USA Strikes Gold At The World Championship For First Time In 92 Years
That's the last time Team USA won a gold medal at the 2025 IIHF Men's World Championship, until today, as the Americans defeated Switzerland 1-0 in overtime to take home the gold medal in Stockholm, Sweden.
From an international and historical standpoint, the USA is dominant in practically every sport, but that isn't necessarily the case for hockey.
America hasn't won an Olympic gold medal since the "Miracle on Ice" in 1980, and of course, 1933 was the last time the country had won gold at the World Championship.
It was a daunting fact that stayed at the forefront of Team USA's minds throughout the entirety of this tournament over the past couple of weeks.
'1933, that was addressed,' Team USA head coach Ryan Warsofsky said. 'That is not good enough for USA Hockey… We were embarrassed, truly embarrassed that we hadn't won this tournament.'
This World Championship victory didn't just happen overnight. There's been a resurgence in the USA Hockey Program as a whole, and it starts at the grassroots level.
You see American superstars like Auston Matthews, Matthew Tkachuk, Quinn Hughes and many, many others taking the NHL by storm currently.
All of these players were brought up through a USA Hockey program that is continuing to get stronger each year.
The American players of this generation wear the red, white and blue with pride while they have a certain confidence, almost a positive kind of arrogance that has elevated the program to new heights.
'The skill level that these young players have, the swagger that they play with is incredible,' Warsofsky said. 'The confidence, the respect they have for each other, the respect they have for the game, they are winners.'
There's no longer an underdog mentality around the USA Hockey Program. The players come into every tournament looking to prove they are the top dogs.
Team USA has won the past two IIHF World Junior Championships, and that's no coincidence.
'It's going great,' Brady Skjei said on where USA Hockey is as a program. 'It's always been good, but just haven't always got the success we've obviously wanted. A ton of youth coming up that will be big impact players in the NHL for a long time. USA Hockey is in a great spot right now…
'Our young guys on this team that have won world juniors, they have that confidence to them. They believe we should win in every tournament we play in. That is the confidence you need.'
That leads us to this year's World Championship. Generally, there aren't a whole lot of star players who come to play for Team USA at this tournament.
However, many of the young rising stars decided to represent America, including Clayton Keller, Logan Cooley, Frank Nazar, Will Smith, Shane Pinto, Matty Beniers, and the list goes on and on.
That doesn't even include the already established players that USA hockey recruited like Tage Thompson, Zach Werenski, Jeremy Swayman, Conor Garland and Skjei.
It may sound like a cliche, but there was an energy around this team that was truly unique.
By watching them throughout the entirety of the tournament, the USA core continued to get better and better.
At first, they looked like a bunch of talented players who were bunched together, and by the end, they were one cohesive unit.
That process took time, and it required everyone to buy into the culture.
'I think we just bought in Day 1,' Warsofsky said. 'Guys had an understanding that we needed to break this long drought, and I think our team went through a lot of adversity as far as results. Our team always got better each and every day.'
After posting a nearly undefeated record in the preliminary round, The Americans breezed past Team Finland and Sweden en route to the gold-medal match.
Their opponent in the final was a far more experienced Switzerland team that knows the international game inside out.
It was a defensive, physical battle between the USA and Switzerland as both teams were unable to score goals through all three periods of regulation.
In the overtime frame, it was Thompson who scored the golden goal, creating a special moment for his country and himself.
'Winning is why you play the game,' Thompson said. 'Obviously in the NHL I haven't won, so this is obviously one of the best feelings I've had. In my hockey career, this has to be Top 1 for sure.'
This championship victory had far greater meaning than just winning a trophy or a medal. The players dedicated the win to Johnny Gaudreau, who was tragically killed along with his brother Matthew after they were struck by a drunk driver on Aug. 29 while riding bicycles near their home in Salem County, N.J.
Gaudreau's commitment as well as all he's done for USA Hockey cannot be overstated.
Team USA had Gaudreau's jersey in their locker room over the course of the tournament and his presence was felt in spirit.
When receiving the championship trophy, the USA's captains covered the trophy with Gaudreau's jersey to honor him.
'The biggest thing was having Johnny Gaudreau in our room too,' Swayman said. 'This gold goes to him and the legacy he paved for all USA hockey players. Every single game you knew that he was with us…
'He would be here obviously, we miss him terribly. What he's done for the game, what he's done for USA Hockey, he's paved the way for a lot of kids like me. It was just really special to get the job done and mission accomplished for him.'
Zach Werenski Says Johnny Gaudreau 'Deserves This Gold Medal More Than Anyone' Zach Werenski had a great World Championship. He missed the first couple of games but it was no coincidence that the U.S. team got much better after he arrived. In seven games, Werenski had six points and was voted to the tournament all-star team by accredited media and named Top Defenseman by the tournament directorate.
USA Hockey can now use this victory as a stepping stone to greater things.
By winning the World Championship: this USA Hockey Program is sounding a loud message that they have arrived and are not afraid of any country that may stand in their way.
'It's time for us to really put our stamp on it,' Warsofsky said. 'This tournament is the start of it.'
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