STOCKHOLM – Tage Thompson scored at 2:02 of overtime to the give the United States a 1-0 victory over Switzerland on Sunday for its second world hockey championship and first since 1933.
Thompson, the Buffalo Sabres star from Connecticut, fired a wrist shot past goalie Leonardo Genoni from the top of the right circle for this sixth goal of the tournament.
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“What an absolutely amazing feeling,” said U.S. coach Ryan Warsofsky of the San Jose Sharks. “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.”
In 1933, the United States beat Canada 2-1 in the final in Prague. The Americans also were formally awarded the title in 1960, when they won the Olympics in Squaw Valley and the worlds did not take place.
“It’s been a long time coming," Vancouver forward Drew O’Connor said. "U.S. hockey has been growing and getting better every year. We haven’t had success here, but you’ve seen it in the world juniors and things like that.”
Utah's Logan Cooley and Nashville's Brady Skjei assisted on the goal. Boston goalie Jeremy Swayman made 25 saves to finish 7-0 in the tournament.
“We did it, the wait is over,” Swayman said on social media. “Thanks for sticking along with us. It’s going to be a great summer.”
Vancouver's Conor Garland failed on a penalty shot early in the second.
Amid the celebrations on the ice, the U.S. players displayed Johnny Gaudreau ’s jersey to honor the forward who was killed with brother Matt in late August riding their bicycles in their home state of New Jersey on the eve of their sister's wedding. Gaudreau leads the U.S. scorers at the worlds with 43 points.
“What a group. What a fun month,” Garland said. “If we lost, we lost … but we didn’t. We’re such a tight-knit group, that’s just the way it always is with USA Hockey.”
Switzerland beat the U.S. 3-0 in the group stage of the tournament, the Americans’ only defeat.
Bronze medal for Sweden
Mikael Backlund and Marcus Johansson each scored twice to help Sweden beat Denmark 6-2 in the third-place game.
Lucas Raymond and Mika Zibanejad also scored for Sweden. Nick Olesen and Nikolaj Ehlers scored for Denmark.
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