IIHF Worlds Blog

May 26 | Kraken’s Jeff Camelio Talks “Honor,” Joy, Anthem After USA Gold

Where to start with Team USA’s first gold medal at the IIHF Men’s World Championship since 1933? How about this? Kraken head equipment manager Jeff Camelio, who was honored by a Seattle home crowd standing ovation for working in his 2,000^th NHL regular-season game in February, served as Team USA's head equipment manager. The affable and supreme professional Camelio was last seen hugging every coach and staffer on the American bench after the overtime golden goal was scored.

“This has been one of the best experiences of my career,” said Camelio late Sunday night in Sweden. “I never could have imagined representing my country, let alone bringing home gold. It was all I could do to hold back tears as we listened to our national anthem and they raised the flag. It was an honor to do it with this team of great players, staff and management. Go USA!”

If you can imagine just how hard Camelio and his Kraken staff work all season long, city in and city out, transporting equipment in the wee hours of the morning and making sure every player gets what he needs to play his best at practices, morning skates, before and after games, during intermissions, you name it. Then imagine Camelio heads over to Denmark and Sweden for more practices, games, plus all of the above with a whole new group of players. Jeff Camelio, drop the mic.

May 25 | USA, Youngest Team at Worlds, Wins in OT on Game’s Only Goal

There are so many other wonderful outcomes of the USA gold. Consider Tage Thompson, who scored the golden goal just over two minutes into Sunday’s overtime in Stockholm, was the key player in a trade executed by new Kraken general manager Jason Botterill when he was GM in Buffalo. Thompson scored 44 goals this past NHL season and has averaged just under 40 goals per year over the last four seasons. Along with the clutch medal game-winning goal, Thompson totaled six goals in the USA’s nine, including an overtime winner over Norway and three power play goals.

OK, this just in. When the USA team captains skated to get the IIHF championship trophy, they draped the late Johnny Gaudreau’s No. 13 jersey over the cup when accepting it, who was the heartbeat of past American teams at Worlds.

Or maybe this is a good place to start? Matty Beniers, Mikey Eyssimont and Joey Daccord all win gold for their country. All three Kraken players smiled ear-to-ear on the ice, getting gold medals draped around their necks. Same grin for Camelio when he and other staffers followed the players and coaches in the medal line.

Beniers is one of 10 players on Team USA who have won gold at the IIHF World Juniors or IIHF U18 in recent years. Beniers won gold at the 2021 World Juniors with a clutch win over Canada. Beniers is also one of 14 players on the American roster at the Worlds who played for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program as a junior. It added up to the youngest team in this year’s tournament to win gold for the first time in more than 90 years after breaking a streak of 12 straight losses when beating Czechia on Saturday. The future is bright for USA Hockey.

Let’s not forget Team USA avenging a 3-0 loss to Switzerland in its third game of the Group B qualifying rounds. The Swiss emerged as the No. 1 seed from the group, and all-tournament goaltender Leonardo Genoni had posted a shutout in his last three starts and set a modern-day record of scoreless game time. He made 39 saves before Thompson scored, a good dozen of them Grade-A and downright spectacular in nature.

Beniers and Eyssimont were arm-in-arm during the playing of the national anthem. Eyssimont was a reliable fourth-line option all tournament long and annoyed so many foes it was hard to keep count. He scored an important goal in the semifinal. Daccord posted two wins in the qualifying round with a .919 save percentage, 2.00 goals against average and a shutout in the USA's tourney opener against host Denmark (and you know how the Danes played from there). Beniers was again highly noticeable with or without the puck: He was trusted with a majority of defensive-zone faceoffs, served as a penalty killer and got power play time, working on a line most of the game with Frank Nazar and Thompson, both of whom benefited from Beniers' relentless forecheck and backcheck. Beniers finished with three goals and three assists in the tournament and a magnum of respect among his teammates, coaches, and opponents. You can say the same about this young, determined and sentimental USA team that refused to talk about 1933 or 1950 (the last gold medal that ended in silver). They were in Denmark and then Sweden to make history. Mission accomplished.

May 25 | Sweden, Larsson Win Bronze with 6-2 Decision Over Denmark

Denmark, the indisputable surprise team of the 2025 International Ice Hockey Federation Men’s World Championship, contained Sweden for a scoreless first period in Sunday’s bronze-medal game. Then the known scoring talent of the Swedish roster emerged for three goals to lead 3-0 at the second intermission, then three more scores in the final period on the way to a 6-2 bronze victory. Kraken stalwart defenseman Adam Larsson earned the primary assist on the game’s first goal, scored by Mikael Backlund. The Calgary Flames center tallied two on the game, same for former Kraken forward Marcus Johansson, who scored the eventual game-winner late second period.

Denmark did get on the scoreboard with two goals in the final period of a magical tournament for the Danes. The fourth-place finish is their best finish in an IIHF world championship at any age level, and 2016 was the last time they appeared in the quarterfinals.

Kraken prospect Oscar Fisker Molgaard impressed Seattle player development staff and home-nation fans (the Danes hosted the Group B qualifying round-robin and the epic 2-1 late-late-game comeback upset win over Canada in Thursday’s quarterfinal action). Molgaard scored a goal early in the tourney and added six assists during Denmark’s five-game winning streak after dropping the first three games in group play. The 20-year-old Molgaard, selected No. 52 overall in the 2023 NHL Draft, was named one of Denmark’s top three player after Saturday’s semifinal against Switzerland.

“The past two months have been an impressive stretch for Oscar,” said Jeff Tambellini, Kraken director of player development. “He’s delivered strong performances with Coachella Valley and Team Denmark, showing he can impact games against top-tier competition. We believe these experiences will help fast-track his progression toward the NHL.”

Frans Nielsen, former NHLer and the first Denmark-trained player in the NHL, is the Kraken’s player development consultant in Europe. He has worked closely with Molgaard since he was drafted two years ago.

“We’re excited to see him put it all together at this tournament,” said Nielsen. “Oscar has been watching how Matty [Beniers] plays off the puck for two years and how Matty uses his skating. Playing Matty in that first game [of Group B play, a 3-0 win in which Beniers scored two goals] really pushed Oscar to see how his own skating can influence the game and his team’s offense.”

May 25 | Fun Night: Kraken’s Nielsen Inducted into IIHF Hall of Fame

The aforementioned Frans Nielsen couldn’t have picked any better time to become an IIHF Hall of Famer than Friday night before his nation made history with its first appearance in medal-round play. Let’s just say he shook many hands, hugged some folks too, and was happy to accept congratulations, most especially for the success of the 2025 Team Canada squad. Nielsen admitted to “being a fan too,” while “his No. 1 job was Oscar” all tournament, referring to the aforementioned Molgaard. The modest Nielsen won’t claim it, but he has been an instrumental part of Molgaard’s advanced progress since the Dane was drafted in 2023.

All told, Friday was a fun night for Nielsen. He played 925 NHL games with the New York Islanders and Detroit Red Wings before continuing his career in Europe. A native of Herning, which co-hosted this spring's Group B play at Worlds, he also helped Denmark return to the top division in 2003 after a 54-year absence. There’s more: He was integral to Denmark’s quarterfinal appearance at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

“Thanks for all the good battles over the years,” said Nielsen, talking to an audience of many past opponents, plus Boston Bruin great Zdeno Chara and Swedish hero/New York Rangers goalie/TNT analyst Henrik Lundqvist were fellow inductees. “My second NHL game was a derby at MSG. That’s where I got my ‘welcome to the NHL’ moment. I was stuck on the ice against [Jaromir] Jagr, [Martin] Straka and [Michael] Nylander for two minutes!”

May 24 | Team USA Speeds Past Sweden 6-2, Gold Medal Game Sunday

During his exit interview with the media after the Kraken season ended, 22-year-old center Matty Beniers revealed his plan to play in the IIHF Men’s World Championship to “win gold and have some fun,” then soon after, get to work training for next year. Beniers and his American teammates took a huge step toward that gold-medal aspiration Saturday in Stockholm, quieting a home-country crowd with a 4-0 lead at second intermission on the way to a 6-2 victory over Sweden and defenseman Adam Larsson.

With Switzerland’s 7-0 victory over Denmark in Saturday’s second semifinal, it sets up a doubly opportunistic gold-medal game between the USA and the Swiss on Sunday (11:20 a.m., NHL Network). Switzerland, a nation that 25 years ago was hoping not to get relegated when participating in the Worlds, will be looking to earn its first gold medal as a country. The Swiss are in back-to-back gold-medal games after falling to Czechia last spring. The U.S. hasn’t won at Worlds since 1933, but Team USA boasts 10 players who have won gold in recent years at the IIHF World Juniors and U18 World Championships, including 2021 World Juniors gold medalist Matty Beniers.

But the clutch win and a first appearance in the Worlds gold-medal game since 1950 didn’t come that easy. Sweden scored a pair of goals within 41 seconds early third period to tighten the match at 4-2 before Anaheim Ducks defenseman Jackson Lacombe effectively ended Swedish hopes of a dramatic comeback, joining a rush up ice with Beniers as his decoy to the right. Lacombe beat Swedish and Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Samuel Ersson – the Americans chased New Jersey Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom after 40 minutes – to make it a much more comfortable 5-2 margin with nine minutes left. It chased any repeat of last week’s nightmare scenario, giving up four goals to Norway in a qualifying-round game, to collapse a 5-1 lead into what eventually converted to a 6-5 USA win in the last minute of overtime. The Swedish home fans’ decibel level dropped significantly after the American score.

Speaking of scores, Kraken forward Mikey Eyssimont scored Team USA’s fourth goal via a primary assist from Beniers. The goal developed with four Americans speeding up ice together in sync. USA speed and skating agility were on display all game, while Beniers’ spot on the scoresheet was just one of many contributions from the Kraken alternate captain. His line shut down Sweden’s top offensive threats throughout the 60 minutes, and the 22-year-old was trusted to take multiple defensive-zone faceoffs (most with success) in the final period. That’s Eyssimont’s first goal of the tourney. He has two assists and earned his fourth-line spot during the medal round with stellar work in Group B play and Thursday’s quarterfinals. Beniers now has three goals and three assists and is top-five among all Worlds players in plus/minus.

The USA's history at the World's is just that to this group: history. Ten players on the roster have won gold medals at World Juniors and/or World U18 Championships. Beniers was a member of the 2021 gold-winning team at World Juniors, with an epic win over Canada. The Worlds record book cites that USA had lost its last dozen IIHF Men’s Worlds semifinals, going to win just one gold (back in 1933 but there were no Worlds in the years that Americans won OIympic gold in 1960 and 1980), four silvers (1950 was the last one) and eight bronze (two in last six tournaments, 2021 and 2018).

The history updates read better already, but no doubt Team USA will be looking for an optimal rewrite on Sunday, facing either Switzerland. Team USA lost to Switzerland, 3-0, in Group B play. That’s now history in the rearview mirror, too.

May 24 | Switzerland Back in Gold-Medal Game for Second Straight Year

The five-game winning streak posted by underdog home nation Denmark ended in Stockholm Saturday at the hands of a Swiss team that now will play back-to-back gold-medal finals at Worlds. The final score was 7-0, but it should be noted that all three of Switzerland’s first-period goals were scored by the right sort of puck luck for the Swiss. One example is a puck bouncing off a Danish defenseman’s shoulder and past goalie Frederik Dichow, who had made the initial close-in save.

After stunning the hockey world in Thursday’s upset of Canada, Denmark and impressive Kraken prospect Oscar Fisker Molgaard will now face Sweden and Seattle defenseman Adam Larsson in Sunday’s bronze medal game. It marks the first time Denmark has played for bronze and has already reached a higher finish, third or fourth, than any IIHF World Championship at any age level. Molgaard was named one of the three top Worlds players for Denmark in the traditional post-game ceremony following medal-round contests.

As for the USA-Switzerland matchup, the Swiss have now allowed just three goals in eight consecutive wins since losing to Czechia, 5-4, in overtime in their tournament opener. Switzerland scored its 10^th power play goal Saturday, breaking a tie with the Americans. Switzerland is getting production from NHLers Kevin Fiala (three goals, seven assists) and Timo Meier (3 G, 6 A), plus tournament newcomer and Winnipeg Jets forward Nino Neiderreiter scored his first two goals of the tourney as part of establishing the early first-period 3-0 lead over Denmark.

May 22 | The Upset Alert Topping All Upset Alerts: Denmark Beats Canada

There can be no bigger upset in International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship history than Denmark’s come-from-behind-with-some-two-minutes-left 2-1 win over heavily favored Canada on Thursday. To top the fact that the Danes scored twice in the last 135 seconds is the game was played at Jyske Bank Boxen in Herning, DK, before a joyously delirious capacity crowd. There will likely never be a more emotional singing of a national anthem at a Denmark sporting event or maybe any venue. That crowd included Kraken prospect Oscar Fisker Molgaard’s parents, Trine Fisker and Lars Molgaard, plus, as he said before the game, more family and friends who “every single one of them has contributed to making me a better player and person.”

Before detailing the drama, not to be lost is that Denmark is on a five-game winning streak and now travels to Stockholm to face Switzerland in the medal around while Sweden, which beat Czechia 5-2 to exact some measure of revenge for losing to the Czechs in the 2024 gold medal game, will face the Americans with good friends Matty Beniers and Adam Larsson likely seeing a lot of each other.

After a scoreless first two periods, the Canadians finally put a puck past standout Denmark goalie Frederik Dichow, who, before Thursday, was last seen Tuesday saving four of five Germany shootout attempts (one by NHLer Tim Stutzle) to help his nation advance to the Worlds knockout round for the first time since 2016. The hockey world, especially across Canada, was likely thinking “whew” and anticipating another goal or two to avoid a historic tilt toward the underdog.

The Canadian defenseman who scored the go-ahead goal a little under six minutes into the final period? Not Seattle D-man Brandon Montour (two goals in this tourney and 18 for the Kraken last season) nor MacKenzie Weegar (he scored 20 goals for Calgary in 2023-24). Instead, it was Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim (eight goals last season) as the hero with a nod to intrastate rival Pittsburgh Penguins generational star Sidney Crosby, who set up the goal with his two Canada teammates close-in near Dichow’s crease.

Beyond Denmark’s Wildest Expectations

With the score at 1-0, both Dichow and Canada goalie Jordan Binnington made point-blank saves in the ensuing minutes. In fact, Binnington made four, maybe five saves on shots that would be coded as high-danger or Grade-A, take your pick. Denmark kept the puck in the offensive zone for the majority of the impressive amount of the final 14 minutes. As for Molgaard, he fired a quality chance during a mid-third-period Denmark power play, but Binnington made one of those Grade-A saves. The Danes were unbowed and buzzing as the clock wound down.

Then, with 2:15 remaining, the legend of Danish-born Winnipeg Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers grew even bigger after he had scored a tying goal late in Tuesday’s do-or-die game against Germany (with Molgaard getting the primary assist on the stretch pass from the 20-year-old). This night in Herning – likely getting a little better rest than Tuesday when he stepped off a flight from Manitoba to Denmark to head straight to the arena – ripped a long shot from the blue line that went through the legs of one Alex True and past Binnington. Absolute bedlam ensued. Everyone in the place and watching around the world had to be thinking, 'here comes overtime, and/or Crosby, or maybe Nathan MacKinnon will pull this out for Canada.'

Pause for a major-major stick-tap for True and his screen. He was the Kraken’s expansion draft choice from San Jose, a star for AHL Coachella Valley, an even bigger standout for the 2017 Western Hockey League Seattle Thunderbirds and, get this, he is Ehlers’ cousin.

Both Nations Looking to Prevent Overtime

While logical to think Canada might score to prevent overtime drama, the Danes kept attacking the zone. Molgaard said Wednesday he and teammates were feeling no pressure since nobody expected Denmark to beat Germany and Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer, so the squad was playing loose. Well, it was more of the same in the final two minutes. The Kraken 2023 second-rounder nearly scored late game after Ehlers’ clutch goal, and so did a couple of teammates, with Binnington coming up big.

With 49 seconds left on the clock, Denmark scored again, sending the crowd into screams, hugs, tears, more yelling, clapping, and, why not, hugging a few more people. The rally was punctuated by two goals within 86 seconds. The fans then, hearts in throats, watched Brandon Montour take a seconds-left shot that was blocked after Nathan MacKinnon took aim with a chance as a national hero and Danish goalie Dichow (the post-game chant, using phonetics, was resounding, “Dye-koh! Dye-koh!, as he named, no surprise, Danish player of the game). The din was even louder than the standing ovations after the first two periods of play.

A Growing Crescendo at Intermissions

The raucous, rocking, “Danmark” jersey-clad crowd at Jyske Bank Boxen bid an end-of-first-period standing ovation to the countrymen on the ice, including Kraken 2023 second-round draft pick Molgaard. Those high decibels were throated and clapped in appreciation of the Danes and goaltender Frederik Dichow holding off 18 shots on goal by Canada in the scoreless opening 20 minutes, including a flurry of shots on two Canadian powerplays, while Denmark managed four shots and did cause enough pressure to prompt two icings calls on heavily favored Canada.

But, believe it, that was just the appetizer to a more meaty second period in which Denmark logged its fair share of quality scoring chances and even had a goal called back due to a hand pass setting up the play. The Danes also killed off two more Canada power plays with the likes of Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon and the Kraken’s Montour on the ice wreaking all havoc except lighting the goal light. Denmark entered Thursday’s quarterfinal having racked up 15 of 19 penalty kills (78.9 percent) and bumped it to 82.6 percent going into the second intermission.

May 22 | Team USA Advances to Medal Round with 5-2 Win over Finland

Team USA continues to improve game over game, picking a perfect time to ramp up its performance at the 2025 IIHF Men’s World Championship. The Americans erased a 2-1 deficit to claim a 5-2 victory over a Finland team that built an early lead on Kraken winger Eeli Tolvanen’s seventh goal of the tournament, this one on a power play. Tolvanen was named player of the game for Finland.

With Denmark's upset of Canada, the USA will meet Sweden in the first Saturday semifinal in Stockholm, while the Danes will match up against a Swiss team that dismissed Austria, 6-0.The Saturday winners play for gold on Sunday, and the losers face off for bronze. The USA has advanced to the medal round in four of the last six world championships, winning bronze in 2021 and 2018.

Matty Beniers played another strong game for the USA, earning the primary assist on the tying goal scored by young Minnesota Wild defenseman Zeev Buium. Beniers delivered his usual stellar game in all zones, providing a regular net-front presence to disrupt Finnish goalie Juuse Saros and making a pivotal shot block in the third period when the game was still within reach for the Finns. The contest turned on penalties and power plays. Four of the game’s first five goals were power play scores, and the Americans’ tying goal with the Beniers' assist was tallied with an extra attacker on the ice during a delayed penalty call.

Saros did not have his strongest game of the tourney, but it should be noted that the game-winning goal bounced off both of his defensemen before the Nashville Predators goaltender had lost his stick. But full credit goes to Team USA for getting four goals past Saros and Finland, which had only surrendered four goals total in its previous four games. Boston’s Jeremy Swayman made 20 saves in net for the Americans.

May 20 | No. 1 Seed Canada Tops Sweden, Next: Denmark, Molgaard

Two major factors helped Canada win the Group A No. 1 seed via a 5-2 win against previously unbeaten Sweden: One, the decision by Canada coach Dean Evason to place Ryan O’Reilly on the top forward line with Colorado star Nathan MacKinnon and Philadelphia forward Travis Konecny in Tuesday’s showdown with Sweden. O’Reilly was a force in all zones, scoring a goal in his record 62^nd appearance in IIHF World Championship play and working the small details, such as forechecking to set up Kraken D-man Ryker Evans to notch the secondary assist on a Nathan MacKinnon score.

The second factor was Canada’s high level of motivation after a Monday shootout loss to Eeli Tolvanen (he notched the winning shootout goal) and Finland. The Canadians were flying from puck drop, finishing the first 20 minutes up 3-1 and not allowing the Swedes to get back into the game. Team Canada will now play Denmark Thursday, traveling to Herning, DK, for the game.

The Denmark-Germany Group B finale provided high-drama and high decibels in Herning. Germany and goaltender Philipp Grubauer led home nation Denmark 1-0, scoring right before the second intermission. But the Danes tied it mid-third period with Kraken prospect Oscar Fisker Molgaard (No. 52 overall in 2023 NHL Draft) earning the primary assist on a goal by NHLer Nikolaj Ehlers. It marks Molgaard’s sixth assist – and clearly the biggest one– in his country’s last three games, all victories. As for Ehlers, he just arrived in his homeland about five hours before puck drop – that’s from Manitoba to Denmark -- going straight to Jyske Bank Boxen from the plane following his Winnipeg Jets being eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Grubauer made 22 saves in regulation to push the contest into overtime and push the home crowd into a supportive frenzy that might get the rest of the world thinking differently about the Danish in a positive way. Grubauer made four stops in OT to three saves for Denmark goalie Frederik Dichow, a 24-year-old backup in Sweden’s top pro league and a standout at Worlds. In the shootout, Denmark notched two goals in five rounds while Dichow managed four stops, including the final two against German teammates, NHLer Tim Stutzle and former NHLer Dominik Kahun.

The Canadians had to wait a bit to determine whether they would play Denmark. They will now travel to Herning as it was predetermined that both Denmark and Sweden (Stockholm) would host two quarterfinal knockout games.

Here’s the schedule for Thursday’s quarterfinal knockout round: In Stockholm, USA vs. Finland (7:20 a.m. NHL Network) and Sweden vs. Czechia (11:20 a.m.). In Herning, DK, Switzerland vs. Austria (7:20 a.m.) and Canada vs. Denmark (11:20 a.m., NHLN).

Team USA Overpowers Czechia, Will Play Finland in Knockout Round

Moving day at the 2025 International Ice Hockey Federation Men’s World Championships started with Team USA's stock rising and Team Czechia dropping. With the U.S. trailing Boston superstar David Pastrnak and his Czech teammates, 2-1, after 40 minutes, the Americans rallied for four goals in the final period to tag the first loss on their opponent. Both teams finished with 17 standings points (five wins, one loss, one overtime win), but the USA is the No. 2 seed in Group A based on the tiebreaker of winning head-to-head.

And a convincing win it turned out to be. The Americans lost a couple of big leads against Norway (the Norwegians came back from 5-1 to push to overtime) and Germany, but have looked strong and locked-in against Kazakhstan and especially against a highly competitive Czech squad that arrived as defending champions with the likes of Pastrnak and Martin Necas (both scored Tuesday) on the roster.

The Finns beat Slovakia Tuesday, 2-1, finishing third in Group A behind Canada and Sweden, setting up the quarterfinal versus Team USA. In a surprise of sorts, Austria drubbed Latvia (a 2023 bronze winner) Tuesday, 6-1, to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 1994. That playoff matchup will be the Group B No. 1 seed Swiss against Austria, one of five nations to border Switzerland (today’s trivia question and answer: what are the other four? France, Italy, Liechtenstein and Germany).

Kraken forward Matty Beniers was trusted by U.S. coach Ryan Warsofsky all game and especially in the third period, on the ice for the game-winning power play goal by Chicago forward Frank Nazar, with whom Beniers formed a double-flash screen net-front on a shot from Anaheim forward Cutter Gauthier. The puck deflected off Nazar and if it didn’t touch Beniers on the way to Nazar (the official scorer didn’t see it that way) then the puck missed the Seattle center by maybe an inch or two. Beniers was out on a critical penalty kill later third before Team USA scored an insurance goal and an empty net goal to make it a 5-2 final, plus played his usual relentless and noticeably responsible 200-foot game. Kraken forward Mikey Eyssimont played another strong game as a fourth-liner. Boston goalie Jeremy Swayman made 25 saves in the victory.

May 19 | Tolvanen, Saros Lead Finland to Shootout Win Over Canada

Team Canada is undefeated no more, going into Tuesday’s final qualifying-round game against 6-0 Sweden. The Canadians fell to a rising Finland squad when Kraken winger Eeli Tolvanen’s wow-factor move and score on Canada goalie Marc-Andre Fleury in the third round of the five-try shootout held up for a 2-1 win in the shootout and 2-1 in the overall game. Tolvanen was active all game in all zones with dangerous scoring chances, an active stick on the forecheck and backcheck, shot blocks, and a notable hit on Canada’s youngest player and NHL 2024 No. 1 overall draft pick, Macklin Celebrini. Tolvanen has been instrumental in all three of Finland’s trio of straight wins.

But all due respect to Tolvanen, teammate and Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros was literally the game-saver for the Finns, stopping four of five shootout attempts that included misses by both Sidney Crosby and Nathan McKinnon. That’s just the shootout. Saros made 37 saves in regulation in a game that Canada started with the first eight shots on goal and finished in regulation with an 11-4 third-period advantage. When Canada center Ryan O’Reilly tallied a shorthanded goal (his 18th in a Canadian record 61st world championship appearance) in later second period, it was just the second goal surrendered by Saros in now seven periods and one overtime that totaled 80 shots on goal or a .975 save percentage.

The dramatic win scrapped a Tuesday meeting of unbeaten Sweden and Canada for the top seed in Group A as the quarterfinals start Thursday in Stockholm. Instead, if Canada were to lose in regulation and Finland bests Latvia Tuesday, the Canadians can fall to the No. 3 seed with both Finland and Canada at 16 standings points, but the Finns hold the tiebreaker due to Monday’s win. If the Canadians beat Sweden in regulation, they can still be No. 1 since beating the Swedes would complete Group A with both teams at 18 points, with Canada holding the tiebreaker. But if Sweden and Kraken D-man Adam Larsson win in regulation or even pick up one point for reaching overtime, they will get the No. 1 seed. The puck drops for that game at 11:20 a.m. Pacific (NHL Network).

USA-Czechia to Decide Group B No. 2 Seed? Denmark’s Chance to Advance

In other pivotal key games on Tuesday, the Americans face a rugged Czechia team with plenty of NHLers, including tournament-leading scorer and Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak. If Team USA wins in regulation, it will jump over the Czechs on a tiebreaker with both teams at 17 points. But if the game goes to overtime, Czechia will be the higher seed. That higher seed, whether USA or Czechia, is highly likely to be No. 2 since Switzerland is a probable winner in regulation Tuesday against 1-5 Latvia to total 19 points. And if the Swiss and Czechs both attain 19 points, Switzerland tops Group B due to a 5-4 win over the Czechs in the opening game of the preliminary round for both teams. USA-Czechia is a 7:20 a.m. start (NHL Network).

One game of relevance: Home nation Denmark and Seattle 2023 second-round Oscar Fisker Molgaard (five assists in his last two games) can advance to the quarterfinals by beating Germany in regulation, overtime, or shootout. The Danes and Molgaard, who also have scored a goal in front of so many family members and friends, will likely be facing Kraken goaltender Philipp Grubauer in the German net.

May 18 | USA Breezes in 6-1 Win, Beniers Scores, Eyssimont Two Assists

Team USA kept the pedal to the metal Sunday, skating away from Kazakhstan with five goals in the second period after a scoreless opening 20 minutes. Kraken forward Mikey Eyssimont assisted on the Americans’ first goal, tallied by Chicago Blackhawks young forward Frank Nazar. Eyssimont picked up his second assist (third at Worlds) by assisting Utah forward Michael Kesselring on the fifth goal of the period. Then USA made sure there was no repeat of recent comebacks from Norway and Germany by scoring a sixth goal in the third period. Kazakhstan scored in the final minute for a 6-1 final.

Matty Beniers scored his second goal of the tourney on a wicked, highlight-reel release of his shot from the high slot. Beniers was on a 2-on-1 transition rush with linemate Drew O’Connor (Pittsburgh/Vancouver last NHL season), deciding to keep the puck and shoot. His aim was pinpoint, beating Kazakhstan goaltender Sergei Kudryavtsev in the upper right far corner to extend USA’s lead to 4-0 in the middle 20 minutes. Kudryavtsev was busy, making 26 saves on the game. In the American net, Boston Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman finished with 12 saves. The Americans now face Czechia in the final game of group play on Tuesday.

Big Games: Canada-Finland, USA-Czechia, Denmark-Germany

Looking ahead to Monday, Team Canada and high-scoring defenseman Brandon Montour play a pivotal game against Finland and high-scoring forward Eeli Tolvanen in Stockholm. If Finland is victorious, it locks down third place in Group A with a chance to overtake Canada for the No. 2 seed if Canada were to lose to Sweden Tuesday and Finland betters Slovakia. If Canada wins Monday, it sets up a winner-takes-No. 1 Group A faceoff against undefeated Sweden Tuesday in the final game of the qualifying round.

Montour has nine points in five games (two goals, seven assists), the most of any D-man in the tourney. Only three players, including CAN teammate Nathan MacKinnon, have more points. Tolvanen, a national hero for his two regulation goals and overtime primary assist to erase France’s 3-1 lead with 87 seconds left in the third period earlier this week, has also logged a four-goal game. The CAN-FIN goaltender duel figures to be NHL stalwart goalies Jordan Binnington-Juuse Saros.

Sunday’s USA victory puts the Americans in position to overtake Czechia for No. 2 seed in Group B by winning in regulation when the two teams play Tuesday. But if the U.S. beats the Czechs and Switzerland defeats Kazakhstan Tuesday, the Swiss will top Group A. In short, Team USA is looking at the No. 2 or No. 3 seed. If Czechia beats the Americans, then the Czechs will be the No. 1 seed and the Swiss No. 2 due to the tiebreaker of Czechia winning head-to-head.

One of the best storylines of the tournament continues Tuesday with host nation Denmark facing Germany at Jyske Bank Boxen in Herning, DK. The winner of that game (provided Czechia beats Germany Monday) will make the quarterfinals, nabbing the fourth spot in Group B. Denmark is on a three-game winning streak with Kraken 2023 second-round draft pick Oscar Molgaard notching five assists in the last two games. After impressing in seven games with American Hockey League affiliate Coachella Valley, Molgaard was thrilled at the prospect to be playing in front of family and friends, adding, “if I make the team.” That roster spot, clearly with his stellar play for the Danes, was never in doubt.

May 17 | USA Holds Off Germany in Daccord vs. Grubauer Matchup

Team USA played another strong opening period at the 2025 IIHF World Championships in Herning, DK, zooming out to a 3-0 lead and peppering Germany goaltender Philipp Grubauer with 16 shots. Grubauer was completely screened on the first goal and a wrong sort of puck-luck skate deflection fueled the second score. But Germany clawed back into the game with three goals on six shots in the second period against Team USA goaltender Joey Daccord. The see-saw momentum continued in the final period with the Americans scoring three goals (one an empty-netter) and Daccord making seven stops to notch a 6-3 final.

But losing big leads is an unattractive trend for the Americans, who survived a Norwegian comeback from a 5-1 deficit earlier this week by winning in overtime (and earning two instead of the three standings points awarded for regulation wins). In that game, Norway scored two goals on four shots faced by Boston Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman, then two more in the third period to tie in regulation. On Saturday, the Germans broke through against Daccord when forward Eric Mik, a five-season veteran defenseman in his nation’s top pro league, surprised with his speed by splitting past two USA defenders to break the shutout on a pinpoint upper-right corner shot. Late in the period, Germany scored twice in less than a minute to tie matters at 3-3.

Team USA righted the scoreboard by getting back to the aggressive style of play in all three zones that had built the big leads, notching 18 shots on goal against Grubauer and countryman Mathias Niederberger. Grubauer removed himself early in the frame due to an undisclosed condition. Niederberger faced a half-dozen shots, allowing one goal, in six minutes before Grubauer returned to the German net. The Kraken goaltender finished with 33 saves while Daccord totaled 18 saves. The two Seattle teammates took a long moment during the handshake line.

The win jumps USA over Germany for third place in the Group B bracket after five games. Switzerland and Czechia, which defeated Kazakhstan Saturday, 8-1, are tied atop Group B with 13 points each. The Americans’ final two qualifying round games are Kazakhstan Sunday (NHL Network, 7:20 a.m.) and what could be a pivotal finale against Czechia Tuesday. Meanwhile, Germany will likely have to beat host Denmark and Kraken prospect Oscar Molgaard in a Tuesday matchup to advance to the quarterfinals.

Finland, Tolvanen Keep Pace in Group A with Close 2-1 Win

In the early game at Stockholm, Finland outlasted an impressive Team Latvia effort to secure a 2-1 victory that keeps the Finns in third place in Group A, no matter if Slovakia wins in a later Saturday game. Kraken forward Eeli Tolvanen, who is riding a hot streak, earned an assist on the game-winning goal while Nashville Predators goalie Jusse Saros was stellar in net, particularly needed in a late rally by the Latvians that fell short but not due to lack of effort. Tolvanen now has six goals and two assists in five games. Tolvanen and USA’s Matty Beniers are among six players who top the tourney in plus/minus with +7.

Team Canada Keeps Perfect Record, Sweden Showdown Ahead?

Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour started off Team Canada scoring Saturday in Stockholm, scoring his second goal of the Worlds tournament at 14:44 of the first period on the way to 7-0 shutout over Slovakia. Montour’s score was a power play goal. Barely over a minute later, Seattle D-man Ryker Evans picked up his first assist of the tournament, earning the primary helper on a Tyson Foerster goal. Montour added an assist on a Sidney Crosby to total two goals and seven assists for nine points in five games.

Canada plays Kazakhstan Sunday; a win there sets up a Group A showdown between Sweden (already 6-0) and Canada (which can notch its sixth win Sunday). Montour, Evans and Canada will face fellow Seattle defenseman Adam Larsson and Sweden on Tuesday in what looks to be the game to decide No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in Group A. The winner plays No. 4 seed from Group B (likely Denmark or Germany) and the loser will face the No. 3 seed in Group B (best guess is USA or Switzerland).

Molgaard Loads Up Scoresheet Again in Big Win for Denmark

Home nation Denmark is on a three-game win streak that is delighting fans at Jyske Bank Boxen in Herning, DK. The Danes knocked off Norway, 5-2, Saturday in a night game tie Germany for fourth place in Group B with nine standing points each. Kraken prospect Oscar Fisker Molgaard earned a primary assist on the game’s first goal and picked up a secondary assist on Denmark’s second goal to stake a 2-0 lead at first intermission. In Denmark’s last game, an 8-2 win over Hungary, Molgaard racked up three assists in the third period, making it five assists in a continuous two periods of play. Molgaard has a goal and five assists for six points in six games. If Germany can’t earn a standings point against Czechia (Group B leader) Sunday, then Tuesday’s Germany-Denmark will determine which team qualifies for the quarterfinals, which are slated for Thursday in Stockholm.

May 16: Denmark, Molgaard Rev Up Offense in 8-2 Win vs. Hungary

Friday’s early game at Herning, DK, began with host country Denmark and Hungary tied in the Group B standings. Hungary then scored two goals in the first six-and-a-half minutes, the first one just 33 seconds into the contest. But soon enough, the home crowd had plenty to cheer about, halving the lead before the end of the first period, then turning on the scoring jets with seven goals in the final 40 minutes. Kraken prospect Oscar Molgaard racked up three primary assists on the Danes’ four final-period goals. The 20-year-old Molgaard has been playing top-six minutes and more than holding his own. He has a goal and three assists in five games to rank among the top Denmark scorers.

The 8-2 final was not only a crowd-pleaser, it moves Denmark into fifth place in Group B. With games left against Norway and Germany, the Danes put themselves in a position to overtake Germany to qualify for the quarterfinals. Molgaard and his squad would need to win both of those games and hope Germany struggles against Team USA and Czechia to set up a potential Group B finale Tuesday between Denmark and Germany that determines who earns the fourth and final qualifying spot out of play in Herning, DK.

Sweden Shuts Out Slovakia to go 5-0, Larsson Notches Assist

The potential keeps rising for Team Canada and Team Sweden to meet May 20 as unbeaten squads with the winner taking first place in Group A heading into the Worlds quarterfinals May 22 and the loser dropping to No. 2 seed. Sweden dispensed Slovakia, 4-0, in a game that was scoreless after the first 20 minutes. The Swedes scored twice in the middle period and two more in the final period, one assisted by Kraken D-man Adam Larsson.

Sweden has a 5-0-0 record with five regulation wins and 15 points. Team Canada is 4-0-0 with a matchup against Slovakia (2-1-1) on Saturday. From there, Canada has a challenging game with Finland before that Sweden finale. Larsson and teammates face France Saturday in their final game before facing the Canadians. Larsson has a goal and two assists with a plus-5 rating to date, playing top-four defenseman minutes.

May 15 | Tolvanen Scores Hat Trick-Plus in Finland Rout over Slovenia

Team Finland jumped over Latvia for third place in the Group A standings Thursday thanks to Kraken forward Eeli Tolvanen and linemate Teuvo Teravainen, the Chicago Blackhawks forward whom then-Carolina GM Ron Francis once acquired in a stellar trade. Tolvanen scored four goals for his homeland, and Teravainen earned the primary assist on each of the hat-trick-plus-one goals.

Tolvanen leads all skaters at the 2025 IIHF with six goals in four games, including a dramatic two goals in the final 1:27 of regulation to tie France, and then the Seattle winger assisted on the overtime winner just a minute-and-a-half into extra time. For his part, Teravainen assisted (all primary) on six Finland goals. The Finns now have a path to control their fate to qualify for the quarterfinals in a strong Group A topped by undefeated 4-0 Sweden, with 3-0 Canada playing the late game against France in Stockholm on Wednesday. Tolvanen and his Finnish squad play Latvia next on Saturday (winning that game puts them in a high-percentage chance to qualify). After that, the Finns match up with Canada and finish with Slovakia, the latter game quite possibly to determine that the winner finishes third and the loser qualifies in the fourth and final spot in Group A.

In other action, Germany fell to a solid Team Switzerland, 4-0, to tumble out of first place in Group B. Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer did not play. Matty Beniers, Joey Daccord, Mikey Eyssimont, and their American teammates are back in action Saturday against Germany with the distinct possibility of a Daccord vs. Grubauer matchup.

Montour Notches Three Assists in Canada 5-1 over Austria

In Wednesday’s late game at Stockholm, Team Canada was trailing 1-0 at first intermission. Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour and superstar teammate Nathan MacKinnon remedied that problem with the Colorado center scoring twice in the middle period, Montour earning the primary assist on both scores. The Canadians poured in three more, with Montour credited with his third assist of the game to mark the 5-1 final.

Montour, fellow D-man Ryker Evans, and Team Canada remain undefeated and tied with Sweden (and Adam Larsson) for the top spot in Group A with 12 points each.

Montour is the top-scoring defenseman of the tourney with a goal and six assists, tied at seven points with four forwards for third third-highest overall total, including Seattle teammate Eeli Tolvanen (six goals, one assist). Evans played his minutes of the competition (14:34) and registered three shots on goal. Canada faces Slovakia (fourth in Group A) Saturday (NHL Network, 11:20 a.m.) before finishing the qualifying round with games against Finland and Sweden. At Herning, DK, Czechia easily handled Hungary, 6-1, to tie Switzerland for first place in Group B after four games, followed by Germany (nine points) and Team USA (eight points).

May 14 | Team USA Avoids Epic Norway Win with Late Overtime Goal

Team USA escaped an upset bid Wednesday at the 2025 IIHF Men’s World Championship in Herning, Denmark, by edging Norway in a 6-5 overtime win to earn two standings points. Problem is, the Americans were leading 4-1 at first intermission, 5-3 after two periods. But 19-year-old Norway defenseman Stian Solberg completed a hat trick in the game of his life by scoring a game-tying, 6-on-5 goal with 1:27 left in regulation.

Fortunately for Team USA, Buffalo forward Tage Thompson, acquired in an NHL trade by then-Sabres GM, now-Kraken GM Jason Botterill, finished his own hat trick. He tallied during a late overtime power play with 57 seconds left in the five-minute extra time to avoid a shootout decision and spoil the Norwegians’ attempt to win their first game of the tourney. Norway earned its first point in Group B play. Thompson, among NHL goals leaders over the past few seasons, was due: He had notched 12 shots on goal without a score in America’s first three games.

What makes the Norwegian effort even more remarkable is that they had scored just four goals in their first three games. Solberg, a 2024 Anaheim Ducks first-round draft choice (No. 23 overall), has been turning heads with his defensive play and capability of handling NHL veterans as a 6-foot-2, 194-pound teen. His scoring line in the Sweden pro league this season was three goals, nine assists for 12 points in 47 games. He leads all Worlds skaters in time on ice, averaging more than 25 minutes per game.

Kraken forward Matty Beniers was +1 for the game and was trusted on the ice in the final minute of play after Norway had knotted the game and was strong in puck possession and playmaking in overtime. Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman got the start in the USA goal, facing 18 shots and making 13 saves, including a four-shot second period in which Norway scored twice to cut the lead to two. NHL analysts allowed Swayman, “probably would like a couple of those goals back.” Team USA faces Germany next (3:20 a.m. Pacific, yikes) with a distinct possibility of Kraken goalies Joey Daccord and Philipp Grubauer.

Swedes Win, Set Pace in Group A While Host Denmark Gets First ‘W’

Sweden and Kraken stalwart defenseman continue to play like the favorites in Group A at Stockholm, which is certainly pleasing home nation crowds. On Wednesday, the Swedes dismissed Latvia, 6-0, scoring twice in the second period after a scoreless opening 20 minutes, then pouring it on with four goals in the third frame. Larsson scored his first goal of the tourney to make it 4-0. In other action, host nation Denmark and Kraken prospect Oscar Molgaard earned a first victory at these 2025 Worlds, beating Kazakhstan handily, 5-1 in Herning, DK. Former Kraken expansion pick, Coachella Valley regular and WHL Seattle Thunderbirds star Alex True scored twice for Denmark.

Sweden is now perfect through four games, winning all in regulation for the maximum 12 standings points. Team Canada and Larsson’s fellow Seattle defenseman Brandon Montour and Ryker Evans are three points back with a game in hand. The Swedes actually helped rival nation Finland with the win, since Latvia is sitting in fourth place in Group A with Finland a point behind but with a game in hand as well. Sweden plays again Friday against Slovenia while Finland and Eeli Tolvanen face Slovenia Thursday before a pivotal showdown with Latvia Friday. Canada is back at it Thursday versus Austria.

May 13 | Grubauer Leads Germany to First Place, Canada Downs France

After three games, Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer and his Germany teammates sit atop the Group B standings at the 2025 IIHF World Championships. Grubauer, making 29 saves, backstopped the Germans to a 5-2 win over Norway. Germany is the only nation to notch the maximum nine points for three regulation wins. Czechia has eight points, Switzerland, which beat USA earlier this week, has seven, and the Americans are standing in the fourth and final qualifying spot with six points. Kazakhstan is fifth with three points.

Ottawa forward Tim Stutzle joined Germany for Tuesday’s game after the Senators were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs by Toronto. He notched two assists, and that certainly revs up Germany; he totaled five points against Toronto in a six-game series.

It gets tougher from here for Grubauer, Stutzle and their Germany teammates. Switzerland is next Thursday with Americans (May 17) and Czechs (May 19) still to come.

Canada Skates Past France, Stays Even with Sweden

France, which lost an overtime heartbreaker to Norway Sunday when the Kraken’s Eeli Tolvanen scored two goals in the last 87 seconds of regulation, proved no match for Team Canada in Tuesday night’s game at Stockholm. The Canadians are now tied with Sweden for the Group A bracket, both teams with 3-0 records and the maximum nine standing points for a trio of regulation wins.

The Canadians scored twice in the opening period to establish control of the game. Then mid-second period, Canada captain Sidney Crosby scored his first goal of the tournament with Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour providing the assist on a Canada power play. Crosby’s shot was nothing short of perfect, going upper right corner over in the minimal gap above French goaltender Julian Junca.

Canada’s Bo Horvat (New York Islanders) scored his second goal of the game to build the lead to 4-0 early in the final period. Montour made it 5-0 mid-frame with his first goal at Worlds. He has four points in three games and is clearly making an impression in international play ahead of next February’s 2026 Winter Olympics.

May 12 | Switzerland Upends USA, Sweden, Larsson Beat Finland

Team USA is no longer undefeated at the 2025 IIHF Men’s World Championship. The Americans fell to a solid Switzerland team reinforced by the arrival of Los Angeles Kings forward Kevin Fiala following LAK’s first-round defeat at the hands of Edmonton. Fiala earned the primary assist on the second of two first-period scores against USA goalie Joey Daccord, who finished with 24 saves.

Switzerland elevated to the top of Group B standings with four teams qualifying for the quarterfinals. The Swiss notched a silver medal at last spring’s worlds, so there were labeling Monday’s game an upset.

“We just didn’t get to our game,” said USA center Matty Beniers post-game in the IIHF reporting pool. “I think one of our strengths is trying to dictate the game and trying to play fast. And I thought they controlled it better and played the game they wanted to play. They got it behind our ‘D’ more than we did and made us play defense.”

Swedes, Larrson Defeat Rival Finland

After an incredible final three minutes of play Sunday, Team Finland couldn’t produce much against a strong Sweden squad, with Adam Larsson again getting top-four minutes in a 2-1 victory. The Finns benefited from a one-man rescue unit when Kraken forward Eeli Tolvanen got his nation within a goal of France by scoring with a minute-and-a-half left in regulation. Pretty much before the goal could even be announced, Tolvanen then tied the game with under a half minute left in the third period. When overtime commenced, Tolvanen earned the primary assist on the winning goal.

But Finland fell short Monday with Swedish goaltender Jacob Markstrom (New Jersey Devils) outdueling FIN goalie Juuse Saros (Nashville). But there is no faulting Saros, who made 39 saves in the loss while Markstrom finished with 17 saves. In other action, home nation Denmark lost to Czechia 7-2, with Kraken prospect Oscar Fisker Molgaard held off the scoresheet. The 2023 second-round draft choice scored on a breakaway before his family and friends in Herning, during a 5-2 Saturday defeat against that hot Switzerland team.

May 11 | Tolvanen’s Magic Three Minutes Just in Time for Finland

With less than a minute-and-a-half remaining in regulation, Finland was trailing a surprising French squad, 3-1, behind goals from Tim and Kevin Bozon, sons of Phillipe Bozon, the first French-trained players to debut in the NHL with the St. Louis Blues. Plus, former Kraken forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare notched assists on two of France’s three goals in regulation. It was looking mighty like a French upset.

But then it was Kraken winger Eeli Tolvanen who came to the rescue of his Finnish teammates– and then some. He scored with 1:27 left in the third period to make it 3-2, then scored the equalizer with 28 seconds remaining in Stockholm. Just 1:25 into the overtime period, Tolvanen was at it again, this time earning the primary assist on a dramatic game-winning goal by New York Rangers forward Juuso Parssinen. The Tolvanen-fueled comeback sets up a Nordic showdown between the Finns (2-0 in Group A) and home nation Sweden (2-0 in Group A) and SEA D-man Adam Larsson Monday at Stockholm (11:20 a.m. puck drop).

USA 2-0 with Two Shutouts, Canada Goes 2-0 Too

North America keeps rolling in Denmark and Sweden. Team USA shut out its opponent for the second straight game, this time 6-0 over Hungary in Group B play at Herning, Denmark, with Boston Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman making 13 saves. Kraken goalie and fan fave Joey Daccord posted a shutout Friday against Denmark, handling a much tougher set of shots, 26 total, from host country Denmark (and Seattle prospect Oscar Fisker Molgaard).

Matty Beniers notched a primary assist Sunday and is centering a highly productive line between San Jose Sharks forward Will Smith and Anaheim’s Cutter Gauthier, who has scored four goals in two games. Beniers has two goals and an assist while clearly earning the trust of the USA coaching staff. On Sunday, the 22-year-old led all American skaters in time on ice, including defensemen. Seattle forward Mikey Eyssimont played another strong game as a fourth-liner. USA faces Switzerland Monday (8:20 a.m., NHL Network), a squad not to be underestimated.

In Stockholm Group A play, Team Canada doused Latvia, 6-1, after Latvia scored on its first shot against 40-year-old Marc-Andre Fleury, who last posted an international win for his country in the 2004 World Juniors Championship.

“Time flies,” Fleury told the IIHF reporters pool. “It's crazy. But I'm lucky to be able to put the jersey on and represent my country. Every time you play, you want to win; you want to do well. You want to help the team. I haven't played a game in a while. It wasn't the start I wanted either, but after that things got better.”

Canada scored six unanswered goals, fueled by three Sidney Crosby assists, one for which Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour earned the primary assist. Montour was top-four in ice time, and Seattle D-man Ryker Evans played nine third-pair minutes. Canada’s next game is against France on Tuesday. That’s another game not to be taken lightly.

May 10 | Montour, CAN Win, Must-Read: Tolvanen vs. Tolvanen

Is anyone surprised? Kraken defenseman extraordinaire Brandon Montour played the most minutes for Team Canada in Saturday’s 4-0 opening against Slovenia. Only epic captain Sidney Crosby (we're still kinda sore about that 2010 golden goal at the Vancouver Olympics) and Philadelphia forward Travis Konecny were on the ice more, and Montour earned an assist while Sid the Kid (hey, he still plays like it) was not on the scoresheet.

The Canadians handled their foes with an early score by forward Bo Horvat, who tallied a second goal during his nation’s three-goal output in the second period to fuel the victory. Superstar Nathan MacKinnon, rostering with his idol Crosby (both from Halifax, NS, region), assisted on both Horvat goals with Montour setting up the second-period score. Kraken D-man Ryker Evans logged nine minutes of ice, the norm for third-pair D and the lower-six forwards. He looked prepared and, as Seattle GM Jason Botterill told Kraken colleague Geoff Baker, Evans will thrive at the Worlds because he is such an elite skater. Canada plays Latvia next on Sunday with a 4:20 a.m. puck drop (NHL Network for the insomniac in you).

In other games Saturday, Kraken goaltender Philipp Grubauer backstopped Germany to a 6-1 win over Hungary (USA’s opponent Sunday). Grubauer made 18 saves and faces a competitive Kazakhstan (beat Norway, 2-1, Saturday) in Germany’s next game Sunday (4:20 a.m.). Sweden is 2-0 after defeating Austria, 4-2, Saturday, with Adam Larsson logging the top-four D-men minutes and original Kraken forward Alex Wennberg scoring a late goal. The Swedes have a big circle around the next game: They play Finland Monday (NHL Network, 8:20 a.m.). It will be Larsson versus Eeli Tolvanen at times.

Tolvanen Twice!

Speaking of Eeli Tolvanen ... in a rare event, the Kraken forward faced his brother playing in goal for Austria. Before explaining how that happens, let it be known that brother Atte stopped all three of his siblings’ shots on goal, including a third-period breakaway in Finland’s 2-1 victory Friday.

“That's something nice, to make that save,” said Atte post-game. “Hopefully, there is a picture of it somewhere.”

With a gracious stick tap to International Ice Hockey Federation correspondent Andrew Podnieks, here’s the story in his words and reporting [click here for the full article].

Both Tolvanen brothers were born in Vihti, Finland, and grew up together. Atte was born in 1994, and Eeli five years later. Atte played in the Finnish junior system and then left for North America, first to play in the NAHL and then with Northern Michigan in the NCAA. He was never drafted, played one year in the AHL, and returned home to play in Liiga in 2019. Soon after, however, Atte decided to continue his career in Austria, where he has been since 2021. As a result, he was eligible to play for that country in IIHF events.

“I didn't think that much about it, to be honest,” said Eeli. That's the first time I've played against him. It's a cool story, but when you're in your zone, in the game, you don't think about it ... He made a really good save today.”

The traditional handshake line allowed a few private moments between the brothers and who talk quite a bit over summer about how to beat goaltenders and/or stop shooters.

“We will see each other,” Eeli said. “We went for lunch [Thursday], and we'll see each other again. We both have tight schedules, but we'll figure something out.”

May 9 | Beniers Bags Two Goals, Daccord Gets Shutout in 5-0 USA Win

Kraken Matty Beniers scored twice in Herning against host Denmark, playing on a line with two Pacific Division foes, Anaheim forward Cutter Gauthier and San Jose winger Will Smith. Gauthier tallied twice himself. Beniers was a textbook hockey play: He won the faceoff cleanly, sending it back to one of his defenseman, who quickly passed to his defensive partner for a shot on goal. Meanwhile, Beniers was muscling his way to net-front, outdueling Danish forward and Kraken expansion draft pick (San Jose) Alexander True, to be in position to redirect the point shot. Beniers’ first goal made it 3-0, and he finished the USA scoring late in the match.

Joey Daccord got the nod in the American goal, making 26 saves and looking in midseason form. To their credit, USA skaters were blocking shots and keeping the Danes to the outside. But Kraken prospect Oscar Molgaard, fresh off seven impressive appearances for AHL Coachella Valley, played a strong game in front of his home-nation fans. Molgaard sparked his teammates with several offensive rushes in the middle period, including one shot in the slot and another slot chance that Molgaard might shoot next time (which he did) rather than make the extra pass. The Kraken prospect finished with three shots on goal.

A third USA player and Kraken representative, Mikey Eyssimont, played fourth-line minutes and stood out as both playmaker and play-stopper. The veteran forward is appearing in his third straight IIHF Worlds and looked the part as an aggressive forechecker with offensive hops. All three players looked like they were enjoying themselves, and why not with a 5-0 in the works. The Americans play next Sunday, facing Hungary at Jyske Bank Boxen in Herning at a 4:20 a.m. Pacific time (yikes). Don’t wake up Mom on that one.

Larsson, Tolvanen Both Part of First ‘W’s’

Stockholm’s Group A play kicked off with Finland edging Austria, 2-1, in a tightly-contested game. Kraken forward Eeli Tolvanen was on his country’s first line playing alongside Teuvo Teravainen, a Chicago Blackhawks center and former Carolina GM Ron Francis’ trade acquisition. The Seattle winger, who set a NHL career high in goals this season, didn’t make the scoresheet but notched three shots on goal. The Finns face France Sunday in an 11:20 a.m. game.

In Friday’s second game at Stockholm’s Aivci Arena, Seattle stalwart defenseman Adam Larsson played heavy minutes to help build a 4-0 shutout for New Jersey Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom and Sweden over Slovakia. But Larsson, who his Kraken teammates will appreciate, didn’t miss out on offensive production. He earned the primary assist on Sweden’s third goal. The Swedes go for a second victory in as many starts against Austria Saturday (8:20 a.m. puck drop).

Brandon Montour and Ryker Evans will get a chance to join the action Saturday when Canada meets Slovenia in an early game (yes, 4:20 a.m.) while SEA goalie Philipp Grubauer and Germany start their play against Hungary in the first game for both countries.