Vernon Vipers defenceman Dome Szongoth will return to the North Okanagan with some pre-Christmas jewelry.
Szongoth, who will turn 20 on Jan. 18, helped his native Hungary win the International Ice Hockey Federation’s 2026 World Men’s Division 1 Group B hockey championship gold medal in Milano, Italy, Dec. 8-14.
As the winner of the six-team tournament, Hungary will jump into the Division 1 Group A tournament next year. Norway won the Group A tournament in Slovenia and will be promoted to the World Junior Hockey Tournament in 2027.
Hungary won Group B with a record of 4-1. Their only blemish was a 4-1 loss to the host Italians.
Szongoth and his teammates, which included younger brother Doman, opened the event with a 4-0 victory over Lithuania. Doman scored his country’s first goal of the tournament.
Szongoth picked up his lone point of the event in a 3-1 win over Estonia, setting up the insurance marker in the third period.
Hungary also beat Poland 4-3 in overtime (Doman sent the game into extra time with a goal with 6:43 left in regulation, then set up the OT winner), and finished with a 6-1 thumping of Japan.
Doman Szongoth had 3-5-8 in the five tournament games.
Hungary went winless in five games at the WMU20 1A tournament in December 2024, dropping a 2-1 heartbreaker to Denmark on opening day (the Danes would go on to win the event and will compete in the IIHF World Junior Championship starting Boxing Day, Dec. 26, in Minneapolis), then fell 5-2 to France, 4-0 to Norway, 2-0 to Austria and 7-4 to Slovenia.
The Hungarians competed in Division 1A on the world stage from 2022-25, last appearing in the 1B event in 2020.
Szongoth has two assists in 10 B.C. Hockey League games with the Vipers.
The Snakes return to league play Friday, Jan. 2, when they host the Salmon Arm Silverbacks at 7 p.m. at Kal Tire Place.