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U.S. wins first World Championship since 1933 as Tage Thompson’s OT goal downs Swiss

Captain Clayton Keller #9 of team USA lift the IIHF trophy after the 2025 Ice Hockey World Championship match between Switzerland and USA at Avicii Arena on May 25, 2025 in Stockholm, Sweden. (Getty Images)
By Josh Yohe The Athletic

Buffalo Sabres star Tage Thompson scored in overtime to lift the United States to a dramatic 1-0 victory over Switzerland in the IIHF World Championship gold medal game on Sunday in Stockholm.

The goal gave the United States men’s hockey program its first world championship since 1933.

Thompson received a pass from Logan Cooley and skated down the right wing. Cooley created a bit of interference by making a beeline to the net, while Thompson unleashed a shot from the top of the right circle that beat Swiss goaltender Leonardo Genoni, who was magnificent in defeat.

Genoni stopped 38 of 39 shots, including a second-period penalty shot by Vancouver Canucks forward Conor Garland.

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman backstopped the Americans to the victory by stopping all 25 shots he faced.

The United States controlled play through most of the 60 regulation minutes but couldn’t find a way to beat the 37-year-old Genoni, a longtime member of the Swiss national team.

While this is a tournament that traditionally means more in Europe than it does in North America, Team USA did send a fairly strong group of players to the two-week tournament that took place in Denmark and Sweden. Thompson and Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski were among the big-name Americans to participate in the tournament.

A number of younger American players thrived in this tournament, including Ottawa Senators forward Shane Pinto, Utah Mammoth forwards Clayton Keller and Cooley, and Anaheim forward Cutter Gauthier.

Tournament takeaways

• With all due respect to the United States and Switzerland for advancing to the championship, this tournament will long be remembered for what happened in the quarterfinals, when Canada was stunned by Denmark.

No, this wasn’t the Olympics or even the 4 Nations Face-Off. Still, the Canadian roster did boast its share of star power, which included Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon. Also, Jordan Binnington was the man between the pipes, and he’s the same person who recently won the 4 Nations Face-Off, and there is a very real possibility that he will be Canada’s Olympic goaltender in Milan in nine months.

Canada was ahead, 1-0, late in the third period when Denmark evened the score with its goaltender pulled and then scored the game-winner with less than a minute remaining to stun Canada.

It will go down as one of the most surprising upsets that Canada has ever sustained.

• The Americans showed off their depth in this tournament. Many of their biggest names, players who will participate in the Olympics, did not make the trip to Europe this spring.

And yet, what could be considered the American “B-team” was still good enough to beat many of the world’s best teams.

Does it mean anything in regard to the Olympics? Probably not. But it does display ample evidence that the United States is here to stay as a dominant hockey power, its depth very much impressing in this tournament.