The Canadian team came to the World-2023 championship in the status of one of the main favorites of the tournament. And certainly few could imagine that this team was able to lose two matches in a row not the strongest rivals. However, if the defeat in the confrontation with Switzerland can still be explained at least somehow, then what happened in the game with the Norwegians will forever go down in history as the enchanting shame of the founders of hockey.

Norway was banal better

The head coach of Canadians at that tournament Andre Turini could not count on that star composition of hockey players who, for example, arrived at the 2025 World Cup. You could not name any Crosby and McKinnons, although Canada could not be called a very bad set of players. At least there was a young talent Adam Fantilly, the Kalgary star Tyler Tuffoli and a number of other serious guys.

In addition, the Canadians were not the first to fight for gold without real NHL superstars. The composition powerful in names does not always give a result on ice. The Turini team began the group stage well, but in its middle I managed to lose the Switzerland team. Then the Canadians had to play with the Norwegians, and everyone expected that the North Americans would simply destroy the opponent against the backdrop of the defeat from the Swiss.

Moreover, Norway brought nine debutants to the tournament at once, and the only person with the experience of the game in the NHL was the ex-falling “Chicago” and “Colorado” Andreas Martinsen. No one could imagine that the Turini gang may have at least any problems in this meeting. It is for this reason that what was happening on the ice plunged everyone into a shock state.

The Norwegians not just won the first period with a score of 1: 0, but were really better in most components of hockey. Local journalists later said that they would not remember such a high -quality game from their compatriots. It looked indeed powerfully and as unexpectedly. Canada were frank not ready for something serious in this confrontation. Either at night they walked late at night, or simply did not tune in.

Hockey players of the Norway team / Photo: © Eurasia Sport Images / Contributor / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru

Historical shame with a good ending

By the way, the same former NHL player Martinsen opened the score in the match. In the second period, the Norwegians abandoned another puck and again it was impossible to say that this was not on business. The Turini team was simply humiliated on ice at these moments. In the second half of the meeting, the Canadians nevertheless burst out and played one puck with the efforts of the experienced Milan Luchich. Further, the same Talent Fantilly managed to earn a five -minute removal. The Norwegians could well solve the outcome on this segment, but, apparently, they themselves were frightened.

In the final period, the Canadians, of course, intensified and tried to combine beautifully, although it looked somehow awkward. It seemed that everything would end in the end, but the Norwegians missed 12 seconds before the end of the main time! Banal throwing led to the puck in their goal. Others would be upset and miss immediately in overtime, but on this day Norway was most severely configured. They had endured to a series of shootouts, and there they already inflicted a sensational defeat to Canadians.

It became only the second in their full -time confrontation. The first time Canadians were so disgraced in 2000 at the World Cup in St. Petersburg. Nevertheless, the catastrophe in this game probably still helped the Turini team take control, because it was Canada who eventually won the World-2023 championship.