Guenther scores OT winner as Canada wins 20th World Juniors gold
For the 20th time, Canada are World Juniors champions.
CHL alumnus Dylan Guenther scored the overtime winner as Canada beat Czechia 3-2 in Halifax to win their second straight gold medal.
“Words can’t really describe that,” Guenther said. “I remember that I didn’t throw my gloves off right away. I almost forgot it was overtime, do-or-die … the guys were kind of chirping me. I was the only guy without my stuff off. It’s something I will never forget.”
DYLAN GUENTHER FOR GOLD❗️🥇🇨🇦 #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/micAQaMMwc
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) January 6, 2023
The victory marked the first time since 2009 that a team had won back-to-back World Juniors titles, a feat that was last achieved by Canada when they won five straight from 2005-09.
“It’s a dream come true,” Bedard said. “We won in the summer but to get it again is unbelievable.”
Bedard had a tournament for the ages as he tallied 23 points (nine goals) in just seven games. The Regina Pats star was named the tournament’s MVP, the best forward and was selected to the All-Star Team.
He also shattered two longstanding Canadian records as his 36 points at a World Juniors and 17 goals are now the most ever by a Canadian at the event.
“I don’t want to talk about myself right now,” he said. “I want to talk about us and what we accomplished.”
🇨🇦 #WorldJuniors history has been rewritten. pic.twitter.com/OB2l19BBic
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) January 6, 2023
The 17-year-old was one of eight players to win a second World Juniors gold medal alongside Ethan Del Mastro, Nathan Gaucher, Zack Ostapchuk, Brennan Othmann, Joshua Roy, Logan Stankoven and Olen Zellweger.
“It sounds amazing,” Ostapchuk said of being a two-time gold medallist. “That was my goal coming in here. I wanted to have that title. To accomplish that with these guys is very nice.”
Guenther had opened the scoring in the first period with a rocket of a one-timer on the power play before captain Shane Wright, on his birthday, doubled Canada’s advantage with one of the best goals of the tournament 4:35 into the second period.
“I don’t really know what happened there,” Wright said. “Seems like Bedsy’s rubbing off on me there. More of a play he would pull off. It was nice to score a goal like that.”
However, Czechia, who beat Canada 5-2 on Boxing Day, scored twice in 54 seconds late in the third period to force overtime before Guenther won the game at 6:22 as he buried Joshua Roy’s cross-ice feed on an odd-man rush.
“I’m just so happy, so excited and so proud of these guys,” Wright said. “It’s my birthday. I just won a gold medal at the World Juniors.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling.”
CHAMP🥇ONS 🇨🇦 #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/Tp580BIh0k
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) January 6, 2023