The Americans had a chance to win their fourth straight gold medal at the Para Ice Hockey World Championship, but Canada won the final in a tight-scoring concert.
Team Canada won gold at the World Para Ice Hockey Championship for the first time since 2017.Canada captured gold in Calgary Sunday, beating USA in the 2024 World Para Ice Hockey Championship.
The Americans had won three straight gold medals at the event and were favored for a fourth, but Canada held off the powerhouse to take a 2-1 win.
Adam Kingsmill, Canada’s netminder, was the difference-maker for much of the game, stopping 24 of 25 shots he faced. Canada only managed nine shots on the USA net in the game.
“We put a lot of pride in selling out to play good defense, and that win is a testament to every guy on our team,” forward Dominic Cozzolino said in a Hockey Canada release. “This is an amazing feeling; it is what you dream of as a kid. This feels so good right now.”
Canada wasted no time on home ice, with Cozzolino scoring only 35 seconds into the game. Rob Armstrong found a puck at the point and put the shot through traffic, where Cozzolino found it on the back door to tuck home Canada’s first of the game.
“Scoring that early felt amazing,” Cozzolino said. “It was our plan to come out and get an early start, but it could have been any one of the guys in our locker room that scored. I was just in the right place at the right time.”
Midway through the second frame, Canadian captain Tyler McGregor won a board battle behind the net and found a wide-open Anton Jacobs-Webb in the slot, who banged home his chance to make it 2-0 Canada.
The Americans weren’t done yet, however. Declan Farmer scored on a beautiful individual effort, switching hands on the stickhandle before roofing a shot with under five minutes to go to pull the USA within one.
But Kingsmill shut the door in the final moments, earning himself player of the game honors. Following the game, Kingsmill touted his teammates despite a spectacular individual performance in the net.
“I did not see the puck very often because my teammates kept blocking shots,” he said. “They made the game easy for me. I feel great, my whole family is here. I cannot help but smile. I do not have words to sum it all up right now, I think it will take a little while before I can do that.”
USA had won three straight gold medals, including a 6-1 win in the 2023 World Championship over Canada for gold. In 2024, however, it was not to be for the reigning champions.
“We had a tough start, but we settled in well,” said USA coach David Hoff. “They did a good job of making it hard for us in the middle of the ice. It was one of those nights where the game humbled us, but it wasn’t for the lack of effort.”
It was the United States' only loss of the year, including against Canada. They finished their season with 19 wins and a single loss, which came in the gold medal final. It was Canada’s first gold medal at the tournament since 2017.
Farmer Sets a Record
USA’s Declan Farmer set an American single-tournament record, notching 20 points in five games.
Farmer, who hails from Tampa Bay, was named the tournament MVP. American captain Josh Pauls was named the best defender, while Canada's Cozzolino was named the tournament’s best forward. Cozzolino tied for Canada’s scoring lead with 17 points in the tournament.