championship game Sunday with a dominant 6-2 win over host and heavily favored Sweden. Earlier in the tournament, the Americans blew a 5-1 lead against Norway but narrowly escaped with a 6-5 overtime win. Their only loss came in the preliminary round, a 3-0 defeat to Switzerland, which preceded the close call against Norway.
USA outscored its opponents 45-20 in 11 games at the tournament, posting three shutouts, including the 1-0 victory over Switzerland in the gold medal game.
The resilient performance Sunday, fueled by a talented roster and strong team chemistry, helped the Americans overcome decades of frustration to capture a world title that had eluded them for nearly a century. The victory not only ended the longest gold medal drought in tournament history but also signaled that USA Hockey has returned to the top tier of international competition.
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