Five OHLers will return to Ontario with a Bronze Medal around their necks; Tomas Hamara, Matyas Sapovaliv, Eduard Sale, Adam Zidlicky, & Jakub Vondras.
Czechia has beaten Finland in dominant fashion at the 2024 World Junior Bronze Medal game, by a score of 8-5. The Czechs scored six unanswered goals to come back in the game.
Czechia's game winner was scored by Brantford Bulldogs defender Tomas Hamara, who had a floater from the point find its way through traffic and into the net.
Hamara — the Senators prospect — ends his third and last World Junior tournament with the biggest goal of the game, and a bronze medal around his neck.
Saginaw Spirit forward Matyas Sapovaliv also participated in his last World Junior tournament. The Vegas prospect has participated in the last three World Junior tournaments for Czechia as well.
Sapovaliv had four points in the tournament, and he will now return to Saginaw to help lead his team through a Memorial Cup run in the coming months.
Sudbury Wolves goaltender Jakub Vondras got into his first game of the tournament, after starter Michael Hrabal was pulled early in the first period.
Vondras was good enough to hold his team into this game, not allowing a single goal in the third period, and compiling 17 saves on 20 shots. He was able to end this tournament on a very high note, after not touching the ice until this point.
Eduard Sale had a primary assist on Czechia's tying goal in this game, after tipping the initial point shot.
The Barrie Colts forward will return to Ontario with an extra skip in his step, after a successful tournament despite his difficult start to the OHL season.
The most unlikely of this group is Adam Zidlicky, who was added to the roster due to injury part-way through the tournament.
Zidlicky served as a fourth line energy player, and was an asset on Czechia's penalty kill. The Mississauga Steelheads undrafted forward adds another feather into his cap, and is eligible to return to the tournament next year.
Czechia has won bronze, but at the other end of the ice, three OHL players will be going home empty handed.
Kasper Halttunen, Arttu Karki, & Rasmus Kumpulainen will be going back to their respective teams without a medal, but all three had successful showings individually.