Joel Hofer was outstanding, captain Barrett Hayton was resilient, Alexis LaFreniere was a star, and Akil Thomas was the late game hero:
This was Canada’s first gold medal won in Europe since 2008, and they’ll be able to defend their championship on home soil next year. Meanwhile, Leafs prospect Rasmus Sandin was named the top defenceman of the tournament and Nick Robertson established himself as one of the best players on Team USA. For many Leafs fans, this was close to a perfect tournament.
Team Canada’s Dramatic Victory
After losing 6-0 to the Russians in the round-robin, Canada found a way to erase a 3-1 third-period deficit when it mattered most.