22 CHL grads win World Championship Gold
Sunday May 17, 2015
Prague, Czech Republic – Canada’s National Men’s Team has won the gold medal at the 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship after a 6-1 victory over Russia in Sunday’s gold medal game.
It’s Canada’s 19th gold medal at the world championship since 1931 (not including Olympic tournaments that also counted as world championships). Canada has now won 19 gold, 11 silver and six bronze since 1931.
On Sunday, Sidney Crosby (Cole Harbour, N.S./Pittsburgh, NHL), Tyler Ennis (Edmonton, Alta./Buffalo, NHL) and Claude Giroux (Hearst, Ont./Philadelphia, NHL) had a goal and an assist each for the Canadians, who scored the game’s first six goals and held the Russians to just 12 shots on goal. Cody Eakin (Winnipeg, Man./Dallas, NHL), Tyler Seguin (Brampton, Ont./Dallas, NHL) and Nathan MacKinnon (Cole Harbour, N.S./Colorado, NHL) also scored for the Canada, and Mike Smith (Kingston, Ont./Arizona, NHL) made 11 saves to record his eighth win of the tournament.
Following the game, Jason Spezza (Toronto, Ont./Dallas, NHL) was named Top Forward by the IIHF directorate, and Brent Burns (Barrie, Ont./San Jose, NHL) earned Top Defenceman honours.
Spezza and Burns were joined by Taylor Hall (Kingston, Ont./Edmonton, NHL) on the media all-star team.
The gold medal makes Crosby the 26th member, and ninth Canadian, in the IIHF Triple Gold Club; membership is reserved for players who have won gold at the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship and Olympic Winter Games, as well as a Stanley Cup championship.
Canada finished atop Group A with a perfect 7-0 record in the preliminary round, including wins over Latvia (6-1), Germany (10-0), the Czech Republic (6-3), Sweden (6-4), France (4-3), Switzerland (7-2) and Austria (10-1), and beat Belarus in 9-0 in its quarter-final on Thursday and the Czech Republic 2-0 in the semifinals on Saturday.
CHL Graduates on Canada National Men’s Team
Goaltenders
Martin Jones (Calgary Hitmen)
Mike Smith (Sudbury Wolves)
Defence
Tyson Barrie (Kelowna Rockets)
Brent Burns (Brampton Battalion)
Aaron Ekblad (Barrie Colts)
Dan Hamhuis (Prince George Cougars)
Jake Muzzin (Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds)
David Savard (Moncton Wildcats)
Forwards
Sean Couturier (Drummondville Voltigeurs)
Sidney Crosby (Rimouski Oceanic)
Matt Duchene (Brampton Battalion)
Cody Eakin (Kootenay Ice)
Jordan Eberle (Regina Pats)
Tyler Ennis (Medicine Hat Tigers)
Claude Giroux (Gatineau Olympiques)
Taylor Hall (Windsor Spitfires)
Nathan MacKinnon (Halifax Mooseheads)
Ryan O’Reilly (Erie Otters)
Brayden Schenn (Brandon Wheat Kings)
Tyler Seguin (Plymouth Whalers)
Jason Spezza (Belleville Bulls)
Tyler Toffoli (Ottawa 67’s)
For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Men’s Team, please visit www.hockeycanada.ca, or follow along through social media at www.facebook.com/hockeycanada, www.twitter.com/hockeycanada and www.twitter.com/hc_men.