Finland wins ice hockey world title on OT goal

Konsta Helenius scored 10:42 into overtime on Sunday to give Finland a 1-0 victory over host nation Switzerland in the gold medal game of the 2026 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in Zurich, delivering Finland its first world title since 2022.reuters+1

A Young Star's Defining Moment

Helenius, 20, a center for the Buffalo Sabres, delivered the decisive strike to break a scoreless deadlock that had lasted through regulation. The goal capped a tournament in which he recorded one goal and four points across nine games for the Sabres this NHL season after earning a promotion to the roster.espn

Finland reached the final after upsetting Canada 4-2 in the semifinals on Saturday, overcoming a 2-1 deficit with a dominant second period. The victory marked Finland's return to the championship game for the first time since their 2022 title run.olympics+1

Switzerland, playing on home ice, had advanced to the final after a commanding 6-0 semifinal win over Norway.bleacherreport

Norway Makes History in Bronze Medal Game

Earlier Sunday, Norway delivered one of the biggest upsets in international hockey history, stunning Canada 3-2 in overtime to claim its first-ever medal at the ice hockey world championship. Noah Steen scored the winner 3:32 into overtime.apnews+1

Canada rallied late in the contest but could not finish off their comeback, according to NHL.com. The loss means Canada leaves the World Championship without a medal for the third consecutive year, following a quarterfinal exit to Denmark in 2025.nhl+2

Canada's Continued Struggles

Despite a roster that included Sidney Crosby and Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse, Canada could not overcome what the IIHF described as an "out-of-sync" performance against the Norwegians. The Canadians had entered the bronze medal game after their semifinal defeat to Finland, in which they were outplayed despite outshooting their opponents 15-2 in the final period.iihf+2

Norway's historic bronze stands as an exclamation point on a tournament that rewarded youth and tenacity over pedigree.