THE United States Of America Are Back-To-Back World Juniors Champs For The First Time In History After Taking Down Finland In Overtime
Minas Panagiotakis. Getty Images.Who: USA vs Finland
What: 2025 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship Gold Medal Game
When: 7:30pm ET
Where: Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa // NHL Network
Why: Because tonight, we are the greatest hockey team in the world
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Since the turn of the century there have only been 3 nations to repeat as back-to-back gold medalists as the World Juniors. The Czechs did it in 2000-01. The Russians followed that up in 2002-03. The Canadians had a run from 2005-09, and then went back-to-back in 2022-23. You'll notice the United States isn't mentioned there at all.
It's arguably the best international ice hockey tournament every year outside of Olympic years when NHL players are allowed to participate. So to win back-to-back golds at the WJC is massive, and proves that current age group absolutely dominates the rest of the world.
Great moments are born from great opportunity. And that's what Team USA has earned here tonight. It's legitimately the first chance that the US men's junior national team has to defend their gold medal at the World Juniors. Every other time they've won gold at this tournament, they never made it back to the gold medal game.
They finished 4th in 2005. They got bronze in 2011. They finished 5th in 2014. Bronze in 2018. And finished 5th in 2022.
The only thing standing left in their way is a rematch against the Finns from last week after Finland took down the Americans 4-3 in overtime.
It was a game where Team USA looked a little lethargic all game long. You knew they had another gear, but they just never seemed to be able to find it in this game. They kept making a few too many passes, and let pretty much ever opportunity slip by to really apply some pressure on the Finns.
And that's where Finland thrives. If this team can stick around in close games, they are deadly. They did it to the US in group play. They did it to Sweden yesterday in the semifinals. If you let Finland hang around, they're eventually going to squeak one through. But this is a gold medal game. I doubt the word "lethargic" will be anywhere near this US team tonight. They have a chance tonight to do something that no US team has ever done before.
This is their time. Now go out there and take it. Live blog officially activated.
End of the 1st: USA 1 -- Finland 2
Well that's not the start USA was hoping for. Already, there are some similarities to the last game against Finland. USA is just a little too weak on the puck in their own zone. It's creating a bunch of chances for Finland, it's tilting the ice, and it caused the Americans to take a penalty early in the 1st. Like every single game in this tournament, the key is to stay out of the box. USA made the first mistake, and Jesse Kiiskenen (DET rights) made them pay on the powerplay.
One of the issues with how much skill USA has on their roster is that they're constantly trying to make the "perfect" play. Which usually results in one too many passes being made. Sometimes it's best to just simplify the game. Pucks on net, crash hard, get a little greasy. Which is exactly what James Hagens (2025 Draft) did here to get the Americans on the board.
There's a strong chance that James Hagens will be the first overall pick in the 2025 Draft. But that doesn't mean he's afraid to get dirty. Crashes the net, stays strong on the puck and puts away a huge goal on the rebound.
It felt great to get some momentum back for about 60 seconds….but then Tuomas Uronen (2023 VGK 6th rd) decided to unleash this rocket to the top corner and past Augustine.
Uronen had a quick stint with the Ottawa 67's last year in the OHL. Can't imagine he's scored a bigger goal in his career in the city of Ottawa than this one, though. Nasty nasty shot. Not much you can do about that one.
20 minutes down and Finland has clearly been the better team. Better chances, more shots, and they just seem to be getting to the puck quicker. Luckily there's still 40 left to go for USA to find their game. But Finland is playing extra dangerous tonight.
End of the 2nd: USA 3 -- Finland 3
It seems like the Finnish scout on Trey Augustine was to test that blocker side. And they hit their spot again pretty early in the 2nd period to take a 3-1 lead after this Emil Pieniniemi (2023 PIT 3rd rd) snipe.
It was the first time USA has been down by 2-goals this whole tournament. Finland's whole game plan in this game was to grind on the forecheck, get behind defenders, and put pucks on net. Meanwhile, the Americans still kept trying to get just a little too cute with the puck out there. Still making too many passes instead of just getting shots towards the goal and seeing what will happen.
Luckily Brandon Svoboda (2023 SJS 3rd rd) isn't trying to be a superstar out there. He's looking to do his job, so he just lets this one fly in the general direction of the net. A couple lucky bounces later and it's in the back of the net.
It sure as shit wasn't pretty, but that's why they don't draw pictures on the scoresheet. They don't ask how, they ask how many. And at this point, USA was only down by 1. They were just one shot away from tying this game up. And that shot came off the stick of Cole Hutson (2024 WSH 2nd rd) in the final minute of the 2nd period.
Great rush started off by Zeev Buium (2024 MIN 1st rd). Great move by Hutson. Great shot. Going glove side there is extra cocky. And what a massive goal before the 2nd intermission to completely steal that momentum heading into the locker room. Just remember that USA came back from being down 2-0 against Finland in last year's tournament. Sending this game into the final 20 minutes tied up was huuuuuuuuge. Gutsy period there for the Americans, now it's time to finish the job.
End of Regulation: USA 3 -- Finland 3
Plenty of back and forth action in the 3rd, but nothing found the back of the net. USA came out flying in the first few minutes of that period, but the whole game started to slow down after that. Realistically a bit of a yawner of a period.
60 minutes wasn't enough to get this one done. So now it's onto overtime. We weren't ready for this tournament to be over yet anyway.
Overtime Updates: USA 4 -- Finland 3
I know there are going to be some people out there who hate on the fact that this tournament is being decided by 3v3 overtime. But let's not forget that USA has won gold in a shootout before. So I'll take 3v3 OT over that any day of the week.
What an unreal 8 minutes of nonstop action we got in that overtime. USA getting chance after chance after chance after chance. Leonard had a chance to put the game away. James Hagens had a chance to put the game away. Zeev Buium had a chance to put the game away. But Petteri Rimpinen kept coming up with ridiculous saves to keep Finland alive.
The puck was on an American's stick practically the entire overtime period, besides a couple Finnish rushes. And then finally….
What a fucking disgusting pass from Zeev Buium (2024 MIN 1st rd) to send Teddy Stiga (2024 NSH 2nd rd) on a breakaway to deliver the final golden dagger for Team USA.
His first goal of the tournament and it couldn't have come at a better time. Again, that's just an insane pass to spring him on that break. And for a kid who may not have contributed too much offensively this tournament, that is such a nails finish. Calm, cool, collected, 5-hole, smell ya later.
What a game. What a win. What a tournament. What a program. What a goddamn country. PLAY FREEBIRD! PLAY FREEBIRD! PLAY FREEBIRD!