DAY 12 RECAP: Canada Stays Perfect; Quarterfinal Matchups Locked In

Day 12 of the 2026 IIHF Men's World Championship on May 26th brought an exhilarating finish to the preliminary round as the playoff bracket was finalized. In Fribourg's Group B marquee finale, Canada preserved its undefeated record with a dramatic 3–2 comeback win over Czechia. Trailing 2–0 in the third, top prospect Macklin Celebrini set up captain Sidney Crosby twice to tie it, before John Tavares buried the game-winner to lock down the top seed. In a do-or-die battle for the final Group B playoff spot, Sweden eliminated Slovakia with a gritty 4–2 victory, powered by young phenom Ivar Stenberg's brilliant second-period game-winner and an insurance marker from veteran Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

Over in Zurich, host Switzerland secured the top seed in Group A by defeating Finland 4–2 in a battle of undefeated giants, relying on disciplined special teams to down the Finns. In a strict winner-take-all scenario for Group A's final playoff spot, the United States clinical 4–1 win over Austria—fueled by goals from Connor Clifton, Paul Cotter, Ryan Ufko, and Matthew Tkachuk—punched their ticket and set up an elite quarterfinal clash against rival Canada. Elsewhere, Norway locked down its highest point total in modern history with a 4–3 overtime win against Denmark, while Latvia wrapped up its schedule by cruising past Hungary 8–1 to finish third in Group A.

🔗 TOURNAMENT COVERAGE
Full Men's Worlds Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLse6YKJAqGPBUuw_naH9OUgiKT1LtERZk

🕒 TIMESTAMPS & CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
0:53 Latvia 8-1 Hungary
3:05 USA 4-1 Austria
5:28 Switzerland 4-2 Finland
9:40 Group A Tournament News
14:39 Norway 4-3 OT Denmark
16:23 Sweden 4-2 Slovakia
18:06 Canada 3-2 Czechia
21:59 Group B Tournament News
26:02 Group A & B Final Standings Analysis
27:56 Quarterfinal Preview + Analysis
29:04 May 28 Schedule & Predictions
37:26 Viewer Questions

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Player & Roster Keywords: Sidney Crosby Team Canada, Macklin Celebrini Captain, John Tavares Hockey Canada, Connor Brown game winner, Darnell Nurse Oilers, Mattias Ekholm Sweden, Evan Bouchard ice time, Jesse Puljujarvi Finland, Anton Lundell, Pius Suter Switzerland, Matt Coronato USA, Olli Maatta Finland, Martin Pospisil Slovakia, Jet Greaves goalie.

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Tournament Locations & Info: 2026 IIHF World Championship Schedule, Worlds Switzerland Locations, Zurich Hockey Swiss Life Arena, Fribourg BCF Arena, IIHF Live Stream, Hockey Canada Men's Roster 2026, Team USA Men's Roster 2026.

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