The Americans have revenge on their minds, while the Tre Kronor are looking for their first title since 2012. Oh, and they're also the best two teams in the tournament.
The 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship takes place in Gothenburg, Sweden, from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5, 2024.GOTHENBURG, SWE - It had only been minutes since the Americans had vanquished the Finns before Team USA was looking ahead to the gold medal game against the host Swedes. And this won't be your run-of-the-mill championship tilt: No, no - the Americans have revenge on their minds.
See, back in 2022, Sweden and Team USA met in the final of the world under-18 championship, a tournament that has historically been dominated by the Americans - it's the ultimate goal for the National Team Development Program's under-18s, who rep Team USA there. But in 2022, a Swedish group led by the likes of future NHL first-rounders Jonathan Lekkerimaki (VAN), Noah Ostlund (BUF) and Liam Ohgren (MIN) defeated the Americans for gold. That left players such as Cutter Gauthier (PHI), Rutger McGroarty (WPG) and Frank Nazar (CHI) without their title.
After the semifinal win over Finland, Gauthier was pretty clear that he and his mates from that squad want to get some payback.
Which sets up a dream final in Gothenburg; the two best teams in the tournament going head-to-head with gold on the line. Lekkerimaki and Gauthier are both MVP candidates and their surrounding casts are the deepest in the tournament. Both teams can score and both have been getting excellent netminding.
But it wasn't easy for Team USA against the Finns. The Americans looked a little bewildered out the gate, turning the puck over and allowing Finland to get in front of goaltender Trey Augustine (DET). First-period goals from Oiva Keskinen (CBJ) off a turnover and Rasmus Kumpulainen off a point shot through traffic gave Finland a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes and you couldn't fault Augustine on either tally.
"I don't think it went super-well, I don't think it went super-bad, though," said St. Louis Blues pick Jimmy Snuggerud. "They obviously came out stronger than us. We had a small push toward the end, then came out strong in the second. Not having that same first period tomorrow is something we all look forward to in our locker room."
The Finns played pretty great hockey and netminder Niklas Kokko (SEA) was up to the task. It took an American power play in the second period to shake things loose and it was Snuggerud with an absolute bomb of a shot that got the party rolling.
Will Smith (SJ) tied the game later in the second thanks to a feed from good buddy Gabe Perreault (NYR), setting up a controversial third period.
In a game that featured few penalties, the Finns were dinged late for a phantom hooking call against Kasper Kulonummi (NSH) and it was Gauthier cashing in on the ensuing power play. Perhaps in an effort to even things up, officials gave the Finns a power play soon after. But even with Kokko pulled for a 6-on-4 advantage, they couldn't get the equalizer. Had offensive defenseman Aron Kiviharju (2024 draft) not been injured this season, things might have gone differently. But it's all history now.
"It's the game of hockey," Smith said. "We got one and scored, they got one and didn't. They had their chance, but our penalty-kill and Trey came up huge."
Now the Finns must lick their wounds and come out tomorrow against Czechia with bronze on the line. Meanwhile, the Swedes and Americans will do battle in the marquee golden match-up, in what has all the makings of an instant classic. Will it be a repeat of that 2022 under-18 final, or will the Americans exact their revenge on Swedish ice? The narratives don't get much juicier than that.