Weegar, Barron Help Canada Win Gold

Team Canada is once again world champions after they defeated Germany in the gold medal game on Sunday. 

This means that a couple of former Halifax Mooseheads players are gold medalists now. Congratulations to defencemen MacKenzie Weegar and Justin Barron on winning the last game of the 2023 tournament. Canada finished second in Group B after the preliminary round with a 4-1-1-1 record (W-OTW-OTL-L) but played like the hockey country they are in the medal round. Germany got on the board first but it didn't take long for the red and white to tie it up so the score was 1-1 after 20 minutes. Weegar would get an assist on Canada's second goal which once again sent both teams off to the dressing room with an even game as it was 2-2 after 40 minutes. Canada would open it up in the third period and win the game 5-2. It is Canada's record breaking 28th gold medal in the over 100 year tournament while the Germans won their third silver medal. 

Photo - Hockey Canada Twitter

Barron finished the tournament with three assists. Weegar on the other hand had a great tournament as he led his team in points with 11 in 10 games played. The 29-year-old actually led the tournament scoring at one point in the preliminary round. He started off with being named an alternate captain of the team in his first time representing the maple leaf in his career and ended with being named the best defenceman and a media all-star.

Photo - Swiss Hockey Twitter

A couple of other alumni were participating in the tournament over in Europe; Nico Hischier and Nikolaj Ehlers. Both players were not originally on their respective counties rosters as Hischier was actually eliminated in the NHL playoffs but I'm not sure what the delay was for Ehlers. Hischier and Team Switzerland had a strong prelim round once again this year, going 6-0-1-1 and finishing a top of Group B. Unfortunately, they could not get past Germany in the quarter-finals losing 3-1. The 24-year-old had a goal and two assists in four games played. 

Ehlers led Team Denmark in scoring with nine points (5G&4A) in 7 games played but it wasn't enough to propel the Danes to the medal round as they finished 5th in Group A with a 2-1-0-4 record. 

Photo - Winnipeg Jets Facebook