The Unlikely Heroes

Canada stands atop the podium as the best team at the 2021 IIHF World Hockey Championship after it seemed like it may have been one of the worst entries that the country ever entered into the competition. That's not to say that the players weren't giving it their all in trying to win games, but starting the tournament 0-3 to become the first team to win after that dreadful start and the first team at any international hockey competition to win after losing four games in this tournament overall might say more about the mettle of this team than we think. If you're an Ottawa Senators fan, you should be ecstatic about your team moving forward as well.

There's no doubt that the chemistry clicked when Calgary's Andrew Mangiapane arrived in Riga to join Team Canada. Mangiapane and Ottawa's Connor Brown seemed to find instant karma playing alongside one another, and Anaheim Ducks forward and Team Canada captain Adam Henrique complemented those pieces nicely with timely goal-scoring and solid play down the middle.

It's hard to figure exactly what changed for Canada after Mangiapane exited quarantine and joined his teammates, but Canada went 6-0-1 with Mangiapane in the lineup as the Flames forward scored seven goals were tied for most in the tournament while his 11 points trailed only teammate Connor Brown for the team lead in scoring. Needless to say, Mangiapane was the offensive dynamo that Canada needed when the offence seemed quite anemic through the opening three games.

"I think [Mangiapane] came in and added an element that we needed at the right time," Henrique told The Canadian Press. "Him coming over was huge for our team, our team chemistry, and it seemed to click on the ice, which was big for us moving forward."

Beyond that top line, contributions from players like Ottawa's Nick Paul, Anaheim's Maxime Comtois, Detroit's Troy Stecher, Los Angeles' Sean Walker, and Arizona's Darcy Kuemper all played important roles for the Canadians, but it was some of the lesser-known players who stepped into the limelight in this tournament and showed the world, particularly NHL scouts, that there may be some talent they've overlooked in the past and some players they should consider for their teams' futures.

Justin Danforth was a solid player for the Canadians all tournament after playing last season with Podolsk Vityaz in the KHL. While he wasn't among the lead leaders for scoring, Danforth showed hustle, a willingness to win pucks battles, and solid defensive play that kept him in Gerard Gallant's lineup. The former Rochester Americans forward may have caught a few eyes as a bottom-six player with his play after being nearly a point-per-game player in the SM-Liiga and the KHL over the last three seasons.

You likely already know the name Owen Power due to the upcoming NHL Entry Draft, but Power really showed scouts that he may be ready for a first-pairing assignment in the NHL in the near future. He showed he can handle big minutes, he can play against the other teams' best players, he can contribute offensively, and he has the size and skating ability to be an effective NHL defender. I'm not saying he's going to be the first-overall pick in this summer's draft, but Owen Power made a case for that. A very strong case.

If you weren't a fan of his before, Brandon Hagel's hustle and drive could have made you a fan of him. Hagel didn't have any points in the tournament, but Gallant's use of Hagel in a checking role showed off the all-around game for the highly-touted junior hockey sniper out of Red Deer. Hagel was already a good skater with high hockey IQ, but his 20 games over the last two seasons in the NHL with Chicago saw him seek new opportunities with Thurgau in the Swiss league where he had 15 points in 14 games. For teams looking for inexpensive scorers who are defensively responsible, Hagel might be worth the contract.

If you're an Ottawa Senators fan, Jacob Bernard-Docker, Nick Paul, and Connor Brown all showed up in a big way for Canada, and it has to excite Ottawa fans in a big way. All three played major minutes in big roles for Gerard Gallant, and all three were vital in Canada's success. Seeing Brown and Paul complete the two-on-one in overtime for the "Golden Goal" should have Senators fans champing at the bit for next season and beyond with the young talent that the Senators have on the roster.

Again, to say what Canada did was shocking might be accurate, but it's also quite historic. Only three teams have ever won World Championship gold after losing three games - Czech Republic in 1999, Canada in 1997, and Sweden in 1987. The difference? All three of those teams lost games when the tournament held a best-of format during the medal round. No team had lost three preliminary-round games to start the tournament and lived to win the gold medal. This team battled hard and earned their gold medal by never giving up.

"I'll remember the adversity we faced," Maxime Comtois told Andrew Podnieks of IIHF.com. "When they posted our roster, I remember the comments. People weren't giving us a chance. People were unhappy with the decision Hockey Canada made with the roster."

Comtois isn't wrong here. I wrote about how fans were attacking the IIHF over perceived biases and Hockey Canada for their player choices after Canada posted their early losses. As this team came together in Game Four with a 4-2 over Norway, things got better, but Canada still needed some help to make the medal round after they lost to Finland in overtime in the final preliminary game.

Canada was written off in the quarterfinal game against the Russians, but Andrew Mangiapane scored in overtime and Canada advanced. Canada was written off against the Americans, but Mangiapane and Connor were magic once again as the Americans were sent to the bronze-medal game. Suddenly, a team that no one believed in found it had fans across Canada as they stared down Finland. And once again, the men with the maple leaf on their chests emerged victorious in a tournament where they were written off before the tournament had even begun.

As I wrote in the linked article about the complaints, this tournament wouldn't simply be handed over to Canada just because they showed up. Canada was forced to play hard, compete for every inch on the ice, and made to work hard by every team they played. This is exactly how every tournament should be played where nothing is guaranteed and every team has a shot at winning. Upsets are good for the sport, and teams shouldn't be rewarded for simply going through the motions.

Canada earned this gold medal in the craziest of ways, but it's a gold medal earned nonetheless. You can question the roster that is assembled. You can question the coaching decisions. You can question line combinations. You should never question the heart or the effort from the 25 players on the ice that is needed to win a gold medal by any team.

Especially Canada.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!