Canada edges Russia for gold at WJHC

Akil Thomas scored the winner with under four minutes remaining to give Canada a 4-3 victory over Russia in the gold-medal game at the World Junior Hockey Championship in the Czech Republic on Sunday.

Connor McMichael and captain Barrett Hayton scored before Thomas' decisive marker - his first goal of the tournament - with Canada rallying from a 3-1 deficit in the third period.

Canada appeared to benefit from a pivotal no-call late in the game when the officials chose not to penalize the team for shooting the puck off a camera above the glass. It was called an infraction on the ice, but wiped out upon further view.

It's the country's third gold medal at the event over the last six years, and its first world-junior gold on European ice since 2008.

Canada defeated Russia in the final for the fifth time in nine tries Sunday.

The Canadian squad last won it all in 2018, when it defeated Sweden to capture gold in Buffalo.