The Canadians held a 2-1 lead late in the third period, but Czechia's Matej Kubiesa tied the game with less than five minutes remaining, forcing overtime. The extra period saw intense back-and-forth action, with both teams creating scoring opportunities.
With seconds left, 16-year-old Malcolm Spence capitalized on a turnover, executing a spectacular move to secure the gold medal for Canada.
This win marked Team Canada's second consecutive Hlinka Gretzky Cup triumph and their 24th gold since the tournament's inception 32 years ago. For Czechia, it would have been their second gold, previously winning in 2016.
Expect to hear more about Spence in the future, as he's considered one of the top players in his age group and had an impressive rookie season in the OHL, tallying 16 goals and 42 points for the Eerie Otters.
