Connor Bedard saved Hockey Canada and the WJC

It went from the tournament nobody wanted to one of the greatest in the history of the event because Bedard and the other players from all countries delivered, the way they always do

Connor Bedard won the tournament scoring title by nine points to post the most dominating performance in WJC history. (Photo by Steven Ellis)

During the intermission prior to overtime of the gold medal game, Bob McKenzie of TSN declared that the 2023 World Junior Championship was the most competitive he has ever seen from start to finish. Because he’s been to almost all of these tournaments and because, well, he’s Bob McKenzie, we should all be inclined to agree with him

Outside of the Austria blowouts, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more compelling, exciting and skill-filled tournament than the 2023 edition, which Canada won on a Dylan Guenther overtime goal in a 3-2 win over Czechia Thursday night. This edition of the tournament delivered in every way possible and, in the process, did a lot toward saving the Hockey Canada and WJC brands that have rightfully and deservedly gathered an enormous amount of tarnish over the past 12 months.