Sweden last won WM gold in 2018 under captain Mikael Backlund.
photo: Matt Zambonin/IIHF
Group A is shaping up to be thrilling at the top and a competitve slugfest thereafter. Several teams in this group could win a medal, and virtually all could qualify for the playoffs. But, in truth, only four make it to the quarter-finals, and the last place team will be relegated. Let the games begin!
Austria
Playing in the top level for the sixth year running, the Austrians come to Stockholm feeling good about their program. Their 10th place finish last year was their best since 2003, and when they look back they will recall a miracle comeback against Canada. Trailing 6-1 entering the third period, they set an IIHF record by scoring five unanswered goals and sending the game to overtime. Not surprisingly, last year’s excellent finish was partly the result of setting a team record for most goals in a Ice Hockey World Championship in the modern era. They had 21 in seven games, their most since 1949.
Their leading scorer was Dominic Zwerger (2+6=8) and returning coach Roger Bader hopes the 28-year-old Ambri Piotta forward will be back this year. Many of the players play in either Switzerland or at home, with longtime captain Thomas Raffl falling into the latter category. He just led Red Bull Salzburg to the national championship and will be playing in his seventh Men’s Worlds. The Austrians are also excited to have Marco Kasper on the team. The 21-year-old played this past season in the NHL with Detroit. They will also have Vinzenz Rohrer, who just helped ZSC Lions win the Swiss championship, and goalie Atte Tolvanen, Raffl’s teammate in Salzburg.
Canada
Fans in Stockholm are in for a treat. Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, and Marc-Andre Fleury are coming to the World Championship. They will be joined by Ryan O’Reilly, who helped Canada win gold in 2015 and 2016. This will be his seventh Worlds, and the team also features three young superstars as well—Adam Fantilli (20), Macklin Celebrini (18), and Kent Johnson (22).
The team will be coached by Dean Evason, who played on Canada’s gold medal-winning team of 1997 and who currently coaches Columbus in the NHL. He will also have MacKenzie Weegar, who played a huge role in Canada’s gold medal in 2023, his first time playing for Canada. Mike Matheson won gold in 2016 with O’Reilly, and Bo Horvat, 30, will also be playing. Top to bottom, this lineup is poised for a medal.
Finland
The Finns have some recalibrating to do. After having their greatest period of success between 2019 and 2022, a run of gold, silver, gold, they finished 7th and 8th the last two years, their worst two results in some 30 years. But fear not. Finland has too much talent available not to get back into a deep playoff run.
They will do so, however, not with coach Jukka Jalonen, who has committed to leading Italy for two years through the 2026 Olympics and end of 2025-26 season. Instead, Antti Pennanen will be bench boss for Suomi in Stockholm. He will have a truly international roster, with players coming from the NHL, Finland, Sweden, and Switzerland.
In goal, Justus Annunen from Nashville of the NHL will be here, as will star forward Teuvo Teravainen from Chicago and Juuso Parssinen of the Rangers. Mikko Lehtonen will also play a starring role on defence. The 31-year-old won gold with Finland’s 2014 World Junior team and then won three gold in quick succession in 2019 and 2022 Worlds as well as that historic Olympic gold in 2022. This team has everything needed to get back into the final four.
France
The French have played in the top level since 2008 and have proved consistently able to do what is needed to stay up. Sometimes they have needed some dramatic victories; sometimes they have put in an impressive performance start to finish. But only once, in 1995, did they qualify for the quarter-finals. That being said, they come to Stockholm with a veteran roster that has the potential to do some damage within the group.
Sacha Treille will be back for his 14th Ice Hockey World Championship, as will Pierre-Eduard Bellemare, who is playing in his 11th edition. He played in his first IIHF WM back in 2004, when some players in this year's WM weren’t even born. The Bozon brothers, Tim and Kevin, are back, as is Alexandre Texier, who played with the St. Louis Blues this past season.
In goal, the French will have the trio of Quentin Papillon, Julian Junca, and Antoine Keller. Papillon is in his 3rd IIHF WM, as is Junca, while Keller will be making his debut with the team.
Latvia
That special bronze medal in 2023 is still very much in the minds of passionate Latvian fans. Is it possible to repeat that glory, or was it a miracle that might not happen again any time soon? The Latvians have been building a solid core of young players, developed through U18 and U20, and the team in Stockholm will be a good balance of old and new.
For old, look no further than the leader, captain Kaspars Daugavins, who has worn the “C” at the IIHF WM six of the last nine years for Latvia. This will be his 13th IIHF WM. Soon-to-be 34-year-old Ralfs Freibergs will also be back for a ninth tournament, and of course both were part of that 2023 team.
Filips Buncis, 27, will be making his senior debut. He last played for Latvia at the 2017 World Juniors. Another newcomer is Glebs Prohorenkovs, a 23-year-old who played at the 2019 U18s. In goal, Kristers Gudlevskis, the DEL goalie of the year two years running, is back.
Slovakia
The Slovaks will be minus one very familiar face—coach Craig Ramsay. He has led the national team since 2018 but has been fighting a vicious bout of pneumonia that has laid him low. Instead, the team will be coached by Vladimir Orszagh.
Recruiting has proved difficult for general manager Miro Satan this year. The team has played in the top level every year since first earning promotion for 1996, and has made the quarter-finals in three of the last four years. This year might prove a greater challenge for the team, which can be world class when their best players are available but which doesn’t have the depth of Sweden or Canada.
Slovenia
One of the promoted teams for 2025, Slovenia will be in a dogfight once again to remain up. Indeed, the last time they earned promotion and stayed up a year was 2005-2006. Last year, they finished second in IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Division I-A by the slimmest of margins. They tied for second place behind Hungary with Italy and Romania, all three teams finishing with nine points. Slovenia made it thanks to a better record within this mini-group. The nation does not have a deep talent pool, and with 37-year-old Anze Kopitar unavailable, in a country where there are only 97 registered adult male players, it will be a challenge this year.
Sweden
Apart from Canada, Tre Kronor has the most NHL-centric roster in the tournament, with 17 players coming from the North American league. And because players are coming home for the summer, you know anyone and everyone wants to play. The Swedes will have Lucas Raymond (Detroit) and Filip Forsberg (Nashville) leading the attack, along with Leo Carlsson (Anaheim) and Mikael Backlund (Calgary).
That star power firepower up front will be augmented by an impressive blue line that includes Adam Larsson (Seattle), Simon Edvinsson (Detroit), and Jonas Brodin (Minnesota). In goal, Jacob Markstrom (New Jersey), who led Tre Kronor to gold in 2013, will be back for his fifth IIHF WM. He also played at the 4 Nations Face-Off this past February, as did Brodin, Raymond, and Forsberg.
The Swedes won bronze last year after going four years without a podium finish. They last won gold in 2018, but this year they have every opportunity to win it all again. The Sweden-Canada game on the final day of the preliminary round, 20 May, is not a game you want to miss.
Austria
Playing in the top level for the sixth year running, the Austrians come to Stockholm feeling good about their program. Their 10th place finish last year was their best since 2003, and when they look back they will recall a miracle comeback against Canada. Trailing 6-1 entering the third period, they set an IIHF record by scoring five unanswered goals and sending the game to overtime. Not surprisingly, last year’s excellent finish was partly the result of setting a team record for most goals in a Ice Hockey World Championship in the modern era. They had 21 in seven games, their most since 1949.
Their leading scorer was Dominic Zwerger (2+6=8) and returning coach Roger Bader hopes the 28-year-old Ambri Piotta forward will be back this year. Many of the players play in either Switzerland or at home, with longtime captain Thomas Raffl falling into the latter category. He just led Red Bull Salzburg to the national championship and will be playing in his seventh Men’s Worlds. The Austrians are also excited to have Marco Kasper on the team. The 21-year-old played this past season in the NHL with Detroit. They will also have Vinzenz Rohrer, who just helped ZSC Lions win the Swiss championship, and goalie Atte Tolvanen, Raffl’s teammate in Salzburg.
Canada
Fans in Stockholm are in for a treat. Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, and Marc-Andre Fleury are coming to the World Championship. They will be joined by Ryan O’Reilly, who helped Canada win gold in 2015 and 2016. This will be his seventh Worlds, and the team also features three young superstars as well—Adam Fantilli (20), Macklin Celebrini (18), and Kent Johnson (22).
The team will be coached by Dean Evason, who played on Canada’s gold medal-winning team of 1997 and who currently coaches Columbus in the NHL. He will also have MacKenzie Weegar, who played a huge role in Canada’s gold medal in 2023, his first time playing for Canada. Mike Matheson won gold in 2016 with O’Reilly, and Bo Horvat, 30, will also be playing. Top to bottom, this lineup is poised for a medal.
Finland
The Finns have some recalibrating to do. After having their greatest period of success between 2019 and 2022, a run of gold, silver, gold, they finished 7th and 8th the last two years, their worst two results in some 30 years. But fear not. Finland has too much talent available not to get back into a deep playoff run.
They will do so, however, not with coach Jukka Jalonen, who has committed to leading Italy for two years through the 2026 Olympics and end of 2025-26 season. Instead, Antti Pennanen will be bench boss for Suomi in Stockholm. He will have a truly international roster, with players coming from the NHL, Finland, Sweden, and Switzerland.
In goal, Justus Annunen from Nashville of the NHL will be here, as will star forward Teuvo Teravainen from Chicago and Juuso Parssinen of the Rangers. Mikko Lehtonen will also play a starring role on defence. The 31-year-old won gold with Finland’s 2014 World Junior team and then won three gold in quick succession in 2019 and 2022 Worlds as well as that historic Olympic gold in 2022. This team has everything needed to get back into the final four.
France
The French have played in the top level since 2008 and have proved consistently able to do what is needed to stay up. Sometimes they have needed some dramatic victories; sometimes they have put in an impressive performance start to finish. But only once, in 1995, did they qualify for the quarter-finals. That being said, they come to Stockholm with a veteran roster that has the potential to do some damage within the group.
Sacha Treille will be back for his 14th Ice Hockey World Championship, as will Pierre-Eduard Bellemare, who is playing in his 11th edition. He played in his first IIHF WM back in 2004, when some players in this year's WM weren’t even born. The Bozon brothers, Tim and Kevin, are back, as is Alexandre Texier, who played with the St. Louis Blues this past season.
In goal, the French will have the trio of Quentin Papillon, Julian Junca, and Antoine Keller. Papillon is in his 3rd IIHF WM, as is Junca, while Keller will be making his debut with the team.
Latvia
That special bronze medal in 2023 is still very much in the minds of passionate Latvian fans. Is it possible to repeat that glory, or was it a miracle that might not happen again any time soon? The Latvians have been building a solid core of young players, developed through U18 and U20, and the team in Stockholm will be a good balance of old and new.
For old, look no further than the leader, captain Kaspars Daugavins, who has worn the “C” at the IIHF WM six of the last nine years for Latvia. This will be his 13th IIHF WM. Soon-to-be 34-year-old Ralfs Freibergs will also be back for a ninth tournament, and of course both were part of that 2023 team.
Filips Buncis, 27, will be making his senior debut. He last played for Latvia at the 2017 World Juniors. Another newcomer is Glebs Prohorenkovs, a 23-year-old who played at the 2019 U18s. In goal, Kristers Gudlevskis, the DEL goalie of the year two years running, is back.
Slovakia
The Slovaks will be minus one very familiar face—coach Craig Ramsay. He has led the national team since 2018 but has been fighting a vicious bout of pneumonia that has laid him low. Instead, the team will be coached by Vladimir Orszagh.
Recruiting has proved difficult for general manager Miro Satan this year. The team has played in the top level every year since first earning promotion for 1996, and has made the quarter-finals in three of the last four years. This year might prove a greater challenge for the team, which can be world class when their best players are available but which doesn’t have the depth of Sweden or Canada.
Slovenia
One of the promoted teams for 2025, Slovenia will be in a dogfight once again to remain up. Indeed, the last time they earned promotion and stayed up a year was 2005-2006. Last year, they finished second in IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Division I-A by the slimmest of margins. They tied for second place behind Hungary with Italy and Romania, all three teams finishing with nine points. Slovenia made it thanks to a better record within this mini-group. The nation does not have a deep talent pool, and with 37-year-old Anze Kopitar unavailable, in a country where there are only 97 registered adult male players, it will be a challenge this year.
Sweden
Apart from Canada, Tre Kronor has the most NHL-centric roster in the tournament, with 17 players coming from the North American league. And because players are coming home for the summer, you know anyone and everyone wants to play. The Swedes will have Lucas Raymond (Detroit) and Filip Forsberg (Nashville) leading the attack, along with Leo Carlsson (Anaheim) and Mikael Backlund (Calgary).
That star power firepower up front will be augmented by an impressive blue line that includes Adam Larsson (Seattle), Simon Edvinsson (Detroit), and Jonas Brodin (Minnesota). In goal, Jacob Markstrom (New Jersey), who led Tre Kronor to gold in 2013, will be back for his fifth IIHF WM. He also played at the 4 Nations Face-Off this past February, as did Brodin, Raymond, and Forsberg.
The Swedes won bronze last year after going four years without a podium finish. They last won gold in 2018, but this year they have every opportunity to win it all again. The Sweden-Canada game on the final day of the preliminary round, 20 May, is not a game you want to miss.