Let the tournament begin! Canada’s National Men’s Team takes on Sweden to open the preliminary round Friday at the 2026 IIHF World Championship in Switzerland, beginning its quest for a 29th gold medal.

Last Game

Canada wrapped up a perfect pre-tournament schedule with a 3-1 win over Hungary on Wednesday. Mark Scheifele and Dylan Cozens found the back of the net on the power play early in the first period, and John Tavares rounded out the scoring with 4:40 left in the opening frame.

Sweden fell 5-1 to Finland in pre-tournament action Sunday. Erik Brännström tied the game midway through the first period, with an assist from Liam Öhgren. Arvid Söderblom made 14 saves for Sweden, including a save on a penalty shot from Patrik Puistola.

Last Meeting

Canada wrapped up the preliminary round a year ago with a 5-3 win over Sweden to earn top spot in Group A. Travis Sanheim got Canada on the board only 18 seconds into the game, with Tyson Foerster and Ryan O’Reilly making it a 3-1 lead after 20 minutes. Macklin Celebrini buried a pass from Sidney Crosby for the game-winning goal and Nathan MacKinnon scored early in the third period.

What to Watch

From new faces to seasoned veterans, this Canadian team has something for everyone. The team’s latest addition was Sidney Crosby, back wearing the Maple Leaf after representing Canada at the Olympics in February and at last year’s Men’s Worlds in Sweden. Young superstar Macklin Celebrini returns for his second Men’s Worlds appearance and sported the ‘C’ for both of Canada’s pre-tournament games after putting up 45 goals and 115 points with the San Jose Sharks this season. Ryan O’Reilly is the all-time leader for games played by a Canadian at the IIHF World Championship (63), passing Ryan Smyth last year. And in addition to the experience on the roster, three Canadians will make their international debuts in Switzerland: Dylan DeMelo, Emmitt Finnie and Jet Greaves.

The Swedish roster boasts 12 NHLers, down from the 21 who won bronze on home ice last year. Leading the way offensively is Lucas Raymond—the winger had 25 goals and 76 points with the Detroit Red Wings this season—and veterans Mattias Ekholm (Edmonton) and Oliver Ekman Larsson (Toronto) lead the group on the blue line. The Swedes also have an injection of youth, with four players on the roster who helped win World Juniors gold in January—goaltender Love Härenstam and forwards Viggo Björck, Anton Frondell and Ivar Stenberg. There will be extra eyes on Stenberg and Björck, who ranked first and fourth, respectively, among international skater in the final NHL Central Scouting ranking and project to go very early in the 2026 NHL Draft.

A Look Back

No opponent has been a more frequent foe for Canada at the IIHF World Championship than Sweden; Friday’s game will mark the 71th meeting between the longtime rivals, dating back to a scoreless tie in 1931.

Despite the long history, this will be the first time the Canadians and Swedes meet in a tournament opener since the Trail Smoke Eaters downed Sweden 6-1 all the way back in 1961.

All-time record: Canada leads 37-28-5 (3-3 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 249
Sweden goals: 198

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has announced the management group that will build and lead Canada’s National Men’s Team at the 2026 IIHF World Championship, set for May 15-31 in Zürich and Fribourg, Switzerland.

Brad Treliving (Penticton, BC) and Jason Spezza (Mississauga, ON/Pittsburgh, NHL) will serve on the management group at Men’s Worlds, and will be supported by Scott Salmond (Creston, BC), Hockey Canada’s senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations, and Kyle Dubas (Sault Ste. Marie, ON/Pittsburgh, NHL). Treliving last represented Canada in 2016 and Spezza is set to make his international management debut, while Dubas has held various management roles with Hockey Canada since 2024, including the 2026 Olympic Winter Games, 4 Nations Face-Off, and 2024 and 2025 IIHF World Championships.

With the Pittsburgh Penguins earning a place in the National Hockey League (NHL) playoffs, the main focus for Dubas at this time will be guiding the Penguins while providing support to Treliving, Spezza, Salmond and Canada’s National Men’s Team.

“Brad brings invaluable experience from previous international events and the NHL, and Jason is a rising NHL executive that brings a wealth of experience as a player both professionally and internationally, and we are excited that these two will lead our team at the IIHF World Championship,” Salmond said. “Kyle’s experience from the previous two world championships, 4 Nations Face-Off and Olympics will provide consistency to our program, and while Kyle continues to prioritize the success of the Pittsburgh Penguins, we look forward to his support as Brad and Jason build a staff and roster that gives us the best chance to be successful in Switzerland.” 

Treliving was general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs for the last three seasons (2023-26) after serving as GM of the Calgary Flames for nine seasons (2014-23). He also spent seven seasons with the Phoenix Coyotes, serving as assistant general manager (2007-14) and vice-president of hockey operations (2010-12), as well as general manager of the San Antonio Rampage/Portland Pirates of the American Hockey League (AHL). Treliving won a gold medal at the 2016 IIHF World Championship as co-GM, and was assistant GM at the 2014 tournament.

Spezza is in his third season (2023-26) as assistant general manager of the Penguins and second (2024-26) as GM of the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He also served on the selection committee that helped evaluate and select players for the 2025 IIHF World Championship. As a player, Spezza registered 995 points (363 goals, 632 assists) in 1,248 career NHL games with the Ottawa Senators, Dallas Stars and Maple Leafs. He also played for Canada at four IIHF World Championships, winning one gold (2015) and two silver (2008, 2009), and three IIHF World Junior Championships, winning one silver (2002) and two bronze (2000, 2001). 

Dubas is in his third season (2023-26) as general manager and president of hockey operations with the Penguins. Previously, he spent nine seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, serving five (2018-23) as general manager and becoming the second-youngest GM in NHL history. Dubas started his front-office career with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), serving four seasons (2003-07) as a scout and three seasons (2011-14) as general manager. He was the assistant general manager (2024) and general manager (2025) at the previous two IIHF World Championship, and also helped Team Canada win a silver medal at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games as director of player personnel, and won the 4 Nations Face-Off in the same role. 

The coaching and support staff for the 2026 IIHF World Championship, as well as the roster, will be announced in the coming weeks.

Canada will open the tournament against Sweden on May 15 at 10:20 a.m. ET/7:20 a.m. PT. It will also take on Italy, Denmark, Norway, Slovenia, Slovakia and Czechia in the preliminary round before the tournament concludes with the medal games on May 31. Prior to the start of the tournament, Canada will practice at Accor Arena in Paris, France, from May 8-11, and will take on France in pre-tournament action on May 10. It will also face off against Hungary on May 13 at the Patinoires du Littoral in Neuchâtel, Switzerland.

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Men’s Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

Here we go. The playoffs at the 2025 IIHF World Championship get underway Thursday with Canada’s National Men’s Team taking on co-host Denmark in the quarterfinals at Jyske Bank Boxen.

Last Game

Canada bounced back with a 5-3 win over Sweden to earn top spot in Group A. Travis Sanheim got Canada on the board only 18 seconds into the game, with Tyson Foerster and Ryan O’Reilly making it a 3-1 lead after 20 minutes. Macklin Celebrini buried a pass from Sidney Crosby for the game-winning goal and Nathan MacKinnon scored early in the third period. Jordan Binnington made 25 saves in his third start.

It was a thrilling end to the preliminary round for Denmark, defeating Germany 2-1 in a shootout to advance to the quarterfinals. Nikolaj Ehlers scored for Denmark to tie the game in the third period. Frederik Dichow was perfect in the shootout while Nick Olesen and Joachim Blichfeld scored to help the Danes lock up fourth place in Group B.

Last Meeting

Canada and Denmark clashed in the preliminary round last year, with the Canadians recording a 5-1 win. Connor Bedard scored twice and had an assist, Dylan Cozens and Pierre-Luc Dubois had power-play goals and Dawson Mercer got an empty-net goal to round out the scoring. Jordan Binnington made 19 saves between the pipes and Canada outshot Denmark 42-20.

What to Watch

With Bo Horvat missing the remainder of the tournament, Porter Martone has been added to Canada’s roster. The 18-year-old had close to nine minutes of ice time in his first game, lining up alongside Brayden Schenn and Phillip Danault on the fourth line. It has been a busy 13 months internationally for Martone; after captaining Canada to gold at the 2024 IIHF U18 World Championship and becoming Canada’s all-time leading scorer at the tournament, he wore the Maple Leaf at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa, contributing a goal in three games. Martone is expected to hear his name called early at the NHL Draft next month. With the preliminary round complete, Canada has three players in the top 10 of tournament scoring. MacKinnon is second with seven goals and 13 points, Travis Konecny is fourth with three goals and 12 points (and is tied for the most assists with nine), and Crosby is seventh with four goals and 11 points.

The latest—and biggest—addition to Denmark’s roster was Ehlers, who was eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs with the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday. Off the plane and onto the ice, Ehlers had an immediate impact with his crucial tying goal against Germany. The 29-year-old had 24 goals and 63 points with the Jets this year. Another player with NHL experience on the Danes’ roster is Jonas Røndbjerg. The 26-year-old suited up for 13 games with the Vegas Golden Knights this season and he had 11 goals and 26 points with the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights.

A Look Back

This will be the 10th time these teams have met at the IIHF World Championship, and Canada has had the upper hand with seven wins on its record.

The Canadians have shut out the Danes twice: in their first matchup in 1949, Canada won 47-0. More recently, in 2019, Canada blanked Denmark 5-0. Sam Reinhart scored twice, and Pierre-Luc Dubois, Jared McCann and Jonathan Marchessault also found the back of the net.

All-time record: Canada leads 7-1-1
Canada goals: 82
Denmark goals: 12

It’s a battle for the top of Group A as Canada’s National Men’s Team takes on co-host Sweden to conclude the preliminary round Tuesday at the 2025 IIHF World Championship.

Last Game

Canada is looking to rebound from its first loss of the tournament: a 2-1 shootout decision against Finland on Monday. Ryan O’Reilly opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal in the second period, but Patrick Puistola tied the game in the third to force extra time. Kent Johnson scored in the shootout, but Finland scored twice on Marc-André Fleury, who made 20 saves in regulation and overtime.

Sweden remained undefeated in the preliminary round by shutting out France 4-0 in its last game on Saturday. Lucas Raymond and Emil Heineman scored within a minute of each other in the first period. Elias Lindholm notched a power-play goal in the middle frame and Isac Lundestrom rounded out the scoring early in the third period. Samuel Ersson made 15 saves for the shutout.

Last Meeting

The bronze medal was up for grabs when these two teams last faced off a year ago and Canada dropped a 4-2 decision. Carl Grundström got the Swedes on the board first, but Dylan Cozens and Pierre-Luc Dubois responded to give Canada a 2-1 lead early in the third period. Erik Karlsson tied the game, Grundström scored again and Marcus Johansson added an empty-net goal to earn the Swedes bronze. Jordan Binnington made 29 saves for the Canadians.

What to Watch

It’s a milestone day for Ryan O’Reilly, who will pass Ryan Smyth for the most games played by a Canadian at the IIHF World Championship. The Swedish showdown will be the 62nd game for O’Reilly in his Men’s Worlds career, dating back to his first appearance in 2012. In total, the 34-year-old has 18 goals and 42 points in 61 games. O’Reilly has represented his country on multiple occasions, including the 2008 World U17 Hockey Challenge, 2009 IIHF World U18 Championship, 2008 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka tournament and seven editions of the IIHF World Championship.

Sweden has the most active NHL players other than Canada, with 21 players deciding to compete on home ice. Boston Bruins forward Elias Lindholm leads Sweden with six goals and 10 points through six prelim games. The most recent additions to the team are Rasmus Sandin and William Karlsson, who are both coming off of second-round exits in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The duo was added to Sweden’s roster on Sunday and will likely play their first game of the tournament against Canada. Sandin had four goals and 30 points with the Washington Captials this season, while Karlsson had nine goals and 20 points with the Vegas Golden Knights.

A Look Back

No opponent has been a more frequent foe for Canada at the IIHF World Championship than Sweden; Tuesday's game will mark the 70th meeting between the longtime rivals, dating back to a scoreless tie in 1931.

Canada has had the upper-hand in the matchup since 2000, owning a 12-6 record since the beginning of the millennium. The most recent win against the Swedes was a 4-3 overtime victory in the quarterfinals in 2022, when Drake Batherson sent Canada through to the semifinals with a goal 43 seconds into overtime.

All-time record: Canada leads 36-28-5 (3-3 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 244
Sweden goals: 195

Canada’s National Men’s Team faces a familiar foe in Finland on Monday as it looks to remain undefeated in the preliminary round at the 2025 IIHF World Championship.

Last Game

Canada had a strong showing against Slovakia on Saturday, shutting out the Slovaks 7-0 to improve to 5-0 at Avicii Arena. Sidney Crosby recorded two goals and two assists, connecting with linemate Macklin Celebrini (1-2—3) twice during the game. Nathan MacKinnon scored twice, Brandon Montour and Tyson Foerster rounded out the scoring, and Jordan Binnington made 14 saves in his second start.

Finland was also in action on Saturday, earning a 2-1 win over Latvia. Juuso Parssinen opened the scoring in the second period and Mikko Lehtonen doubled the Finnish lead on the power play midway through the final frame. Juuse Saros made 34 saves for the win.

Last Meeting

Canada and Finland were preliminary-round opponents one year ago, with the Canadians recording a 5-3 win. The Finns took an early 2-0 lead, but Dylan Cozens and Brandon Tanev tied it up before the first intermission. Jesse Puljujärvi gave Finland another lead before Canada responded with unanswered goals from Owen Power, Brandon Hagel and Dawson Mercer. Jordan Binnington made 29 saves.

What to Watch

Having so many talented and experienced leaders on Canada’s National Men’s Team means a fantastic opportunity for young players to learn from the best. Although there may be almost 20 years between them, Celebrini and Crosby have connected as linemates and teammates. After Celebrini sent a no-look pass to set up Crosby for a goal, the captain returned the favour to set up the 18-year-old for his second goal of the tournament. Together, the duo has six goals and 14 points and are a combined plus-14 in five games.

Finland has six active NHL players on its roster. Up front, the Finns have Eeli Tolvanen, who had 23 goals and 25 points with the Seattle Kraken this season, and Chicago Blackhawks centre Teuvo Teravainen (15-43—58). In between the pipes, Canada will likely face Saros; the 30-year-old started 58 games for the Nashville Predators this season, registering a 2.98 goals-against average and .896 save percentage.

A Look Back

The Canadians and Finns have certainly been familiar foes at Men’s Worlds. In fact, only Sweden (69 GP) has been a more frequent opponent for Canada than Finland, with the teams set to meet for a 56th time in Stockholm.

The last time they faced off in Sweden was back in 1989, with the Canadians opening their tournament with a 6-4 win over the Finns. Canada and Finland have also met six times in the gold medal game (1994, 2007, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2022), with the Canadians holding a 4-2 record in those medal matchups.

All-time record: Canada leads 39-14-2 (3-3 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 285
Finland goals: 125

Canada’s National Men’s Team looks to remain undefeated in the preliminary round when it faces Slovakia on Saturday at the 2025 IIHF World Championship at Avicii Arena.

Last Game

Canada improved to 4-0 in Sweden with a 5-1 win over Austria on Thursday. The Austrians got on the board first, but the Canadians responded with five unanswered goals. Nathan MacKinnon scored twice and added an assist, and Travis Konecny and Will Cuylle had a goal and an assist each. Sidney Crosby scored, Brandon Montour set up three goals and Marc-André Fleury made 15 saves in his second start.

Slovakia earned its second victory on Wednesday with a 2-1 win over France. Martin Chromiak opened the scoring for the Slovaks midway through the second period. Mislav Rosandic scored the game-winner on the power play in the final frame and Samuel Hlavaj stopped 19 shots for the win.

Last Meeting

Canada and Slovakia faced off in the quarterfinals a year ago, with the Canadians recording a 6-3 win. The Canadians had a quick start, with Jared McCann and Pierre-Luc Dubois scoring within the first five minutes. Nick Paul scored twice—including an empty-net goal—while Dylan Guenther and Brandon Tanev rounded out the scoring, and Jordan Binnington made 18 saves.

What to Watch

Special teams have been a difference-maker for Canada through four games. It has yet to give up a goal while a man short, killing all nine opposition power plays. With the man advantage, the Canadians are 6-for-15, with Bo Horvat contributing half of those power-play goals. Nathan MacKinnon made quick work on the power play against Austria, scoring eight seconds into the man-advantage. His second goal came during a delayed Austrian penalty—Canada held puck possession for 2:15 before MacKinnon sniped his second goal of the game. The 29-year-old leads Canada with four goals and eight points, good for second in tournament scoring.

Slovakia has made the quarterfinals in three of the last four editions of Men’s Worlds. They have seven players under contract with NHL teams, including Samuel Honzek, who was selected 16th overall by the Calgary Flames in 2023. The 20-year-old spent the majority of his season with the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers, recording eight goals and 21 points in 52 games. Goaltender Samuel Hlavaj is a Minnesota Wild prospect who registered a .904 save percentage and 2.85 goals-against average with the AHL’s Iowa Wild this season. The 23-year-old has made three starts in Stockholm, holding a 2-1 record with a .932 save percentage and 1.30 goals-against average.

A Look Back

Canada has won the last six meetings with Slovakia since 2024, and 14 of the 18 all-time meetings going back to 1996 when Slovakia returned to the Top Division after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia.

Although Canada has an advantage in goal differential, the Slovaks can keep these games close. In 2019, the Canadians edged Slovakia in a thrilling 6-5 win. The game appeared destined for overtime before Mark Stone—celebrating his 27th birthday—recorded the game-winning goal on a power play with 1.8 seconds remaining in regulation.

All-time record: Canada leads 14-2-2 (1-0 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 71
Slovakia goals: 43

Canada’s National Men’s Team has officially reached the halfway mark of the preliminary round as it prepares to face Austria on Thursday at the 2025 IIHF World Championship at Avicii Arena.

Last Game

Canada made it three wins in a row with a 5-0 shut out of France on Tuesday. Bo Horvat scored twice, and Will Cuylle, Brandon Montour and Sidney Crosby recorded their first goals of tournament. Jordan Binnington made his first appearance, stopping 15 shots for the shutout.

Austria is coming off a big 3-2 shootout victory over Slovakia for its first win. Peter Schneider and Marco Kasper gave the Austrians a 2-0 lead, but the Slovaks tied the game with just under 10 minutes remaining. Although Austria had a power play in overtime, they were unable to convert sending the teams to a shootout where Schneider notched the game-winner. David Kickert made 31 saves for the win.

Last Meeting

The Canadians earned a 5-1 win over Austria in pre-tournament action on May 4. Ryan O’Reilly opened the scoring early in the first period before Macklin Celebrini, Ty Ronning and Will Cuylle made it a 4-1 lead after 40 minutes. Tyson Foerster scored late in the third and Dylan Garand made 22 saves.

The last Men’s Worlds meeting came almost a year to the day and it was a wild one. The Canadians led 6-1 after 40 minutes thanks to goals from six different players, but the Austrians mounted a record comeback, scoring five times in the third period to force overtime. The extra frame didn’t last long; captain John Tavares ended it after just 15 seconds to give Canada a 7-6 victory.

What to Watch

With a big game against France, Horvat leads Canada in scoring with four goals and an assist, followed by Nathan MacKinnon and Travis Konecny with two goals and three assists each. The penalty kill has also been really strong; Canada has yet to give up a goal while a man short, killing all seven opposition power plays. And how about goaltending? Canada has had a different goaltender start every game so far, with Binnington, Marc-André Fleury and Dylan Garand combining to allow only one goal on 43 shots with two shutouts.

Austria finished 10th at Men’s Worlds last year—its best finish since 2003. Dominic Zwerger was the leading scorer for the Austrians in 2024 with two goals and eight points in seven games, and he’s back again this year on the national team. The majority of the roster plays at home or in Switzerland except for Kasper. The 21-year-old wrapped up his first full season with the Detroit Red Wings, recording 19 goals and 37 points in his rookie campaign.

A Look Back

This is the 14th meeting between Canada and Austria at Men’s Worlds, and Canada has won every matchup except for 2-2 tie in 2004.

Only three of the 13 meetings have come in the 21st century – the tie in 2004, the overtime thriller from a year ago and a 10-1 Canadian win in 2015 that featured points from 13 skaters, and two goals and two assists each from Matt Duchene and Jason Spezza.

All-time record: Canada leads 12-0-1 (1-0 in OT)
Canada goals: 75
Austria goals: 13

The preliminary round of the 2025 IIHF World Championship continues Tuesday as Canada’s National Men’s Team looks to make it three-for-three when it takes on France at Avicii Arena.

Last Game

Canada earned its second win in as many games with a 7-1 victory over Latvia on Sunday. Although the Latvians scored first, Canada responded with seven unanswered goals. Travis Konecny had two goals and an assist, Kent Johnson scored twice, and Macklin Celebrini and Barrett Hayton recorded their first goals of the tournament. Sidney Crosby had three assists and Marc-André Fleury earned his first career Men’s Worlds win with 16 saves.

France pushed Finland to its limit, but ended up falling 4-3 in overtime on Sunday. Kevin Bozon got France on the board first with a power-play goal, with Tim Bozon adding another with the man advantage midway through the third period for a 2-1 lead. Jordann Perret made it 3-1 with an empty-net goal with under three minutes to go, but the Finns rallied with a pair of late goals to force overtime before Juuso Parssinen ended it 84 seconds into the extra frame. Antoine Keller made 47 saves for France.

Last Meeting

Canada last played France in the preliminary round at the 2022 Men’s Worlds, with the Canadians earning a 7-1 win. Pierre-Luc Dubois led Canada with two goals and an assist. Dylan Cozens had a goal and two helpers and Drake Batherson pitched in with four assists. Chris Driedger made 18 saves and the Canadians outshot the French 44-19.

What to Watch

Travis Konecny and Nathan MacKinnon lead Canada with two goals and two assists each, leaving them tied for fifth in tournament scoring. Konecny had a strong pre-tournament with a goal and two assists against Hungary last week. The 28-year-old is coming off his best NHL season with 24 goals and 76 points with the Philadelphia Flyers. MacKinnon also had a strong season with the Colorado Avalanche, recording 32 goals and 84 assists for his third-consecutive 100-point season. Speaking to the talent on this team, at one point against Latvia of the Canadians put out a forward line consisting only of players selected No. 1 in the NHL Draft—MacKinnon (2013), Crosby (2005) and Celebrini (2024).

Special teams have been key for France through two games. The French are 2-for-3 on the power play and have yet to allow a goal on the penalty kill. As mentioned above, Keller was against Finland, making 47 saves. The 20-year-old netminder was selected by the Washington Capitals in the seventh round of the 2023 NHL Draft. He played in 13 games with Lausanne HC in the Swiss National League this year, posting a 5-5 record, 3.16 goals-against average and .894 save percentage.

A Look Back

Canada and France have played 15 times at Men’s Worlds, with Canada holding a clear advantage: 13 wins and a plus-70 goal differential.

Evident by their game against Finland, the French can certainly put up a fight against top teams. France’s most recent win over Canada came in 2014, a 3-2 shootout victory. In 2017, the Canadians came from behind for a 3-2 prelim win. Ryan O’Reilly scored in the first period and Claude Giroux tied the game in the last minute of the second before Marc-Édouard Vlasic won it for Canada early in the third.

All-time record: Canada leads 13-2
Canada goals: 92
France goals: 22

Fresh off a tournament-opening win, Canada’s National Men’s Team is back on the ice Sunday to face Latvia as the preliminary round continues at the 2025 IIHF World Championship.

Last Game

Canada opened its tournament Saturday with a 4-0 blanking of Slovenia. Special teams were key—Bo Horvat scored twice on the power play and Noah Dobson added a goal with the man advantage. Nathan MacKinnon recorded a goal and two assists. Dylan Garand made 11 saves for the shutout and Canada put 40 shots on Slovenia’s Lukas Horak.

Latvia opened its tournament Saturday with a 4-1 win over France. The French got on the board first, but Martins Dzierkals evened the score with a shorthanded goal and Kristaps Roberts Zile gave Latvia a 2-1 lead early in the third period. Dans Locmelis had two empty-net goals and Kristers Gudlevskis made 18 saves.

Last Meeting

Canada last played the Latvians in the semifinals at the 2023 Men’s Worlds, advancing to the gold medal game with a 4-2 win. The Latvians took a 2-1 lead to the third period, but Jack Quinn found the back of the net just 45 seconds into the final frame, Adam Fantilli scored the winner with 11:04 left and Scott Laughton finished things into an empty net. Sam Montembeault made 20 saves for the Canadians, who went on to win their 28th gold medal. Latvia, meanwhile, won a historic bronze medal against the United States.

What to Watch

The New York Islanders had a big impact on Canada’s first game, especially on the power play. Horvat and Dobson helped Canada go 3-for-7 with the man advantage. In his 11th season, Horvat recorded 28 goals and 57 points with the Islanders, including 10 points on special teams (3-7—10). On the blue line, Dobson registered 10 goals and 39 points in 71 games, 13 of those on the power play (1-12—13). Also, how about Macklin Celebrini? He had two perfect no-look passes against Slovenia, one to set up Dobson for his goal and the other to provide Kent Johnson with a fantastic scoring chance.

Latvia enters the tournament with a mix of youth and experience. This is the 13th Men’s Worlds for Kaspars Daugavins, who has served as captain in six of the last nine years and led the Latvians with four goals and seven points a year ago. Dans Locmelis is the youngest skater; the 21-year-old Boston Bruins prospect had eight goals and 33 points with the University of Massachusetts this year before joining the AHL’s Providence Bruins late in the season, adding three goals and 12 points in six regular-season games and one assist in the playoffs.

A Look Back

Canada and Latvia have met 15 times at the IIHF World Championship, with Canada winning 13 and tying one.

Historically, Canada has dominated the matchup, outscoring the Latvians 81-18. The last time they faced off in Sweden was all the way back in 2002, when the Canadians earned a 4-1 victory. Brad Schlegel opened the scoring in the first period, Andy McDonald doubled the lead in the middle frame and Richard Matvichuk and Eric Brewer rounded out the scoring.

All-time record: Canada leads 13-1-1
Canada goals: 81
Latvia goals: 18