“We run this sport” “Real hockey country”: Fans react as USA bags gold at IIHF Worlds after 90 years

The USA made history on Sunday, notching a thrilling 1-0 overtime victory against Team Switzerland at the 2025 IIHF World Championships. The victory marked the first time since 1933 that the U.S. took home the gold at the annual international tourney.

As soon as the puck hit the back of the net, fans took to social media to express their admiration and support for the victorious American team.

Here’s what fans had to say:

“We run this sport,” a fan opined.

“The real hockey country,” this fan commented.

“After 92 years well done team raaaaahhh,” another fan wrote on social media.

Meanwhile, other fans took advantage of the opportunity to send a shoutout to the players they felt were the heroes on the ice.

Let’s check out what these fans wrote:

“Frank Nazar put the team on his back,” this fan weighed in.

“Congrats to Garland!” a fan commented.

“USA Champions 🏆,” another fan posted on X.

Tage Thompson of the Buffalo Sabres got the golden goal that lifted the Americans to their first gold medal at the IIHF World Championships in 92 years. It was a fitting end for Thompson, who was a notorious sub at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Team USA sends Swiss to second-straight World Championship final defeat

Ryan Warsofky led the U.S. to the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship gold medal - Source: Getty

Team USA entered Sunday’s 2025 IIHF World Championship coming off a 6-2 rout of Team Sweden in the semifinal game.

For the Swiss, it was their second trip to the IIHF World Championship final in as many years. The Swiss team was riding high after laying a 7-0 shellacking on Denmark in the other semifinal matchup.

The stage was set for two confident teams looking to take home the gold. For the Swiss, it would have been their first. For the Americans, a gold medal would have been the first in nearly a century.

It was Tage Thompson’s goal that settled the score at the 2:02 mark of overtime to give the USA the goal. The American squad outshot the Swiss 40-25 but faced a terrific Swiss goalie in Leonardo Genoni.

Genoni, who was named tournament MVP, did not back down from the American onslaught, keeping the Swiss in the game all night long.

However, the Swiss came up short in the final for the fourth time since 2013. The Swiss team has lost twice to Sweden (2013 and 2018) in the final. Last year, they came close but lost to host Czechia in the final.