Overview

• The United States ended Canada’s 20-year unbeaten run at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup by winning their semifinal 4-3 in a shootout, advancing to Saturday’s gold-medal game.
• Sweden mounted a late comeback to defeat Finland 6-5 in overtime on Marcus Nordmark’s game-winning goal and secure its spot in the final.
• Canada’s flawless preliminary performance — highlighted by Liam Ruck’s two goals and Gavin Betts’s shutout against Czechia — came to an end, relegating the defending champion to a bronze-medal contest against Finland.
• Saturday’s medal schedule pairs Sweden against the U.S. for gold at 11 a.m. ET in Brno, with the bronze-medal game also set for 11 a.m. ET in Trencin, broadcast on TSN and NHL Network.
• The tournament continues to showcase top NHL draft prospects such as Ethan Belchetz, Landon DuPont and Blake Zielinski, underlining its role as the unofficial kickoff to the 2026 draft season.