USA Ice Hockey Dominates Denmark in World Championship Opener

HERNING, Denmark — The United States ice hockey team opened the world championship on Friday with a commanding 5-0 victory over Denmark. The Americans showcased their skills and teamwork as they began the tournament with confidence.

Leading the charge for the U.S. was forward, who scored two goals. Teammates and each contributed with a goal and an assist, while goalie made an impressive 26 saves to secure the shutout. Daccord highlighted the collective effort, stating, “Any time a goalie gets a shutout, it’s a team result” after his debut in the tournament.

Gauthier started the scoring with a goal from the slot just 2:08 before the end of the first period. Cooley added another on a power play to double the lead. In the middle period, Beniers capitalized on a rebound, bringing the score to 3-0. Lohrei scored from the point midway through the final period, pushing the score to 4-0, before Beniers scored his second goal with a slap shot, sealing the game at 5-0.

In other Group A action, Sweden delighted their home crowd in Stockholm by also shutting out Slovakia 5-0. Sweden took an early lead, with goals scored 8:37 apart in the first period, providing a solid foundation of 3-0. They further expanded the lead to 4-0 in the second period and capped the game with a final goal in the third.

Meanwhile, the Czech Republic, the defending champions, managed to edge Switzerland 5-4 in an overtime thriller. Roman Cervenka scored the overtime winner after receiving the puck from his teammate, who assisted him twice. Lukas Sedlak tied the game late in regulation with a power play goal, forcing extra time. Matej Stransky, Filip Zadina, and Filip Pyrochta also contributed goals for the Czech team.

Other notable news from Stockholm included Finland’s narrow 2-1 victory over Austria. This world championship serves as the final men’s international competition before the 2026 Winter Games in Italy, where NHL players will return to the Olympics after a 12-year absence.