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The host country shocked the sledge-hockey world Sunday night at Calgary’s WinSport Arena.

‘Oh Canada,’ you might say with jubilation.

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And the joyful Canucks were singing ‘O Canada’ oh-so proudly in the glorious moments after upsetting the nemesis Americans 2-1 in the gold-medal match of the 2024 World Para Ice Hockey Championship.

“I don’t know what to say,” said Canada captain Tyler McGregor. “It means a lot — like this is home. We all have our family and friends here. And it’s the first time we’ve ever been able to win on home ice.

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“It hits different being able to sing your national anthem here,” continued McGregor, of Forest, Ont. “Especially with the road that we’ve been on the past number of years.

“It hasn’t gone well.”

Indeed, the triumph was a surprise in that Canada hadn’t been able to beat the USA in a world finale since the 2017 tournament in Gangneung, South Korea.

Until Sunday, the Canadians had lost six-straight Para world deciders — and the 5-0 gold-medal match at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games — to the juggernaut Americans.

And even when gold wasn’t on the line, it had been a long losing run against the U.S., dating way back to Oct. 29, 2021, to a 4-2 result in suburban St. Louis.

This year alone, the Canadians haven’t won in 10 meetings with their arch-rivals, with the most recent tilt last month seeing the Americans top the Canucks by a 4-1 decision in the finale of a two-game series in Calgary.

But they turned that around when it counted most at WinSport.

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“This started two years ago, when we started to turn the page on Beijing and set ourselves towards the 2026 Paralympics,” McGregor said. “We knew that we needed to strengthen our culture and our commitment to our preparation while we were together and while we’re at home. So this isn’t just today. This is a lot of quiet dark moments at home when we’re not training together and we’re by ourselves. And you have to trust that the teammate beside you is making that commitment.

“I think most people have reason to break and fold the cards and start to blame each other in moments like that when times are hard,” the captain continued. “And we decided to use that as a source of strength and come together and love and care about each other. That team and the support staff and the coaching staff, we earned that win.”

It didn’t take long for the Canadians to get their charge on.

Just 35 seconds in, Ontario’s Dominic Cozzolino scored for the home side to whip the many fans at WinSport into a frenzy.

The goal — on assists from Ontario’s Rob Armstrong and Calgary’s Auren Halbert — was the only shot for Canada in the first period, and it was a tap-in for the wide-open Canadian forward to beat star American netminder Jen Lee.

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At the other end, diminutive Adam Kingsmill was at his best for Canada, stopping all seven shots in the first period and then four more in the second, including a breakaway by Evan Nichols.

Another middle-frame stop by Kingsmill — this one off Travis Dodson — was followed shortly after by a gutty goal from the Canucks.

Tyler McGregor got gritty behind the American net, working the puck free and popping it out front where Anton Jacobs-Webb one-timed it past Lee for the important 2-0 Canadian advantage.

“I saw Macker with the puck,” said Jacobs-Webb. “I know how hard he forechecks. I know how quick he makes that pass. So I had to be ready. It was just instinctive. I just made that shot.”

From there, it was all America, as the USA pushed and pressured and peppered Canada in trying to create a comeback bid.

Eventually, they did get on the board, but it took awhile, with Declan Farmer getting a goal up over Kingsmill with just 3:41 left in regulation. It was Farmer’s 11th goal of the tournament.

But try as they might, the Americans — who out-shot Canada 25-9 — couldn’t sift another puck by game-MVP Kingsmill despite dominating the final three-plus minutes — and plenty more ahead of that — in the championship affair.

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“Adam had an incredible game,” said Jacobs-Webb. “He really showed up. He was solid, he was calm in net, and he was there for every shot. We knew we had to weather the storm, and that’s what we’ve been practising for years. We know that about them.

“We’ve played them so many times, so we were ready for that.”

The victory also marks redemption for the 6-1 loss suffered last year to the Americans, also on home ice in Moose Jaw, Sask.

“This is a long time coming. A lot of Para cups and a lot of silver medals,” said Jacobs-Webb. “I’ve never won a world championship on this team, and it is an incredible feeling for the guys. We’ve been battling — we’ve put so much into it this year.

“We had the belief,” continued Jacobs-Webb. “We knew we were doing the right thing. We had the right plan. We just stuck with it.

“This is an incredible feeling.”

Canada survived a semifinal thriller, getting goals 84 seconds apart from Micah Kovacevich and Cozzolino early in the third period to earn a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over China on Friday night. Tyler McGregor added two assists for the Canadians.

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The Americans had a nail-biter of their own in Friday’s first semi, getting the go-ahead goal from Malik Jones with 7:01 remaining to score a 3-1 win over Czechia and get the chance to defend their world title. Chris Douglas scored the other two goals for the U.S.

Meanwhile, Czechia captured the bronze medal with a 3-2 edge of China earlier Sunday, before Canada assumed their spot atop the world with their gritty golden performance.

“We all had a common belief in ourselves and the process that we’ve been through in the last couple of years,” said Canada defenceman and Calgary’s own Auren Halbert. “To finally see that in action is unbelievable.

“It’s so rewarding right now.”

The win gives Canada its fifth gold medal at the World Para Hockey Championship. It also won in 2000, 2008, 2013, and 2017. The U.S. leads with four titles, while each of Sweden and Norway have one world banner.

“It feels unbelievable,” added Halbert. “To win a gold medal in my hometown is just the best experience I could ever ask for.

“Just excited to share this with the boys — ready to go see my family and friends and show them the nice gold medal.”

tsaelhof@postmedia.com

http://www.x.com/ToddSaelhofPM

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