From time to time, TheIHLC.com will feature detailed recaps and boxscores of some of the most legendary games in international hockey history, considered to be “IHLC Classics.” Today, in honour of Finnish Independence Day (itsenäisyyspäivä), we look back at the Leijonat’s thrilling home ice Gold Medal victory at the 1998 World Junior Championships, with Niklas Hagman’s overtime snipe securing the title in Helsinki.

🇫🇮 Finland 2-1 Russia 🇷🇺 (OT)
World Junior Championship Gold Medal Game
Hartwall Areena, Helsinki 🇫🇮
Saturday, 03 January 1998

Finland achieved its first World Junior Championship Gold in 1987, but at that time the rankings were decided by playing in series.

The playoffs only entered the World Junior Championship program for the 1995-96 Games, and what would be more comfortable than to settle World Cup Gold at home in extra time of the final?
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