Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider is guaranteed to come to training camp in the fall with a medal from one of hockey’s biggest tournaments.
The 22-year-old is part of the German team that stunned the United States, rallying from a late deficit to win, 4-3, in overtime at Nokia Arena in Tampere, Finland. Germany will play Canada Sunday afternoon for the gold and silver medals. The U.S. and Latvia will play the consolation game, with the winner taking the bronze medal.
Wings prospect Carter Mazur and coach Derek Lalonde, who is an assistant with the U.S. team, came within minutes of playing in Sunday’s big game before the U.S. blew a chance to end a gold-medal drought at the World Championship that dates to 1933.
The Americans took a 2-0 lead in the first period, but the Germans were able to tie it before intermission. Michael Eyssimont made it 3-2 for the U.S. in the second period. Germany pulled goaltender Mathias Niederberger with 1:39 to play in regulation, and the gamble paid off as Marcel Noebels tied the game 16 seconds later. Frederik Tiffels scored at 7:32 of the extra period to give the Germans the win.
Seider has a goal and two assists after nine games. He originally said a few days after the Wings’ season ended that he had decided not to play at Worlds this spring, but was convinced otherwise by the German national team. Now he has a chance to bring the gold medal to Germany.
Mazur, 21, has a goal and three assists in nine games.
Canada rallies
The Latvians, who squeezed into the elimination round by winning their last preliminary game, led 1-0 and 2-1, but three goals from powerhouse Canada in the third period settled the score at 4-2 in favor of the Canadians. Wings forward Joe Veleno started the tournament in Canada’s lineup, but received a five-game, tournament-ending suspension on May 14 for kicking a player during the game against Switzerland. Steve Yzerman is an assistant general manager with Canada.
One of the scorers Saturday was Michigan’s Adam Fantilli, widely projected to go as high as second in next month’s draft and last season’s Hobey Baker Award winner as college hockey’s best player. (The Wings hold the No. 9 pick).
Take your pick:Detroit Red Wings hold ninth pick in 2023 NHL draft. Here are Steve Yzerman’s options
Contact Helene St. James athstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter@helenestjames.
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Her latest book, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available from Amazon,Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.
Feeling a draft
What: 2023 NHL draft.
When/where: June 28-29; Nashville, Tennessee.
TV: ESPN.
The Red Wings’ picks (with overall picks in parentheses): Round 1 — No. 9 (9), No. 17 (17); Round 2 — No. 8 (41), No. 9 (42), No. 10 (43); Round 3 — No. 9 (73); Round 4 — No. 22 (118); Round 5 — No. 9 (137); Round 6 — No. 9 (169); Round 7 — No. 9 (201).
