WJC Final Blog: Guenther the OT hero as Canada claims gold

Canada's Connor Bedard, left, and Czechia's Martin Rysavy battle for the puck during first period IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship gold medal action in Halifax on Thursday, January 5, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese

After Canada took a 2-0 lead and were holding it late in the game, Czechia fought back with two goals to force overtime and push us towards a thrilling finish. In the 3-on-3 OT, though, Canada’s Dylan Guenther was the hero, lifting Canada to their first back-to-back gold medals at the WJC since 2009.

See how it all unfolded by looking back at our live blog with analysis and opinion from former NHL scout Jason Bukala, with contributions from hockey editor Rory Boylen.

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