Team Canada started their 2026 IIHF World Championship campaign with a win, defeating Sweden 5-3 in their first round match.
Canada and Sweden played the opening match of the World Hockey Championship for the first time in 65 years. The last time the teams met at the start of the world championship was in 1961, when the Canadians defeated their opponents 6-1.
Suspilne Sport is the official broadcaster of the 2026 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship. Watch the matches live on the Suspilne Sport TV channel and website, as well as local Suspilne channels.
How was the match?
- Team Canada managed to open the scoring in the second minute of the match, when defenseman Darnell Nurse passed the puck from the right flank to John Tavares, who sent it into the goal.
- Sweden could have tied the game in the 12th minute, but the goal was ruled out after a video review. Four minutes later, Ryan O'Reilly scored a second goal for Sweden, making it 2-0.
- In the second period, Sweden managed to fight back. First, Jakob Larsson scored a goal, and then Lucas Raymond, having converted the majority, restored parity in the score.
- Midway through the second period, Canada and Sweden traded one more goal each, tying the score at 3-3 heading into the final 20 minutes.
- However, Canada still managed to pull out a win in this match. In the third minute of the third period, Connor Brown, breaking through on the left flank, put his team ahead. And the final score was set by Dylan Cozens, 5:3.
World Cup 2026. First round
Canada — Sweden 5:3 (2:0, 1:3, 2:0)
Goals: Tavares, 02:21, O'Reilly, 16:00, Holloway, 34:16, Brown, 43:21, Cozens, 52:59 — Larsson, 28:21, Raymond, 31:04, Ekholm, 35:33
Canada's next World Cup match will be against Italy on Saturday, May 16, while Sweden will play Denmark on Sunday, May 17.