It was a battle of the defenses in the Gold Medal match of the IIHF World Championships, of which Tampa Bay Lightning Defenseman, Janis Moser was a big part of defensively. After three scoreless periods, the Gold Medal match headed to overtime in which the United States of America scored in the 62nd minute to come away with the 1-0 win over Moser and the Switzerland National Team.
Moser was on the ice for 18 minutes, 31 seconds, but other than occurring a two minute penalty, he, along with the rest of the Switzerland team were unable to get anything going offensively.
The United States had 45 shots on goal, whereas Switzerland had just 25.
Both teams played aggressively and the match did not disappoint as for all three regulation periods, there was energy and excitement. Fans were waiting for any minute a team would score, but the defenses held tight and sent a scoreless game into overtime before the US finally struck in that 62nd minute.
Switzerland was 8-0 coming into the final match, having just lost one game in the preliminary rounds; they also held the most goals scored in the tournament. But as we saw, were unable to make it happen on Sunday.
With a 1-0 Gold Medal match loss, that is now the fourth time the Swiss has lost in heartbreak fashion and walked away with a silver medal in the finals since 2013. They lost to Sweden in 2013 and 2018, Czechia in 2024, and now the United States here in 2025.
Moser finished the tournament having played in all 10 of the Swiss’ games. He had one goal, five assists, for a total six points and two penalty points incurred. He finished plus-8 on the tournament.
Switzerland is set to host the 2026 World Championships and Moser and the Swiss National Team will look to take care of business and win a gold in their home country.
But for now, they are runners up in the 2025 IIHF World Championships as the United States skate away victorious and take the gold.
J.J. Moser hoping to really get started with the Lightning
Moving into the 2025-2026 NHL season, J.J. Moser is ready to hit the ground running.
For Tampa Bay Lightning fans, the off-season proceeding the 2024-2025 regular season is one they will truly never forget. A whirlwind of changes occurred for the organization as Steven Stamkos walked in free agency, Mikhail Sergachev was traded, and Jake Guentzel was the newest member of the Tampa Bay Lightning. However in the midst of all the chaos, J.J. Moser was one of the additions brought to help bolster the defense.
J.J. Moser, previously a member of the Arizona Coyotes, was set for a big season in a Lightning sweater. Before entering Tampa, Moser’s previous career-high came during the 2022-2023 season in which he scored 31 points. For the 24-year-old defenseman, the future looked bright. Moser was ready to take on the latest chapter of his hockey career in Tampa Bay.
Despite his best intentions, Moser’s season did not go exactly as he may have planned. Not only did Mosher score 14 points in 54 games, but his season was also cut short due to injury. TSN.com stated that Moser was slated to miss time from the regular season as a result of a lower-body injury. The young defenseman’s injury completely changed the trajectory of Moser’s inaugural season in the blue and white.
Imagine being a young defenseman in the National Hockey League. You were recently traded to a new team, thus catapulting you into a brand new environment. You are hungry to make the most of every situation and just when you feel like you’re learning a new system, you get injured! That unfortunate reality is exactly what occurred to J.J. Moser.
Although his ice time was limited during the 2024-2025 season, Moser was able to manage a +20 plus-minus. The best part about that stat? It was Moser’s career-high. For any defenseman, plus minus is a fundamentals stat. A details what every defenseman aims to do at their core: keep pucks out of the net. In Moser limited showing with the Lightning, he was able to do a pretty good job at that core mission.
Moving into the 2025-2026 season, Moser is hoping to hit the ground running. A healthy Moser could be poised to have a bigger season for the Lightning. With his injury fully behind him, Moser can focus on having a proper first season with the Lightning. Fans will be cheering for Moser every step of the way. Watch for Moser to have his overall best season yet!
