Sweden finished a perfect 7-0 at the world junior hockey championship and played a nearly perfect final to take home a gold medal for the first time since 2012.
Czechia, which downed Canada in the semifinals with a devastating forecheck, couldn’t get anything going against Sweden until late in the game as the Swedes prevailed, 4-2.
Sweden scored short-handed and on the power play, set up by great plays from Flyers prospect Jack Berglund. Then draft-eligible Ivar Stenberg took over in the third with a tremendous skating display before a Sascha Boumedienne goal. He added an empty netter after Czechia pulled close on goals by Adam Jiricek and Matej Kubiesa.
The Swedes usually know heartbreak at the tournament with strong group play and disappointing playoffs. They had lost four of their previous five semifinals, but they got past Finland, 4-3 in a shootout, That set the stage for winning their third gold medal in the 50 years of the tournament.
Silver medalist Czechia gets its fourth consecutive medal and Vojtech Cihar was named tournament MVP. Swedish goalie Love Harenstam, Jiricek and Swedish forward Anton Frondell also received honors.
Canada won a bronze medal with a 6-3 win against Finland.
USA TODAY Sports provided live updates from the gold medal game between Sweden and Czechia. Here are the highlights:
Czechia made it close at the end, scoring two goals with their goalie pulled. But Sweden played a nearly perfect game for 57 minutes to make the difference. Sweden wins its first gold medal since 2012. Czechia gets silver.
The draft-eligible forward tucks in an empty-netter. Sweden 4, Czechia 2
Matej Kubiesa scores with 23 seconds left. Sweden 3, Czechia 2
Czech goalie out. It’s 6-on-5 again.
Adam Jiricek scores on a one-timer with 2:24 left. Sweden 3, Czechia 1.
It’s 6-on-5
3-0 Sweden, which leads 35-20 in shots.
Linus Eriksson is called for holding. Needless to say, Czechia needs to score here. They don’t. No shots. Several Sweden blocks. About 12 minutes left.
This is why Ivar Stenberg is getting so much draft attention. He stickhandles down the ice and around the Czech zone before feeding Sascha Boumedienne for a one-timer. Sweden 3, Czechia 0
Still not a lot of space out there, but Czechia gets a couple shots.
Sweden controlling play so far.
Another special teams goal for Sweden. And they look good on the penalty kill, too. Sweden is limiting Czechia’s chances. Just 11 Czech shots so far. Twenty more minutes of this, and Sweden gets gold.
Loke Krantz is called for interference. Sweden kills it off, blocking several shots.
Another nice assist by Jack Berglund. Victor Eklund capitalizes. Sweden 2, Czechia 0
Vojtech Cihar is called for cross-checking.
Ivar Stenberg hits the post.
1-0 Sweden.
Giving up a short-handed goal is never good and Czechia didn’t look good in its coverage. That mistake is the difference in this game. Shots are 10-6 Sweden.
Jack Berglund puts on a stickhandling display and then feeds Casper Juustovaara for a short-handed goal. Sweden 1, Czechia 0
Sascha Boumedienne is called for delay of game.
Ivar Stenberg is called for holding the stick. It’s killed off. One shot.
He had missed Sunday’s game because he was ill.
Sweden’s Love Harenstam vs. Czechia’s Michal Orsulak, Both played in Sunday’s semifinals.
TV channel: NHL Network
Livestream: Fubo, which offers a free trial to new subscribers, or Sling TV.
Date: Monday, Jan. 5
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET (7:30 local time)
The Sweden-Czechia game is scheduled to start at 8:30 p.m. ET at the Grand Casino Arena in Saint Paul, Minnesota, the home of the Minnesota Wild. The start time could be delayed if the bronze medal game runs long.
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET on Monday, Jan. 5
Location: Grand Casino Arena (Saint Paul, Minnesota)
TV: NHL Network
Streaming: Fubo and certain levels of Sling TV carry NHL Network.
Monday, Jan. 5
All times p.m. ET
Canada 6 Finland 3 (Canada wins bronze)
Sweden vs. Czechia (gold), 8:30
Forward Anton Frondell is the No. 3 overall pick of the Blackhawks. He has five goals. Ivar Stenberg and Viggo Bjorck are eligible for the 2026 NHL draft.
Vojtech Cihar entered the day tied for the tournament lead with 11 points, though Canadian players have passed him. He scored twice in the semifinals. Defenseman Tomas Galvas, passed over in the NHL draft, has nine points.
Sweden last won gold in 2012. More recently, it has lost four times in gold medal games: to the USA in 2024, Canada in 2018, Finland in 2014 and USA in 2013.
The Czechs are guaranteed at least a silver medal. In the three tournaments before this, they won bronzes in 2024 and 2025, plus silver in 2023.
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