The main round of the 2026 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship has concluded, resulting in four pairs of opponents at the start of the playoffs.
The final matches of the seventh round were played by Canada, which defeated the Czech Republic (3:2), and Switzerland, which defeated Finland with a score of 4:2. The winners of the groups were the teams that earned points in these matches, the Canadians and the Finns.
Suspilne Sport is the official broadcaster of the 2026 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship. Watch the playoff matches live on the Suspilne Sport platforms and local Suspilne channels.
The four best teams from Groups A and B advanced to the playoffs. In the quarterfinals, the teams will play against each other on one day — Thursday, May 28. The matches start at 5:20 PM and 9:20 PM Kyiv time.
Schedule of the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Ice Hockey Championship (May 28)
- 17:20. Canada – USA
- 17:20. Finland — Czech Republic
- 21:20. Norway – Latvia
- 21:20. Switzerland – Sweden
What is known about the quarter-finalists?
- Of the eight quarterfinalists, five have already won world championship gold. The Canadians have the most titles — 28, while the Swedes have competed in the tournament the most — 72 times (and have 11 world championships).
- In general, all teams have not made it to the quarterfinals for the first time. The only one without a medal at this level is returning to the playoffs for the first time in 14 years.
- The match between the USA and Canada in the quarterfinals is a repeat of the 2026 Olympic Games final, in which the American team won in overtime (2:1).
- The current world champion is the USA, which defeated Switzerland in overtime (1:0) in the 2025 World Cup final. The best result for the Swiss, who will host the 2026 World Cup and have won all seven group matches in regular time, remains five silver medals.