Team Canada won their 19th gold medal in the history of the World Junior Men’s Hockey Championship on Saturday. From Rogers Place in Edmonton, Canada defeated Finland 3-2 in overtime in the gold medal game.
The Canadian hero was Kent Johnson of Port Moody, British Columbia. Johnson received a backhand pass from Kamloops Blazers center Logan Stankoven of Kamloops, British Columbia. Johnson tried to deke Finnish goaltender Juha Jatkola. Johnson’s initial shot attempt was unsuccessful, but then he scored on the rebound.
Hamilton Bulldogs center Mason McTavish led Team Canada in scoring with two assists. He also led the tournament in scoring with 17 points (eight goals and nine assists), and was named the tournament’s most valuable player. The other two Canadian players to score in the gold medal game were Sherbrooke Phoenix left winger and Montreal Canadiens prospect Joshua Roy of Saint-Georges-de-Bea, Quebec, along with Saint John Sea Dogs right winger William Dufour of Quebec City, Quebec.
This was the first time that Canada played Finland in the gold medal game of the World Junior Men’s Hockey Championship. It turned out to be a classic. Canada had the 2-0 lead heading into the third period before Finland tied the game at 2. Sweden won the bronze medal, as they beat the Czech Republic 3-1.
