Sakari Manninen scored 6:42 into overtime on Sunday to give Team Finland a 4–3 victory over Team Canada on home ice in the gold medal game at the 2022 IIHF World Championship.
Manninen, 30, sent the crowd at Nokia Arena in Tampere, Finland into a frenzy when he one-timed a pass from Nashville Predators forward Mikael Granlund past Canadian goaltender Matt Tomkins to secure the win.
The overtime winner came after Team Canada scored twice with Tomkins pulled in the final three minutes of regulation to tie the game.
Vegas Golden Knights defenceman Zach Whitecloud struck first with 2:12 remaining, converting on a feed from New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal to make it 3–2.
Just 48 seconds later, Ottawa Senators forward Drake Batherson and Barzal combined to set up Anaheim Ducks forward Maxime Comtois for the game-tying goal.
The Finns dashed Team Canada’s comeback hopes on a power play in overtime. The officiating crew at Nokia Arena called a controversial hooking minor penalty on Ottawa Senators defenceman Thomas Chabot just over five minutes into the extra frame; Manninen scored the winner 66 seconds later.
Manninen, a forward for the Kontinental Hockey League club Ufa Salavat Yulayev, gave Team Finland its fourth gold at the World Championship and its first since 2019. The Finns also faced Team Canada in the 2021 gold medal game, losing 3–2 in overtime.
Finnish captain Valtteri Filppula became a member of the Triple Gold Club with Sunday’s win, having now won the Stanley Cup (2008, Detroit Red Wings), an Olympic gold medal (2022, Team Finland), and a World Championship gold medal (2022, Team Finland).
Team Finland goaltender Jussi Olkinuora earned tournament MVP honours after posting a perfect 8–0–0 record and a .948 save percentage in eight appearances.
Earlier on Sunday, Team Czechia defeated Team USA 8–4 to capture the bronze at the 2022 Worlds. Next year’s tournament will take place in Finland and Latvia from May 12–28, 2023.
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