After an exciting Semifinal Saturday at the 2025 IIHF World Championship, we’re set up for what will be a historic Gold Medal Game tomorrow at Avicii Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.
It’s been a great two weeks in Stockholm and Herning with 16 of the best hockey nations competing for the gold medal at the 2025 IIHF World Championship and on Saturday, only four teams were left standing, with the United States facing Sweden, while Switzerland took on Denmark, who is coming off their first-ever win in the playoff round as they upset Team Canada.
Sweden (2) vs USA (6) F
After a difficult loss in the Semifinals to Czechia in 2024, Sweden was looking to turn their fortunes around on home ice as they took on a United States team that had won their last five games entering action on Saturday.
The Swedes had exactly the opposite start they would’ve wanted as they gave up 13 shots, with the Americans scoring twice in the opening frame courtesy of Brady Skjei and Cutter Gauthier. In the middle frame, it didn’t get any easier for Sam Hallam’s group as the United States added two more goals from Conor Garland and Mikey Essyimont to give them a 4-0 lead after 40 minutes.
Six and a half minutes into the third period, Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander gave the Swedes some life, scoring his first of the tournament. 41 second later, Elias Lindholm, who has been one of the best forwards in the tournament, scored for Sweden, cutting the American’s lead to just two.
However a few minutes after Lindholm’s goal, Jackson LaCombe of the Anaheim Ducks restored the United States’ three-goal lead, before Ottawa Senators forward Shane Pinto iced the game with an empty-netter, giving the Americans a massive 6-2 lead, ending their 91-year drought in the Semifinals.
It’s worth noting that this will be the United States’ first appearance in the Gold Medal Game at the World Championship since 1934 and haven’t won the title since 1933. Over the years, the IIHF World Championship’s format has seen quite a bit of change and while Team USA is guaranteed their best finish at the tournament since 1950, when they took home silver, there was no Gold Medal Game that year. Between 1920 and 1968, the Winter Olympics doubled as the World Championship for that year, so while Team USA won gold in 1960, their last official World Championship gold medal came in 1933.
As for Sweden, they’ve had a rough go at the IIHF World Championship since winning back-to-back gold medals in 2017 and 2018. In the years since, the Swedes have three Quarterfinal exits, one exit in the Preliminary Round and last year, a bronze medal. With a win tomorrow, they can take home their seventh bronze medal since 2000.
Scoring Summary:
Sweden
- William Nylander (1). Assists: Rasmus Andersson (4), William Karlsson (1).
- Elias Lindholm (8). Assist: Alexander Wennberg (3).
United States
- Brady Skjei (1). Assist: Shane Pinto (7).
- Cutter Gauthier (5). Assists: Shane Pinto (8), Will Smith (7).
- Conor Garland (5). Assists: Logan Cooley (7), Brady Skjei (1).
- Mikey Essyimont (1). Assists: Matty Beniers (3), Jackson LaCombe (3).
- Jackson LaCombe (2). Assist: Frank Nazar (6).
- Shane Pinto (2).
Switzerland (7) vs Denmark (0) F
After defeating Canada on home ice in the Quarterfinals on Thursday, the Danes were in dreamland and were hoping for another strong game against Switzerland, who has been the most dominant team since the puck dropped on the start of the tournament on May 9th.
Denmark was heavily outmatched in this one and even though the shot clock said otherwise in the first period, Switzerland was too much to handle, as Winnipeg Jets forward Nino Niederreiter doubled down in the opening frame, helping the Swiss to a 3-0 lead after 20 minutes.
Switzerland would go on to add a fourth goal in the second period, thanks to Denis Malgin and then early in the third period, Sandro Schmid extended his nation’s lead to 5-0, which signalled the end of the night for Danish netminder and former Montreal Canadiens prospect Frederik Dichow, who has been phenomenal since the last few games of the Preliminary Round.
The goals wouldn’t stop there as Damien Riat and Tyler Moy scored 1:24 apart, giving Switzerland a 7-0 lead, which would go on to stand as the final score. With the victory, Switzerland is off to the Gold Medal Game for the second consecutive year and third time since 2018. If Switzerland defeats the United States on Sunday, they’ll take home their first gold medal in the history of the IIHF World Championship, which is wild given they were won of the International Ice Hockey Federation’s founding members back in 1908, but over the last 15-20 years, their men’s program has taken off and can be a considered a contender entering the tournament on a yearly basis.
Scoring Summary:
Switzerland
- Nino Niederreiter (1). Assists: Janis Moser (5), Kevin Fiala (7).
- Ken Jager (2). Assists: Simon Knak (5), Damien Riat (1).
- Nino Niederreiter (2). Assists: Denis Malgin (10), Dean Kukan (8).
- Denis Malgin (1). Assist: Timo Meier (6).
- Sandro Schmid (3). Assists: Christoph Bertschy (1), Jonas Siegenthaler (3).
- Damien Riat (6). Assist: Christoph Bertschy (2).
- Tyler Moy (4). Assists: Sandro Schmid (4), Timo Meier (7).
My Three Stars of the Semifinals
- Shane Pinto (United States) – 1 goal, 2 assists in win vs Sweden.
- Nino Niederreiter (Switzerland) – 2 goals in win vs Denmark.
- Denis Malgin (Switzerland) – 1 goal, 1 assist in win vs Denmark.
Championship Day Schedule (Sunday, May 25th)
- Bronze Medal Game: Sweden vs Denmark (9:20 am ET)
- Gold Medal Game: Switzerland vs United States (2:20 pm ET)
Photo Credit: NBC Sports/IIHF.