The Swiss celebrate their victory. © APA/afp / ENNIO LEANZA

Swiss World Cup party: Victory against the USA

Host nation Switzerland has made an optimal start to the Ice Hockey World Championship.

16 May 2026

From: apa

The Swiss team defeated Olympic champions and defending champions USA 3-1 in Zurich on Friday. Title favorites Canada also secured an opening victory, winning their top-of-the-table clash against Sweden 5-3. Finland also celebrated a 3-1 win against Germany, as did the Czech Republic with a 4-1 victory over Denmark.

The Swiss team displayed remarkable efficiency against the USA in front of 10.000 fans, facing only slight pressure during one period of the final period. The Americans fielded a young team with just two players from last year's world championship squad and none from their Olympic gold medal-winning team. Olympic champion Matthew Tkachuk will arrive on Tuesday due to the birth of his daughter.

Offensive spectacle in Canada – Sweden

In their second game in Group A, the Finns had little trouble against the offensively harmless Germans. The Canada-Sweden game turned into an offensive spectacle. It wasn't the Canadian stars Macklin Celebrini or Sidney Crosby who shone, but rather the young players from the third and fourth lines, with the 19-year-old Celebrini taking over as captain from the twice-as-old Crosby, known as "Captain Canada."

The spectators witnessed three completely different periods. In the first, Canada was dominant and took a 2-0 lead; in the second, Sweden deservedly equalized at 3-3; and in the third, the record world champions dominated again.