The box score tells us that Canada defeated Finland 3-2 on Saturday to win the 2022 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship. That’s impressive. It also tells us that Canada won in overtime, which is even more exciting. But even that doesn’t tell the whole story of how thrilling this game was.
Normally, an overtime winner to clinch the World Juniors would be the unquestioned highlight. In this case, though, Canadian captain Mason McTavish provided the night’s top highlight not with a goal that he scored, but prevented.
In the early minutes of overtime, Finland’s Topi Niemelä took a shot that had Canada goaltender Dylan Garland beat. It was cruising into the net, seemingly unimpeded. Only, McTavish was there to keep the shot from going in.
MASON MCTAVISH. THAT IS THE TWEET.#WORLDJUNIORS pic.twitter.com/1wlgnbq1Bm
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 21, 2022
SAVE OF THE YEAR. MASON MCTAVISH. #WORLDJUNIORS pic.twitter.com/mR1UaeULcN
— BarDown (@BarDown) August 21, 2022
The hockey world went nuts over McTavish’s brilliant heads up play.
This is a Mason McTavish appreciation tweet.
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) August 21, 2022
McTavish bats the puck out of the air in overtime to keep Canada’s gold medal hopes alive, absolutely incredible 🤯 pic.twitter.com/bP2LCnDmCI
— Rob Williams (@RobTheHockeyGuy) August 21, 2022
Mason McTavish with a new Canadian Heritage Moment pic.twitter.com/xS7jPTND5Y
— /Cam Robinson/ (@Hockey_Robinson) August 21, 2022
MASON MCTAVISH ARE YOU KEEDIN ME?!?!
— Jesse Pollock (@jpolly22) August 21, 2022
Mason McTavish, greatest play in World Junior history? Has to be in the running.
— Arpon Basu (@ArponBasu) August 21, 2022
Naturally, Garland got in on the praise of McTavish.
Dylan Garand on Mason McTavish’s save: “Save of the year. Best I’ve ever seen.”
— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) August 21, 2022
Of course, while McTavish’s saved the game, it didn’t win it. Had Finland scored, McTavish’s play wouldn’t be much more than a footnote.
Just over a minute later, though, his teammate, Kent Johnson, put those concerns to bed.
TEAM CANADA IS THE 2022 WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPION! #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/n1P5VAM67V
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 21, 2022
The win gave Canada 19 championships in the event that features the best 20-and-under hockey players in the world. That’s easily the most of any country, with the Russia/Soviet Union/Confederation of Independent States in second place with 13. No other country has more than five.
This one, though, maybe the most memorable for the Canadians and could remain that way for quite some time to come.