William Dufour Wins Gold, Continues Winning Ways

To say New York Islanders prospect William Dufour has had a good year is an understatement for the ages. His year got even better as he won Gold at the 2022 World Junior Championships as Canada defeated Finland 3-2 in overtime on Saturday night.

Kent Johnson: OVERTIME HERO! 🇨🇦 @HockeyCanada #worldjuniors pic.twitter.com/FusvzwMyg9

— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) August 21, 2022

William Dufour left his mark in the championships, as he scored early in the second period to give Canada that critical two-goal cushion. Finland would eventually tie the contest in the middle of the third, but it was a critical goal nevertheless.

WATCH: Dufour’s Sick Drag, Shot Gives Canada 2-0 Lead in Finals

The 20-year-old forward put together a 56-goal, 60-assist season with the St. John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL, being crowned QMJHL Player of the Year. He then went on to lead the Sea Dogs to a Memorial Cup Trophy, being crowned “First Star” of the Finals as well as Memorial Cup MVP  after seven goals and an assist in four games.

Then at the World Juniors, with a Canadian team, he was not a part of in December before the tournament was postponed, left his mark with and without the puck.

Dufour ended the tournament with three goals and four assists in six games, with his last goal the most critical one coming in the Gold Medal game. With the gold, Dufour became the 25th player to win the gold medal and the Memorial Cup in the same season.

The 152nd overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft has 68 goals over his last 82 games, with 68 assists for 135 points. That’s 1.64 points per game and .829 goals per game.

William and the rest of the Dufour family dealt with some personal issues as back in April of 2020, his mother Karine was diagnosed with breast cancer. It hit him hard, as it would anyone and he had to balance being there for her and pursuing his career.

William Dufour fights for his mom,
Karine, who will be one of the cancer survivors doing our ceremonial puck drop tonight 💜#HockeyFightsCancer pic.twitter.com/ThYisSjGjO

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) November 13, 2021

Karine had surgery to remove the cancerous mass last June and it was a success.

Everyone must overcome obstacles in life and Dufour was by his mother’s side through it all. And following that tough time, Dufour had his break-out season and has become a player that the New York Islanders fan base is excited to see play in Bridgeport this upcoming season.

QMJHL MVP. Memorial Cup MVP. Gold Medal Winner.

What’s next for William Dufour?

Oh yeah, New York Islanders training camp.

This story will be updated following postgame interviews