Golden boys.
While the Bruins season didn’t have the best ending, two B’s will still be heading into summer on a high note: David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha won gold at the IIHF World Championships on Sunday as Czechia beat Switzerland, 2-0.
The fact that the tournament was held in Czechia with the final hosted in Prague makes the victory even sweeter for the Czechs.
Pastrnak scored the game-winning goal in the third period, cashing in from his office to send the crowd into pandemonium:
DAVID PASTRNAK WITH THE ICE BREAKER! #SUICZE#MensWorlds @czehockey pic.twitter.com/XJEafzoMRc
— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) May 26, 2024
(I don’t know who David Spacek is, but I assure you it was, in fact, David Pastrnak.)
The goal was Pastrnak’s first goal and point of the tournament — not a bad time to score!
Full highlights:
Pastrnak spoke after the game:
The sweetest win for David Pastrnak on home ice! #MensWorlds @czehockey pic.twitter.com/MJzaQSYSug
— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) May 26, 2024
It’s great to see the amount of pride Pastrnak has in representing his country. As he said in the interview above, if he’s healthy, he’ll never say “no” to the national team.
That’s a contrast with some other NHL stars, who politely the decline the Worlds by the time the tournament rolls around.
(Yes, it’s tough to have it just as the long NHL season ends, but still.)
After the game, Pastrnak posted a photo on his Instagram account of himself with the trophy and the caption “Maybe Four Nation invite now?”
He’s referring to next February’s tournament involving the American, Finnish, Swedish, and Canadian national teams — an international tournament that won’t feature the world champions, which is…awkward.
Per the IIHF, this is Czechia’s first gold medal since 2010 and 13th in their history.
The tournament set IIHF attendance records, with the passionate Czechs filling arenas to the tune of nearly 800,000 spectators over the course of the tournament.
Congrats to the Czechs, particularly to the golden B’s!