Mangiapane wins gold and tournament MVP with Canada at 2021 Worlds

Calgary’s preferred bread has formed a golden crust.

Andrew Mangiapane has won a gold medal as a member of Team Canada at the 2021 IIHF World Hockey Championship. He scored a tournament-leading seven goals in just seven games.

For his efforts, Mangiapane received the tournament Most Valuable Player award.

Canada defeated Finland in overtime by a 3-2 score on Sunday afternoon. Ottawa Senators forward Nick Paul scored the golden goal for Canada in the 3-on-3 extra frame.

Mangiapane joined Canada three games into the tournament due to the delayed end to the Calgary Flames’ season. By the time Mangiapane arrived in Latvia, Canada had already lost its first three games.

He played his first game in the tournament (and his first ever while wearing a Canada jersey) against Norway on May 26, scoring the game-winning goal in a 4-2 win.

Mangiapane added another goal and an assist in Canada’s 4-2 win over Kazakhstan on May 28 before torching Italy with four points (two goals, two assists) in a 7-1 win on May 30.

Canada only lost one game with Mangiapane in the lineup. That setback came in their final group stage game, against Finland, on Jun. 1; Mangiapane picked up an assist in that game.

Mangiapane’s brightest moment came in Canada’s quarterfinal matchup against Russia on Jun. 3. He combined with Troy Stecher to score the overtime winner, sending the Canadians on to a semifinal date against the United States.

Mangiapane scored two goals against the Americans, including the game-winner, en route to a 4-2 win. His sixth and seventh goals pushed him into a tie for the tournament lead, which he ultimately shared with Liam Kirk (Great Britain).

In addition to receiving the MVP award, Mangiapane was selected as a member of the tournament all-star team.

Mangiapane, 25, scored 18 goals and 14 assists in 56 games with the Flames this season. He has one year remaining on a deal paying him $2.425 million; he will be a restricted free agent in the summer of 2022.