The US Wins The World Junior Hockey Championship For The Second Straight Year

The United States won the World Junior Hockey Championship for the second straight year, after beating Finland in the gold medal match. This is the 7th overall gold medal for the US at this competition.

The United States beat Canada in the group stage of this competition, before beating Switzerland 7-2 in the quarterfinals, and the Czech Republic 4-1 in the semifinals. They finished off their run with an overtime win against Finland.

The Americans did so in Canada, in front of a Canadian crowd that cheered for every opponent that the US played. Even in the one sport that Canada is better than the US in, Canadian fans still have a chip on their shoulder about the US.

It seems that the US has made increasing strides in the sport of hockey, with a bevy of top tier goalies, forwards and defensemen, including the NHL’s leading scorer, Austin Matthews.

With NHL players finally returning to Olympic hockey competition in 2026, for he first time since 2014, the US is in prime position to win a best on best hockey competition for the first time since the 1996 World Cup of Hockey.

For Canada, that bases its identity and supposed difference from the US on hockey, in addition to healthcare and maple syrup, this has caused much panic and anxiety. Canada has been dumped out of the quarterfinals of this competition in the quarterfinals for a second straight year.

There’s still a long way to go though. But one thing we can say with certainty, is that the US is massively improving in the sport of hockey. And with the US’ overall sporting supremacy, America’s improvement in sports like soccer and hockey, which have historically been niche in this country, is causing much of the rest of the world a lot of anxiety.