In a tense overtime showdown at the world hockey championship in Zurich, Switzerland, Norway’s Noah Steen found the back of the net to clinch a 3‑2 victory over Canada, delivering the country’s first ever bronze medal at the tournament.
A Late Surge in Zurich
The decisive goal arrived just 1:16 before the end of regulation, when Robert Thomas, who had opened the scoring for Canada earlier, was unable to prevent the Norwegian strike that forced the extra period.
Steen’s shot capped a dramatic comeback after Canada had surged ahead with two goals in the final minutes of regulation, a turn that had seemed to seal a different outcome.
The bronze‑medal game marked a historic moment for Norway, whose men’s team had never before stepped onto the podium at the world championship, underscoring the rapid rise of a nation traditionally absent from the medal rounds.
Canada, meanwhile, endured its third consecutive year without a medal at the event, a streak that began after a 4‑2 semifinal loss to Finland that sent them to the bronze‑medal match.
The match, played before a lively crowd in the Swiss capital, highlighted the unpredictable nature of international hockey, where late‑game heroics can rewrite the narrative in an instant.