USA wins first IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship gold in 92 years with overtime thriller against Switzerland
Tage Thompson etched his name into ice hockey history as the United States men's national hockey team defeated Switzerland 1-0 in overtime to win their first IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship gold medal since 1933, ending a 92-year drought on Sunday.
Thompson netted the golden goal just 2:02 into overtime, wristing a precision shot past Swiss goalie Leonardo Genoni from the right circle, capping off a tense and emotional final in Prague.
This championship marks only the second time the United States has claimed gold at the IIHF Worlds, with the last coming in 1933. While the U.S. also topped the podium in the 1960 Winter Olympics (which counted as the World Championship that year), USA Hockey does not officially recognize that title.
“What an absolutely amazing feeling,” said U.S. head coach Ryan Warsofsky. “We beat an excellent team in Switzerland tonight… we’ll remember this for a long, long time.”
The final was a defensive chess match through 60 minutes of regulation, with neither team breaking the deadlock. Jeremy Swayman, who posted a flawless 7-0 record throughout the tournament, stopped all 25 Swiss shots en route to his historic shutout performance.
Despite a missed penalty shot by Conor Garland in the second period, the U.S. continued to build momentum. The Americans outshot Switzerland 17-9 in the second period, then applied more pressure with 11 shots to 4 in the third—before finally capitalizing in overtime.
Thompson’s third medal, Swayman’s statement
Thompson, a standout for the Buffalo Sabres, captured his third IIHF Worlds medal (two bronze, one gold), tying Allen Van as the most decorated U.S. player in the tournament’s history.
Swayman, who delivered a flawless tournament performance, celebrated emotionally on social media:
“We did it, the wait is over. Thanks for sticking along with us. It’s going to be a great summer.”
Tribute to Johnny Gaudreau
During the celebrations, U.S. players held up Johnny Gaudreau’s jersey to honor the late forward, tragically killed alongside his brother Matt in a biking accident last August. Gaudreau remains the all-time top scorer for the U.S. at the World Championships with 43 points.
Switzerland falls short again
Despite an impressive run and having shut out the U.S. 3-0 in the group stage, Switzerland once again fell short in the final. This marks their fourth silver medal since the playoff format was introduced in 1992, having lost in previous finals to Sweden (2013, 2018) and the Czech Republic (2023).
Bronze medal for Sweden, Best-Ever finish for Denmark
Earlier on Sunday, Sweden dominated Denmark 6-2 to capture the bronze medal. Goals from Mikael Backlund, Marcus Johansson (two each), Lucas Raymond, and Mika Zibanejad secured Sweden’s second straight third-place finish.
Denmark’s fourth-place result marks their best-ever IIHF Worlds finish, with goals from Nick Olesen and Nikolaj Ehlers giving fans reason for optimism.
The U.S. team now turns its attention to preparations for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, where they’ll aim to build on this momentum. Rising stars like Nazar, Thompson, and Swayman are expected to play central roles.
SportsLigue