Team Canada has won the gold medal at the 2021 World Men’s Hockey Championship in Riga, Latvia. This was Canada’s 27th gold medal in the history of the World Men’s Hockey Championship. They are now tied with Russia for the most gold medals all-time in the history of the championship.
In the gold medal game, Canada defeated Finland 3-2 on an overtime winner by Ottawa Senators left winger Nick Paul of Mississauga, Ontario. The other Canadian goal scorers were Anaheim Ducks left winger Max Comtois of Longueuil, Quebec, and Ducks center Adam Henrique of Brantford, Ontario.
Comtois and Senators right winger Connor Brown of Toronto, Ontario each had a multi-point game. Brown had three assists and Comtois had one goal and one assist. Comtois was named the most valuable player of the gold medal game, while Calgary Flames left winger Andrew Mangiapane of Bolton, Ontario was the most valuable player of the entire tournament. Mangiapane had seven goals and four assists for 11 points in only seven games.
The United States won the bronze. Earlier in the day. the Americans beat Germany 6-1.
This Canadian team will forever be remembered for its awful start. They began the tournament by losing their first three games, and then remarkably found a way to win six of their next seven games to win the World Men’s Hockey Championship. The difference? Clearly, Mangiapane, who arrived late in Latvia due to the fact the Flames and Canucks had to end their regular season late because of the Canucks coronavirus outbreak.
