Ice Ice Baby: Team USA Wins Gold
Team USA (USA Hockey)
We are pausing on the Stanley Cup content because you need to stop, collaborate, and listen to what happened at the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championship! For the first time in 92 years (since 1933, babes), the United States has walked away with gold. The incredible American NHL prospects, collegiate athletes, and NHL players who were not competing for the Stanley Cup are coming home from Stockholm winners.
Joey Daccord (Instagram/@jdac35)
The IIHF World Championship ran from May 9th to May 25th and included 16 nations who all competed to be world champs. Austria, Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States all took the ice to represent.
Team USA went 6-1 during the World Championship with their only loss to Switzerland. Their revenge was even sweeter when the United States snagged the overtime win against them in the gold medal match.
Team USA, while filled with a strong roster, was missing a key team member, Johnny Gaudreau who passed away tragically with his brother Matthew in August of 2024. The team honored Johnny by carrying his Team USA sweater (jersey) when they accepted the World Cup. Before the brothers passed away, Johnny played for the Columbus Blue Jackets and was a member of the 2023-2024 USA Men’s National Team.
This momentous win comes just three months after the United States lost the championship game against Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off, so this redemption win is extra sweet. There's nothing more patriotic than bringing home the gold. The U.S. had only won five medals since 2004 and they were all bronze (2004, 2013, 2015, 2018, 2021).
Congratulations Team USA!