Here are the top three referee camera moments of the 2026 IIHF World Championship ahead of the gold medal game.
Throughout the 2026 World Championship, referees would have a camera inside their helmet, catching the action from the official's point of view, and that has brought some funny and captivating moments.
Plenty of interesting footage is captured in interactions with the players during the play, or even between whistles.
With Sunday being the final day of the 2026 World Championship, and the gold medal game beginning at 2:20 p.m. ET, let's look back on three of the best referee camera moments from the tournament following the semifinals.
'Matt, You're Better Than This!'
In the quarterfinal matchup between Team Canada and Team USA, Matthew Tkachuk was called out for what the official believed was embellishing.
The American left winger was seen falling over, looking to plead for a tripping penalty, but the referee watching the play unfold was not convinced by Tkachuk's antics.
"Matt! Matt! No, you're better than this, you're better than this!" the official exclaimed toward Tkachuk as he put his arms in the air.
Sweden Adventure To Get Viggo Bjorck's First-Goal Puck
In Sweden's round-robin game against Denmark, Viggo Bjorck scored his first-ever goal at the World Championship, and his teammates, specifically captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson, were trying to retrieve the puck for his milestone. However, it wasn't as easy as they hoped it would be.
Because the puck has a tracker in it, the puck couldn't stay on Sweden's bench. So when Ekman-Larsson asked about the puck, the official told him they could only get it after the game, with another referee offering a different puck.
Nonetheless, Sweden was able to get their hands on the puck that Bjorck scored with, which required the referee to interact, not only with Ekman-Larsson, but also the penalty box officials, and Sweden's trainer, ensuring that he takes the puck away from the ice and into the dressing room.
Crosby: 'Shots Are 23-7 And We Have Two Penalties'
Even without the 'C' on his chest, Sidney Crosby will always be considered a captain and a leader, and that was on full display in this clip.
The officials had just called a penalty on Canada in a game that the Canadians were dominating in on the shot meter. However, to this point in the game, Canada had taken more penalties than the opposition, and Crosby wanted to bring that to the official's attention.
"I get it, that's a penalty," Crosby told the referee. "It's just like the shots are 23-7, and we have two penalties, and they have one. You know what I mean?"
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