Thompson of Sabres scores lone goal in OT to secure 1st win at tournament since 1933
© (Photo by MAXIM THORE/Bildbyran/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images)
STOCKHOLM — The United States struck gold at the World Championship for the first time in nearly a century.
Tage Thompson (Buffalo Sabres) scored the lone goal 2:02 into overtime, and Jeremy Swayman (Boston Bruins) made 25 saves to help the United States defeat Switzerland 1-0 in the gold-medal game of the 2025 IIHF World Championship at Avicii Arena on Sunday.
“I tell you what, this tournament and this group rejuvenated me as an individual,” Swayman said. “I gained so much more confidence. I found my game again. I was happy again. I just learned so much. This year was obviously an up-and-down year for me personally, and to come here and be surrounded by such quality human beings and getting a job done, that’s a turning point for me in my life. I couldn’t be more excited for it.
“It’s a long time coming for USA Hockey, and to be part of the group that finally did it is surreal. I couldn’t be happier man.”
It’s the first gold medal for the U.S. since 1933.
“It’s a crazy stat,” Thompson said. “It’s something that everyone in that room took to heart. When we got here, we all knew we wanted to be a part of something special, and I think each guy in that room committed, whether you were playing power play, top minutes, or you were in and out of the lineup or not playing at all. Everybody was positive, pulling for each other and after one common goal. That’s why we won.”
TAGE THOMPSON SCORES THE GOLDEN GOAL AND IS THE HERO FOR TEAM USA!!! @usahockey | @BuffaloSabres | #MensWorlds pic.twitter.com/HdMaQstvGt
The U.S. had previously lost 12 consecutive semifinal games at the tournament before beating host Sweden 6-2 on Saturday to advance to the gold-medal game.
The U.S. had won just five medals, all bronze, since 2000 (2004, 2013, 2015, 2018, 2021).
“I get goosebumps just thinking about it,” coach Ryan Warsofsky (San Jose Sharks) said. “We talked about it when the tournament started. The first meeting we met … 1933, right? That was addressed. It’s not good enough for USA Hockey. World Juniors we’ve won. 4 Nations had a good run. Olympics is coming up. It’s time for us to really put a stamp on it and this tournament is the start of it. We were embarrassed, truly embarrassed, that we hadn’t won this tournament, and now we don’t have to have that weight on our back.”
The win comes three months after the U.S. lost in the championship game of the 4 Nations Face-Off, a best-on-best tournament that also featured Canada, Finland and Sweden.
In that game in February, Canada beat the United States 3-2 when Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers) scored 8:18 into overtime.
The U.S. was one shot away from gold at that tournament.
The Americans got it at the World Championship.
“That’s hockey, man,” Swayman said. “The biggest moments and the biggest stages, that’s what we live for. I knew that we had something special in here. We went back in that locker room and we were excited for it. We weren’t nervous. We knew this was going to be an incredible moment. … 1933, that was in our mind the whole time and we knew we had a job to do. Mission accomplished, baby.”
The U.S. roster at the World Championship featured just two members of their 4 Nations Face-Off team: Swayman and defenseman Zach Werenski (Columbus Blue Jackets).
The audition could help propel hopefuls like Thompson, Clayton Keller (Utah Mammoth) and Frank Nazar (Chicago Blackhawks) as the group looks ahead to the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics, which will be the first Olympic Games to feature NHL participation since the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
Thompson’s golden goal gave him nine points (six goals, three assists) in the tournament, and Keller, who was the captain of the team, had 10 points (three goals, seven assists). Nazar (six goals, six assists) and Logan Cooley of Utah Mammoth (four goals, eight assists) tied for the team lead with 12 points each.
Their performances, along with that of the collective, has the U.S. atop the hockey world heading into the Olympics.
“It’s a testament to USA Hockey,” Swayman said. “We have so many talented players and it’s a good thing to have the competition we do. We’re raising the bar. It’s a new regime. We want to make it that way.
“USA Hockey is here to stay and this is the first step for us to do that.”
