Former San Jose Sharks forward Mikael Granlund earned his third career IIHF World Championship gold medal on Sunday, when Finland defeated Switzerland to take home to the title.
It was a defensive battle between the two European countries, as neither side was able to score a goal during regulation. Ultimately, the game went to overtime and Finland won as Buffalo Sabres prospect Konsta Helenius scored the golden goal to win the gold medal for his country.
With Granlund picking up the gold, he defeated another former Shark, Timo Meier, who earned a silver medal for Switzerland.
Granlund finished the tournament with a single goal and a total of six points in seven games for Finland. The 34-year-old forward, who now plays for the Sharks' division rival Anaheim Ducks, won his first World Championship gold medal back in 2011 and then, more recently, got another gold during the 2022 iteration of the tournament.
Granlund spent parts of two seasons with the Sharks, after being acquired as a part of the trade that saw Erik Karlsson head to the Pittsburgh Penguins. After a season and a half in the Bay Area, Mike Grier traded Granlund to the Dallas Stars along with defenseman Cody Ceci.
At the end of the 2024-25 season, Granlund signed in southern California and joined one of the Sharks' biggest up-and-coming division rivals.