Fan who caught Swedish silver medal gave it back

They say the festive season is all about giving but for one fan at this year’s World Junior Hockey Championship in Buffalo, it was all about giving back.

After Canada defeated Sweden in a thrilling final game, social media was buzzing when defeated captain Lias Andersson tossed his silver medal into the crowd, distraught after coming up short for the third year in a row.

But when cameras caught up with the lucky fan who caught the medal, it made for an even more interesting story.

As Bill Shaflucas held the medal in his hand, he stripped off his Rochester Americans colours to reveal a USA hockey sweater underneath. Moments later, he went a layer further, revealing a Team Sweden jersey. He put the discarded silver medal around his neck and posed for photos.

However, speaking to CTV News on Sunday, Shaflucas revealed that rather than keeping a memento that held no personal meaning, he decided to return the medal to the team even if Andersson himself didn’t want it in the moment.

So who is this three-jersey-wearing man who caught the silver medal in Buffalo?

Buffalo-native Bill Shaflucas co-hosts the podcast ‘Guys Telling Stories’ and took part in an epic charity fundraiser last July. In the ’11-Day Power Play’, 40 players competed in the world’s longest hockey game to raise money for cancer research.

Last year, after 250 hours on the ice, the charity hockey game raised a whopping $1.2 million.

In summary, winning isn’t everything but coming second can be treasured.

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