Sweden forward Lias Andersson led his team with six goals at the world junior championships. (Photo: Jeffrey T. Barnes, AP)
One of the difficulties of international hockey tournaments is that you get a bronze medal by winning a game, but are awarded a silver medal when you lose.
Swedish team captain Lias Andersson was handed his silver medal Friday night after a hard-fought 3-1 loss to Canada in the world junior championships, skated away and threw the medal to a fan into the stands.
Team Sweden Captain Lias Andersson wasn't happy with the Silver as he threw it to the stands, the guy who caught the silver medal was wearing THREEE jerseys. 😂 pic.twitter.com/iyPUT6C5Lc — Robert Söderlind (@HockeyWebCast) January 6, 2018
His reasoning:
Lias Andersson said he tossed the medal into the stands because “the fans wanted it more.” He cited losing in final of U-18 and U-17 as part of his frustration — Joe Yerdon (@JoeYerdon) January 6, 2018
The incident got Andersson's name trending on Twitter, with some questioning his sportsmanship, but others understanding the emotion he showed.
Said former NHL goalie Corey Hirsch, who won a silver medal with Canada at the 1994 Olympics:
I would take Lias Andersson on my team anyday. I played with his dad in Nashville. One of the kindest people ever. Love that he showed some passion.
"If you're not first your last."
-Ricky Bobby — Corey Hirsch (@CoreyHirsch) January 6, 2018
As media we complain that our athletes use cliches and show no personality, but then when they do show their human side with emotion and personality we throw them under the bus. — Corey Hirsch (@CoreyHirsch) January 6, 2018
Andersson, a first-round pick of the New York Rangers in 2017, finished the tournament with six goals and an assist in seven games.
Friday night, Canada defeated Sweden 3-1 to capture gold in the 2018 World Junior Championship. For Canada, it’s their second gold medal in their last four tournaments.
In front of an overwhelmingly Canadian crowd at Buffalo’s Key Bank Center, rarely-used forward Tyler Steenbergen scored the game-winning goal with 1:40 left in the third period after both teams exchanged tallies in the second period. Canada’s Alex Formenton added an empty-net goal.
The medal ceremony was wild.
In tears, 🇸🇪 Lias Andersson tosses his 🥈 medal into the stands — Mark Masters (@markhmasters) January 6, 2018
Team Sweden captain and Rangers prospect Lias Andersson was so distraught after the loss, he tossed his silver medal into the stands.
Andersson was caught by cameras sobbing hysterically while standing at the team’s blue line.
The fan who caught Andersson’s medal took several photos with the award around his neck.
He wore three jerseys including one for Canada, Sweden, and USA.
The guy who caught the silver medal was wearing 3 jerseys 😂 pic.twitter.com/JcfbEQ8PrR — Patrick Scebba (@scebbs) January 6, 2018
He eventually took off the other jerseys and wore his Sweden jersey for more photos.
Eventually, according to TSN’s Ray Ferraro, security would ask for the medal and give it back to Andersson.
Lias Andersson on tossing his medal to a fan: He wanted it more than me. He can put it in a box or something. Also noted this age group has lost in finals before and this was their last chance to break that trend. — Chris Peters (@chrismpeters) January 6, 2018
Meanwhile, TSN cameras also captured Capitals prospect Axel Jonsson-Fjällby being given his medal by IIHF officials.
But Jonsson-Fjällby didn’t keep his new award around his neck long. When the Caps prospect skated back and stood with the rest of his team, the medal was gone.
The Capitals 2016 fifth-round pick finished the tournament with four points (two goals, two assists) in seven games. The Swedish forward scored two shorthanded goals during the WJC, surprising many with his great play and even better hair.
The silver medal is Jonsson-Fjällby’s second medal while representing the national team. He also won silver while playing for Sweden’s under-18 team.
You never really win a silver medal in hockey. You lose the gold.
Sweden captain Lias Andersson, who had tears in his eyes after his team lost in dramatic fashion to Canada in the final of the world juniors Friday night, wanted nothing to do with the silver medal that was draped around his neck so he tossed it into the stands.
It wasn’t immediately clear why Andersson gently lobbed his medal over the glass and into the hands of a man wearing a Rochester Americans sweater—the man removed the Americans jersey moments later to reveal he was wearing a Sweden jersey underneath—but the 19-year-old forward confirmed to media post-game that he threw it away because he simply didn’t want to keep it.
“That guy in the stands wanted it more than me,” Andersson said.
The 2017 seventh-overall pick of the New York Rangers went on to explain that he won silver at the under-18 world championship in 2016 and his medal from that tournament just sits in a box and he never looks at it.
Andersson was criticized heavily on social media following the game but his frustration is shared by many Swedish players and fans. Sweden has gone 44-0 in the preliminary round of the WJC over the past 11 years yet has only managed to come away with gold once and that was back in 2012. They now have five silvers and one bronze during that stretch.
