Canada's Wojciech Wolski (second right) celebrates scoring in the men's bronze medal ice hockey match between the Czech Republic and Canada at the Gangneung Hockey Centre in Pyeongchang.
Canada's Wojciech Wolski (second right) celebrates scoring in the men's bronze medal ice hockey match between the Czech Republic and Canada at the Gangneung Hockey Centre in Pyeongchang.
JUNG YEON-JE/AFP/AFP/Getty Images

Story highlights

Canada wins bronze with 6-4 win over Czech Republic

Canada loses semifinal by outsider Germany

Nine-time Olympic champion had won three of last four gold medals

CNN  — 

They were expected to win the gold, but Canada’s men’s hockey team will leave the Winter Games with a bronze medal.

A day after losing to 60-1 outsider Germany in the semifinal, the nine-time Olympic champion defeated the Czech Republic 6-4 to salvage some plaudits from Pyeongchang.

Canada is the winner of three of the past four Olympic titles, and the semifinal capitulation was a severe shock to this hockey-mad nation.

But this was a team lacking any of its National Hockey League stars, because of a scheduling dispute with franchise owners, and its redemption came in bronze to add to recent golds from Sochi and Vancouver.

READ: Germany stuns Canada in Olympic ice hockey tournament

“We didn’t want to finish in that fourth-place position; get the third, get the bronze and it’s something you’ll cherish forever,” Andrew Ebbett , who scored twice for Canada, told the Reuters news agency.

Referring to the defeat by Germany, he added: “Personally I think I’ll probably be thinking about that game last night for a long, long time.

“I still can’t explain what happened. We just didn’t have it in the first period. Germany played a full 60 minutes and we played 25-30. It wasn’t enough and man, it would have been fun to play Russia for the gold medal – what every Canadian dreams of.”

READ: Winter Olympics day 15 as it happened

Czech snowboarder Ester Ledecka won the parallel giant slalom, becoming the first athlete to win gold medals in snowboarding and Alpine skiing at the same Olympics. She won the super-G last week.
Czech snowboarder Ester Ledecka won the parallel giant slalom, becoming the first athlete to win gold medals in snowboarding and Alpine skiing at the same Olympics. She won the super-G last week.
Laurent Salino/Agence Zoom/Getty Images
US skip John Shuster reacts during the men's curling final against Sweden. The Americans won gold in the event for the first time ever.
US skip John Shuster reacts during the men's curling final against Sweden. The Americans won gold in the event for the first time ever.
Natacha Pisarenko/AP
US curler Matt Hamilton, center, cries during the medal ceremony.
US curler Matt Hamilton, center, cries during the medal ceremony.
Wang Zhao/AFP/Getty Images
Sebastien Toutant celebrates with the Canadian flag after winning the big-air snowboarding event. The event was making its Olympic debut.
Sebastien Toutant celebrates with the Canadian flag after winning the big-air snowboarding event. The event was making its Olympic debut.
Clive Mason/Getty Images
American snowboarder Kyle Mack won silver in the big-air event.
American snowboarder Kyle Mack won silver in the big-air event.
Matthias Schrader/AP
Ivanka Trump, daughter and adviser to US President Donald Trump, attended the big-air event. She will also be attending the closing ceremony.
Ivanka Trump, daughter and adviser to US President Donald Trump, attended the big-air event. She will also be attending the closing ceremony.
Carl Court/Getty Images
Mack celebrates during the medal ceremony.
Mack celebrates during the medal ceremony.
Andreas Rentz/Getty Images
Switzerland's Ramon Zenhaeusern, right, leads Germany's Alexander Schmid as they race during the team skiing event. The Swiss team would go on to win the gold.
Switzerland's Ramon Zenhaeusern, right, leads Germany's Alexander Schmid as they race during the team skiing event. The Swiss team would go on to win the gold.
MARTIN BERNETTI/AFP/Getty Images
Italy's Riccardo Tonetti skis during the team event.
Italy's Riccardo Tonetti skis during the team event.
Alessandro Trovati/AP
Francesco Friedrich pilots a four-man bobsled for Germany. Friedrich's team leads halfway through the competition.
Francesco Friedrich pilots a four-man bobsled for Germany. Friedrich's team leads halfway through the competition.
Michael Sohn/AP
Norwegian skiers celebrate winning bronze in the team event. It was Norway's 38th medal of these Olympics, which breaks the record for most medals won by one country during a single Winter Games.
Norwegian skiers celebrate winning bronze in the team event. It was Norway's 38th medal of these Olympics, which breaks the record for most medals won by one country during a single Winter Games.
Christophe Ena/AP
The South Korean bobsled piloted by Won Yun-jong is in second place going into the last day of the four-man competition.
The South Korean bobsled piloted by Won Yun-jong is in second place going into the last day of the four-man competition.
Lars Baron/Getty Images
Slovenia's Gloria?Kotnik races down the course for the parallel giant slalom.
Slovenia's Gloria?Kotnik races down the course for the parallel giant slalom.
Lee Jin-man/AP
Winter Olympics: Saturday, February 24

Canada raced 3-1 ahead in the first period against the Czech Republic but couldn’t extend its advantage in the second before surging 6-2 clear early in the third.

But some anxious moments followed as the Czechs clawed back two goals with two minutes to go despite being a man down.

Canada, though, hung on to avoid a first Games without an ice hockey medal since Nagano in 1998, when the Czech Republic won gold.

The men’s hockey final will be held on Sunday, the final day of the Olympics, between Germany and the Olympic Athlete from Russia team.

No German team has reached the podium in ice hockey since West Germany took bronze at the 1976 Winter Games in Innsbruck.