2026 IIHF World Championship: Josi, Tkachuk highlight top standouts from Day 9
Upsets? Check. Blowouts? Yup. A tight rivalry game? You bet. Day 9 of the 2026 IIHF Men’s World Championship saw a bit of everything in Switzerland, marking one of the most memorable slates of the tournament.
The opening games kicked off with an upset, with Latvia beating the United States 4-2. Denmark also managed to give itself some breathing room near the bottom of Group B, beating Slovenia 4-0 in their best effort of the tournament.
The mid-day games saw an absolute slaughter, with Switzerland punishing Hungary nine times in a lopsided victory. Czechia, meanwhile, scored a goal late in regulation to edge Slovakia 3-2, helping them move up in the standings.
Germany made quick work of Austria, winning 6-2. Norway, however, ended the night with a shocking 3-2 win over Sweden, capitalizing on two shorthanded goals to pull off the victory.
Here’s a breakdown of everything that happened on the third six-game slate of the tournament:
Latvia 4, USA 2
Latvia has pulled off an upset at the World Championship, beating the defending gold medalists from the United States 4-2 on Saturday.
Goaltender Kristers Gudlevskis was the star of the show, stopping over 40 shots to give the Latvians the win. The team got outshot heavily in the first 40 minutes, but goals from Haralds Egle and Deniss Smirnovs ultimately sunk the Americans. Matthew Tkachuk scored his first goal of the tournament and was easily USA’s top player, but it didn’t seem to matter in the end. A pair of empty-netters from Sandis Vilmanis negated Mathieu Olivier’s late third-period goal, giving Latvia the win.
Latvia managed to surpass the Americans in the Group A standings, with USA still looking for its second regulation win of the tournament. The United States are on the verge of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2010 when the team finished in 13th place.
Latvia
#50 Kristers Gudlevskis, G: Gudlevskis has had to make many high-quality saves throughout the tournament, but this felt like his best game. The Americans peppered him from start to finish, with USA looking like the significantly more dangerous team. Gudlevskis’ 18-save opening frame was enough to keep the Latvians in front, and he had to make over 40 saves overall. The Americans kept the pressure on for most of the night, but Gudlevskis was instrumental in keeping the Latvians in this one.
#23 Sandis Vilmanis, LW (Florida Panthers): Vilmanis is having a coming-out tournament. Used more in an energy role in the past, Vilmanis had two empty-net goals and an assist in this one to upset his Panthers teammate in Tkachuk. It was kind of funny watching him steal the puck that was intended for Tkachuk on the fourth goal, in particular. Vilmanis’ speed and work ethic have been on full display all month long – Panthers fans have to be thrilled.
#73 Deniss Smirnovs, LW: Smirnovs has been excellent at this event, primarily as a playmaker. But he was in the right spot at the right time to deflect Sandis Vilmanis’ original attempt in past Devin Cooley, scoring his first goal of the tournament. Smirnovs is a strong, smart forward who has given defenders fits around the net. It was nice to see him rewarded with a goal.
#97 Haralds Egle, C: Egle scored the opening goal of the game and then had two of Latvia’s better chances in the second period. He struggled in the faceoff dot, but he kept finding himself slipping into scoring lanes and looking to cause damage. Egle is a two-way forward who plays with some muscle, but he’s also capable of flashing skill, too.
USA
#10 James Hagens, C (Boston Bruins): Hagens sat in the previous game, but was brought back to give the team some speed down the middle. He served as USA’s second-line center, and I’d argue he was the team’s best player. He didn’t shy away from a physical battle, often serving as a screen in front of the Latvian net. This was Hagens’ best game of the tournament, and I doubt we’ll see him sit again.
#11 Oliver Moore, RW (Chicago Blackhawks): I’ve liked Moore’s tournament. His speed and raw skill are highly evident. He also knows when to fire the puck and when to go for a slap pass, which led to the 1-1 goal. Moore can play anywhere in the U.S. lineup – he’s versatile, smart, and has high-end hockey IQ. I’ve always been a big fan of his and I’m glad to see him having an impact in all situations for USA.
#19 Matthew Tkachuk, RW (Florida Panthers): Tkachuk is the closest the Americans have to a true game-changer. He had a so-so game against Germany, but was involved in a big way today. He drew a penalty in the second period and then scored about three seconds into the man-advantage after tipping in Moore’s shot. Tkachuk then attempted a lacrosse move a few shifts later, and while he didn’t ultimately score, he continued to generate quality chances on the rush in an attempt to get the Americans in front. The fact that Tkachuk had seven shots in the second period alone is insane.
Denmark 4, Slovenia 0
Denmark has finally won its first game of the tournament, beating Slovenia 4-0 to open up Group B play on Saturday.
Mikkel Aagaard led the way with a goal and three assists, while Patrick Russell had two goals himself. Joachim Blichfeld scored the only other Danish goal today, with Ottawa Senators goaltender Mads Sogaard recording a 13-save shutout after leaving Demark’s last game due to injury.
The win gives Denmark a bit of relief, with the team now holding a three-point advantage over Italy. The two teams will meet on Sunday, and an overtime loss might be all it takes for the Danes to avoid relegation.
Denmark
#29 Mikkel Aagaard, RW: With a goal and three assists in this one, Aagaard is now up to nine points on Denmark’s 10 tournament goals. He also nearly scored in the middle stanza but hit the post. Aagaard is one of Denmark’s most skilled forwards, and always seems to be driving the net. He has consistently found his way near the crease trying to make something, even though his team has struggled to generate much of note throughout the tourney.
#63 Patrick Russell, C: It was a good game for the former Edmonton Oilers forward, who scored the second and third goals to put this one away. He was looking for tips seemingly all game and finally made it work near the end of the frame. Russell never scored in the NHL, but showed some promise as a depth playmaker. He’s definitely more of a passer than a shooter, but he’s good enough as the No. 1 center on this team.
#86 Joachim Blichfeld, RW: The former NHL winger had a good showing today, scoring the opening goal for Denmark while generating what felt like the majority of Denmark’s top plays around the crease. He has always been a smart offensive forward, which is why it’s surprising that he couldn’t make it work in the NHL. But at this level, he uses his 6-foot-2 frame to push through traffic and has a great shot, too.
Slovenia
#61 Lukas Horak, G: Horak got lucky that a few shots hit the post or trickled wide. But given his team didn’t do much to bother Mads Sogaard at the other end, it was good to see Horak do everything possible to keep his team in it. The veteran goaltender has had to be busy at this tournament, and while the Danes didn;t make him work exceptionally hard, he was tasked with some game-saving stops.
Hungary 0, Switzerland 9
Switzerland has continued its dominance in Group A, improving to 6-0 with just one round-robin game left to play after crushing Hungary 9-0.
The Swiss will play Finland on Tuesday in a game that should decide who takes home the top spot in the group. Hungary, meanwhile, remains seventh out of eight teams in Group A and hold the tiebreaker over Great Britain following a 5-0 win earlier in the tournament.
Roman Josi opened the game with a natural hat-trick, giving Switzerland a 3-0 lead. From there, Timo Meier, Calvin Thurkauf, Sven Andrighetto, and Simon Knak would each score once while Denis Malgin had a pair. Andrighetto led the way with a five-point effort, while Leonardo Genoni turned away 10 shots for his second consecutive shutout.
Hungary
#23 Zétény Hadobás, D: Hadobás was probably the only Hungarian defender who didn’t look completely overwhelmed in this game. The 23-year-old is a solid shutdown defender who hits hard and forces opponents to the perimeter. He didn’t have much to work with today and was almost always hemmed in his own zone, but he took space away at times and didn’t seem overwhelmed.
Switzerland
#90 Roman Josi, D (Nashville Predators): Josi scored a hat trick and added an assist to move to 53 points all-time. The second goal, in particular, was one of the most beautiful plays of the tournament. The elite defender has had an excellent tournament, dominating the play at both ends of the ice. This was as strong of a performance as we’ve seen from any defender over the past nine days.
#86 JJ Moser, D (Tampa Bay Lightning): Moser is very effective in every situation he’s thrown in. The two-way blueliner had a pair of assists, sharing the blueline with Josi during the team’s great power-play pushes. Moser continues to evolve as a player every year, and he’s an absolute animal on a team like this. Think you’re done dealing with Josi? Here’s Moser – he’s equally terrifying.
#62 Denis Malgin, C: Malgin had two goals and an assist as he helped get the second line moving today. He’s a skilled playmaker who can fire shots from the slot with relative ease, as well. I’ve always been a fan of his energetic game and his ability to lead the secondary scoring push. But with 10 points, he’s more of a primary threat, really.
#79 Calvin Thürkauf, LW: Thürkauf had his gloves on everything early in this game. He made a great pass that led to what would have been the 1-0 goal, had the Swiss not been offside. Thürkauf made up for it by scoring a goal and adding another assist while also generally dominating his limited ice time. Seriously, he averaged around three minutes a period, but seemingly made something happen every time he hit the ice.
#85 Sven Andrighetto, RW: Ghetto had a wild five-point game, highlighted by a three-assist effort. He’s absolutely money on the power play, and he has as good of a one-time release as anyone at this event. Andrighetto is a tough player to slow down because he’s always moving, and he clearly loves the bigger international ice compared to his days in the NHL.
Czechia 3, Slovakia 2
Czechia has moved into second place in Group B after beating Slovakia 3-2 on Saturday.
It was a tight affair between the two rivals, with the pair trading goals throughout the first two periods. Czechia’s Daniel Vozenilek opened the scoring at 8:09, only for Marek Hrivik to tie it up on a bit of a fluky goal at 31:30. Martin Kaut’s power-play goal three minutes later gave Czechia the advantage back, but Martin Chromiak would answer back at 37:50 to set up a wild third period.
Roman Cervenka would go on to score the game-winning goal after redirecting a shot off his left skate and in. The Slovaks challenged the goal for a distinct kicking motion, but the review showed it went off his skate after he had moved it into position, thus not kicking the puck. The Slovaks weren’t happy, but the Czechs would go on to win the game and jump over their rivals in the Group B standings.
Czechia
#32 Josef Korenar, G: Korenar had to be excellent down the stretch as the Slovaks looked to create chaos around the crease. The former NHL goaltender didn’t look scrambly or out of place – instead, he was dialed in, focused, and rarely lost track of pucks around the net. Korenar’s tournament has been a bit hit or miss, but he had to be busier than Samuel Hlavaj at the other end and looked solid throughout.
#17 Filip Hronek, D (Vancouver Canucks): Hronek played nearly half the game as the Czechs relied on him so much. Sometimes, it’s his offensive game that gets people talking. Instead, I liked how he won most of his net-front battles while thriving in tie-up situations around the crease. Hronek is one of the better blueliners at this tournament and has been critical in Czechia’s success so far because he’s so proficient at both ends of the ice.
#95 Daniel Vozenilek, LW: Vozenilek scored the ice-breaker for Czechia and then played some solid hockey the rest of the way. Primarily, he played with a ton of energy and physical force, knocking anyone who dared get in his way. Vozenilek’s a power forward who has thrived around the net for most of the tournament – nobody can seemingly knock him down.
Slovakia
#13 Frantisek Gajdos, D: It was another excellent game for Gadjos, who was one of Slovakia’s ice-time leaders. He had a pair of shots in the first period, but he also continuously found himself going up against Czechia’s top attackers – and he mostly came out on top. Gadjos is far from one of the better defenders in this tournament, but he has had a good eight days while playing a boatload of minutes.
#88 Martin Chromiak, RW (Los Angeles Kings): Chromiak was everywhere for the Czechs in this one. He scored one of the two goals but had close looks on 3-4 other shots. Chromiak has been fantastic at this tournament, where he has often been seen trying to jam in rebounds in tight spaces. It wasn’t enough today, but the effort in the third period, in particular, showed a highly motivated forward trying to win a game for his team.
Austria 2, Germany 6
A big four-point effort from Lukas Reichel proved to be the difference as Germany beat Austria 6-2 on Saturday.
The Boston Bruins forward had a hat-trick, while Josh Samanski and Manuel Wiederer also found the back of the net. Austria scored the first goal of the game, with Leon Wallner giving his team some hope. But beyond Vinzenz Roherer’s third-period marker, the Austrians couldn’t do much else in a game they were completely dominated in, with Alexander Ehl scoring Germany’s final goal on an empty-netter for good measure.
Germany has now moved into fourth place in Group A, overtaking both Latvia and USA. A 3-0-0-1 start to the tournament will allow Austria to maintain third place in Group A with two games remaining.
Austria
#35 Atte Tolvanen, G: The Germans kept Tolvanen busy, and Tolvanen didn’t back down. He has emerged as Austria’s top goaltender, giving his team a chance to win every time he tends the crease. The Germans pushed him hard in the second period in particular, and there wasn’t much he could have done on either goal against. He was the primary reason this game was close, though.
#8 Maximilian Rebernig, LW: Rebernig is hard to miss out there. He’s 6-foot-4 and plays with a boatload of muscle. He’s not particularly quick, but he can definitely shoot – and he had four quality chances in the opening 40 minutes. He’s best when he doesn’t have to move a whole ton because he’s not a particularly good skater. But he’s fearless, that’s for sure.
Germany
#53 Mortiz Seider, D (Detroit Red Wings): There were times in today’s game where things got a little hectic for Germany in their own zone. But the Red Wings defenseman stayed calm throughout and made smart plays that led to a couple of goals. He’s easily the smartest player on this German team, and while he wasn’t as offensively dominant as some of the forwards today, Seider was just as important in generating quality chances.
#44 Josh Samanski, C (Edmonton Oilers): Oilers fans should be happy with what they’re seeing from Samanski. He looks like he’s completely dialed in, and nobody seems to be able to get the puck away from him in the slot. He had a goal and two assists today in his best performance I’ve seen from him in a German jersey. The good news? Samanski has made a positive impact in almost every single game.
#73 Lukas Reichel, RW (Boston Bruins): Reichel had three goals and an assist to help the Germans pull away. His chemistry with Samanski was evident from the get-go. The Germans don’t have a ton of offense, so they need to get creative with their opportunities. But Reichel seems to just be in the right spot at the right time for a good shot more often than not.
Norway 3, Sweden 2
Norway has pulled off a major upset, beating Sweden 3-2 to make Group B even more spicy.
Norway has moved into fourth place in Group B, overtaking Sweden by one point. Sweden will need to beat Slovakia, while Norway will need to lose against Czechia and Denmark, to ensure their spot in the playoffs.
Noah Steen was the difference-maker in this one, scoring twice for the Norge. Norway scored twice shorthanded, including on Eirik Salsten’s goal at 49:11 to give his team the lead. Ivar Stenberg and Lucas Raymond both scored for the Swedes, but it wasn’t enough to change the fact that Arvid Soderblom allowed three goals on 14 shots. Sweden kept Norway busy in the final few minutes, but goaltender Henrik Haukeland was excellent to give the team in red, blue, and white the victory.
Norway
#40 Henrik Haukeland, G: Haukeland was busy, making nearly 30 saves through 40 minutes. The Swedes were desperate to do whatever it took to keep the 31-year-old busy, but he gave them little to shoot at. He entered the game with a pair of shutouts, so that all changed today. But even though he has split the net so far, Haukeland has been easily one of the top goaltenders in the tournament.
#12 Noah Steen, LW (Tampa Bay Lightning): A seventh-round pick by the Bolts, Steen is now up to five goals at this tournament after a strong two-goal effort today. He battled hard for both of them – he had to win a net-front battle to make it 1-0, and then pushed Stenberg around for the 2-1 marker. Steen has been an absolute dog at this tournament and deserves all the love he’s getting.
#71 Eskild Bakke Olsen, C: Another big game from EBO. Count me in as a fan. He has been rock solid at both ends of the ice, but has particularly been impressive near the opposing team’s creases all tournament long. He made a great pass on the 2-1 shorthanded goal, and then did a nice job of blocking lanes to create opportunities for his linemates.
Sweden
#41 Ivar Stenberg, LW (2026 NHL Draft): OK, that 1-1 goal was crazy. Gavin McKenna has received more love for his elite-level hands in this draft class. But Stenberg is no slouch there, and the foresight to shorten his grip on the stick to whack the puck out of the air like that was some high-end stuff. Overall, I’ve loved his tournament – it feels like he has done everything in his power to stay involved around the attacking zone. He just wants to win at all costs – that competitive nature is so impressive.
#61 Viggo Bjorck, C (2026 NHL Draft): Bjorck did what he does best – he battled to the very end. He had an assist on the 1-1 goal and then stepped up to keep the puck around the Norwegian net on the 2-2 goal. It was nice to see him get involved as much as he did, both offensively and physically – he has gotten better and more comfortable with every passing game.