OTTAWA — To say it was a momentous occasion for Team USA would be putting it lightly: this team made history at every corner they turned in Ottawa.
In their semifinal win over Czechia, Trey Augustine became the winningest American goaltender in World Juniors history.
Cole Hutson is the only defenseman to lead the tournament scoring outright.
David Carle is the only coach to win back-to-back gold medals for the USA.
I'd be willing to bet Teddy Stiga is the only player to score an overtime winner in the championship game with his first shot of the tournament, too.
It's fitting that with a group this deep, the Boston College freshman got to be the hero. When the "BC3" line was snakebitten early in the tournament, Danny Nelson came up with timely goals. Zeev Buium may have been on the ice for half of the tournament, but Hutson was the offensive catalyst on their blueline. Cole Eiserman tallied three goals seeing almost no ice time at 5-on-5.
In nearly every interview, Carle and his players detailed how his team were united under the goal of winning another championship. Stiga's moment in the limelight was emblematic of how Team USA came together to play their best hockey when it mattered most.
"Everyone is so grateful that we could do this together," James Hagens said after the game. "The group in that room is something special and it's something they can never take away from us."
Hagens spoke highly of Stiga, who he has played with for three seasons and is roommates with at Boston College.
"I love what he does out there. He gives it all whenever he steps on the ice and as a coach that's all you can for from a kid," he said. "Teddy is one of the hardest workers in the room, and it all paid off today. There's no other guy I'd rather see that go in [for]."
Stiga started the tournament as a healthy scratch in the opening game against Germany. He worked his way up from the 13th forward in the next match against Latvia and stuck as a third-line winger.
"In college, we rotate guys in and out of the lineup quite a bit, so it was a little more natural for us," explained head coach David Carle. "We wanted to keep everyone hot, so to speak and give opportunities. He made his mark in the games he had the opportunity."
"To have him out there, with his speed and how smart he is, he did a great job getting open and a great finish to put it five-hole."
TEDDY STIGA SCORES THE GOLDEN GOAL 🚨
TEAM USA WINS BACK TO BACK GOLD MEDALS!#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/dkUcdLjRGB
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 6, 2025
Carle in a class of his own in junior hockey
There's a good chance most of his roster will be in the NHL shortly, but don't be surprised if David Carle beats them there.
"You see the track record he has, it's unbelievable," said captain Ryan Leonard. "His championships speak for themselves."
Having had his playing career end at age 18 due to heart problems, the now-35-year-old has done a lot of winning behind the bench at a very young age. Carle has won three national championships at the University of Denver, twice as a head coach (2024, 2022) and once as an assistant (2017). The overtime loss to Finland in this year's preliminary round remains the only blemish on his record at the World Juniors.
Team USA will have a shot at three-peating on home soil in 2026, with the tournament in St. Paul/Minneapolis, MN.
Carle hasn't ruled out returning to the helm for another year, should he be available.
"I don't know, we haven't talked past this year, so I'm going to enjoy this night," he said with a smirk.