Dylan Guenther's golden goal set off a grand celebration inside and outside of Scotiabank Centre in Halifax Thursday night, as Team Canada beat Czechia 3-2 in overtime, claiming its 20th IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship gold medal.
Fan Matt Doudelet said it was a magical hockey memory to last a lifetime.
“Since I have been a kid I have been watching the World Juniors," said Doudelet. "I'm 31-years-old and I’m cheering for 18-year-old kids. It’s amazing, and I couldn’t be happier.”
The Canadians started the game strong, entering the third period with a two-nothing lead.
The Czechs rallied midway through the third, scoring two goals in 54 seconds to tie it up.
“I wasn’t really expecting that ending, but it was a fantastic time,” said fan Quinn Ransom. “Canada takes the gold once again — fantastic for everyone.”
The enthusiasm for the World Juniors shown by fans in Moncton, N.B., and Halifax earned high praise from the president of the International Ice Hockey Federation.
“All the community and all the city are involved," said Luc Tardif. "Moncton and Halifax, they give an atmosphere.”
Halifax and Moncton co-hosted the tournament, which started on Dec. 26, 2022.
Max Mazzotta and his step-daughter flew into Halifax for the final few games of the tournament.
“This is unbelievable. Canada wins gold while we’re in Halifax,” he said while inside a bar after the game. “The crowd was electric. The whole arena was electric. And this has been spectacular. It’s a moment to remember for the rest of my life.”
The World Juniors was also a huge win for downtown Halifax. Many restaurants, bars and hotels were jam-packed.
According to Halifax Regional Municipality Councillor Tony Mancini, the hospitality industry received a much-needed economic boost.
“The pandemic has been tough for everyone, especially our small businesses," said Mancini. "They had years of lost revenue and this is going to be a big help.”
For the past 12 days, Mancini was all over social media soaking up and sharing his World Juniors experience.
“That’s the loudest I’ve ever heard that arena and I’ve been going [to] a lot of sporting events," said Mancini. "I’ve never heard anything as loud as that.”
Grant MacDonald, the local event lead for the tournament, says it was a great night and a great couple of weeks for the Maritime region.
“The response from the community, the fan response, seeing it, feeling the energy in Scotiabank Centre last night, but also at Avenir Centre in Moncton, plus fan fests in both cities. It was just an electric atmosphere in the Maritimes during the World Juniors,” he said during an interview with CTV Atlantic Friday afternoon.
Hockey Canada confirmed to CTV News Friday that 98.6 per cent of available tickets were sold in Halifax and 74 per cent were sold in Moncton — sales MacDonald describes as “exceptional.”
“We knew that the event was going to be a success. But, boy oh boy, did Maritime hockey fans ever come out,” he says.
In a region without an NHL or CFL team, hosting the World Juniors in Halifax and Moncton, N.B., was a big deal.
Many fans were dazzled by MVP Connor Bedard, of Team Canada, who smashed a tournament record but refused to make it about himself.
“We’re not talking about me,” Bedard said in a post-game interview with TSN. “We just won the biggest tournament in the world and I love this group, I love this country and this city right here has been unbelievable.”
The game fell on captain Shane Wright’s birthday. He gave himself the second goal, and in return, Halifax gave him and team Canada a party that lasted into the early hours of Friday morning.
