Palat, Czechia Win Gold at Worlds on Home Ice | WORLDS

Ondrej Palat and Czechia have done it! The host nation of the 2024 IIHF World Championship has won the gold medal, defeating Switzerland 2-0. It was Czechia's first gold medal on home ice since 1985 when they were still Czechoslovakia and their first gold medal at the tournament since 2010.

Czech superstar David Pastrnak broke a 0-0 draw at 9:13 of the third period sending the O2 Arena in Prague into a frenzy and David Kampf sealed the gold medal with the 2-0 empty-net goal with 19 seconds remaining in the game. It was a night to remember for the sold-out crowd of 17,413, watching their hometown heroes bring home the gold medal.

Palat played 16:57 of the gold medal game, with three shots on goal and finished a plus-1. In his 10 games played, Palat had three goals and three assists and finish a plus-3.

The victory for Czechia leaves Palat as the Devil who comes away with gold at the tournament while it was heartbreak for Nico Hischier, Jonas Siegentahler and Akira Schmid who were on the losing end of the score and took home silver medals. 

Hischier played 19:39 with one shot on goal and finished the tournament with 11 points in 10 games (6g-5a) and was a plus-6. The Devils captain and Switzerland’s assistant captain had four game-winning goals and two power play goals for the Swiss.

Jonas Siegenthaler played 19:18 of the gold medal game and finished the tournament with four assists and was a plus-8.

BRONZE MEDAL GAME:

SWEDEN 4, CANADA 2

CAN: Dawson Mercer, Nico Daws 

Team Canada has gone home from the 2024 World Championship without medaling, 

The Swedes broke a 2-2 deadlock when Canadian goaltender Jordan Binnington made a seemingly innocuous play by clearing the puck along the far boards, Carl Grundstrom caught up to the puck and shot it on net, while Canadian defenseman Colton Payarko obstructed Binnington’s view and the puck beat him short side.

It was the decisive goal that propelled Sweden to a bronze medal and sent the Canadian group back home without a medal.

Dawson Mercer played just 8:51 of the bronze medal game without a shot on net. He finished the tournament with three goals and an assist and was plus-3.

Nico Daws, who served as Binnington’s backup on Sunday posted one victory in his one game.