Polgz becomes first Canadian to win the NHL GWC

Ethan "Polgz" Kerr-Polgar is the NHL 24 World Champion, defeating Justin "Regs" Reguly 5-3 in a winner take all game three in the NHL 24 World Championship. 

Both players qualified for the event by finishing top four at the North American Championship.

The 2022 North American Champion and one of the most decorated NHL Esports players, Regs adds a World Championship finals appearance to his lengthy resume. 

Polgz comes out on top in one of the most competitive World Championships in NHL GWC history. 2018 World Champion Eki had high praise for Polgz after his victory.

The EA SPORTS NHL 24 World Championship Finals saw Thunder Bay, Ontario native Regs face off against Newmarket, Ontario native Polgz. Both players represented the Toronto Maple Leafs.

There has never been a Canadian to win in the NHL World Championship. That changed today with both contestants reigning from the north.

"It's been an incredible experience, it's always something us players look forward to, getting the chance to hang out with one another and then compete on a stage like today," Regs told The Hockey News when asked about his World Championship experience. 

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Game 1:

Polgz opened the scoring in game 1 in what was a very passive first period as the two players felt each other out.

It was an uneventful second period until Polgz scored off a brutal turnover by Regs, passing the puck out with his goalie Linus Ullmark right to Polgz. Regs responded right off the draw, making it 2-1 headings into the third. 

With under a minute left in the game Regs was able to score from a bad angle to send the game to overtime. In overtime, both players had glorious chances but were stopped or robbed by the post. Polgz pulled out the win with a perfect passing play after burying a one-timer with Adam Lowry.

Game 2:

Regs came out flying compared to game one, creating most of the chances and leaving the first period up 1-0.

Polgz had some offensive struggles in game two, only putting up two shots through two periods. Regs' offensive picked up as he scored twice to enter the third up 3-0.

Halfway through the third, Polgz had a breakaway to get back into the game but Regs hustled back with his defender to stop the scoring chance. Regs added a couple more goals to win 5-0 and to force a sudden-death game three for all the marbles.

Game 3:

Polgz refused to be shut out again, as he got on the board early with two of his best players on his team Alex Ovechkin and Connor McDavid. Polgz really put the offensive pedal down, scoring four goals in the first to jump out to a commanding 4-0 lead. 

Regs put the pressure on Polgz after he rattled off two quick goals near the end of the second to make it only a two-goal deficit heading into what could be the final period of the NHL competitive season.

Polgz had two excellent chances to start the third but couldn’t bury the puck. Regs scored a massive goal to make it 4-3 with 11 minutes left on a delayed penalty. Polgz iced the puck with three minutes left, but he immediately came down the ice and scored a huge goal, winning the Grand Finals and becoming the EA SPORTS NHL 24 World Champion.

"I just decided I was going to fully play defense, I know I can score goals when I need to but I tried to play better defense and focus on that," said Polgz when asked about what adjustments he made after Game 2.

Polgz takes home $30,000 USD and a custom hockey stick trophy. Regs walks away with $10,000.

The victory was extra sweet for Polgz, whose family has had a tumultuous year; "My mom has been through cancer three times now and my family has always stuck together and they've always been by each other's side, my family's support is unbelievable," he said. 

"When I was a kid it used to be 'hey get off the video game' but now they know what I'm up to, their support is unreal and I'm grateful for it every single day."

Despite the loss, Regs felt he left it all out on the ice, "I felt like I did have my A game, NHL and hockey is a game of inches, he got out to a lead early and I was able to fight back but he was able to hold on," he said.

"All credit to Polgz, especially game three, I was at my best for 55 minutes but he was able to do enough."

As for whether or not his LAN experience at the All-Star Open helped prepare him for this tournament, Polgz said; "Playing in person is a completely different feeling, there's a lot more pressure on you. . . more people are watching, you want to be the best you can be, but as long as you stick to your game and try and focus up, everything works out."