Swiss forward Tyler Moy (#95) scores his second goal in his team's win over Denmark at the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship.
photo: © INTERNATIONAL ICE HOCKEY FEDERATION / MATT ZAMBONIN
Switzerland got its first victory at the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship. Once again, last year’s runner-up endured some twists and turns before defeating Denmark in another entertaining game at the Jyske Bank Boxen in Herning.
For Denmark, a 2-5 loss means the host nation is still awaiting its first points of the competition. But after a 0-5 reverse against the USA on Friday, there was encouragement for Mikael Gath’s team in a strong second period show before Tyler Moy stepped up with three points to lead the Swiss to success.
Moy’s line with Nico Hischier and Timo Meier made all the difference here. Hischier scored the first and last, Moy potted his first two goals at this level, and the trio shared eight points as the Swiss built on its opening OT loss to the Czechs.
“I think their line is doing well,” said Swiss forward Christoph Bertschy. “They try to create a lot. They’re all really good players. Nico and Timo, they’re superstars in their team in the NHL. They’re difference-makers, and they help our team very well."
Early in the game, Denmark’s offensive struggle continued. Swiss debutant goalie Stephane Charlin was a virtual spectator for much of the first, with the Danes unable to generate much even on the only power play of the session. Charlin, 24, who plays for Geneve-Servette, made his first save in the last minute of the stanza, reacting smartly when Oscar Moelgaard got free in front of the net.
In the absence of NHLers Nikolaj Ehlers and Lars Eller, the Danes must wish they had someone as reliable as Hischier to call on. The Swiss captain had 11 points last year and opened his 2025 account in the 15th minute. The 26-year-old got free at the back door to steer a Christian Marti feed past Sebastian Dahm and continue his strong record against Denmark. By the end of today’s game, he was on 8 (3+5) points in four games against this opponent.
And the lead was no more than Switzerland deserved after controlling the opening stanza. A 13-2 shot count in favour of Patrick Fischer’s men in no way misrepresented the early action.
Yet things changed at the start of the second period. It did not look promising for the home team when Switzerland got on the power play, but Matias Lassen’s tripping minor brought a short-handed goal from Moelgaard. He profited from Sven Andrighetto’s slip on the blue line, sprinting down the ice to beat Charlin with a backhand finish.
In one of the tournament’s more improbable stats, it was Denmark’s first goal on the Swiss since 2016; since then we’ve seen three shut-out wins in 2021, 2022 and 2024.
Snapping that drought also changed the game, at least for a time. Where Denmark had been sluggish, now it was speedy. Tentative turned to assertive. And despite another lacklustre power play, seconds after Bertschy returned to the ice Joachim Blickfeld rifled a fine shot through traffic, beating Charlin to his top corner. Suddenly there were smiles around the Jyske Bank Boxen and some swagger on the ice. A third Danish power play saw the offence transformed: the full two minutes took place in front of Charlin’s net, with the Swiss PK struggling to contain some effervescent passing play from a rejuvenated host.
But Hischier’s habit of hurting the Swiss returned to subdue the Norse revival. His feed set up Tyler Moy for a one-timer that whipped across the face of Dahm and inside the far post to tie the game at 2-2. And late in the second period the game took another turn when Timo Meier danced through the Danish defence and lifted a pass over a flailing stick to present Moy with his second goal in three minutes, restoring the Swiss lead.
“It was a great response from yesterday,” said man-of-the-moment Moy. “We had a tough loss in OT there, and then going down 2-1 in this game.
“To be able to close out games is important, and obviously they put a lot of pressure there at the end. I thought we did a great job shutting them down. We had some good blocks defensively. All in all, I thought it was a great team effort.”
And Moy’s game-winning contribution continued into the third. A Swiss power play saw the Harvard graduate with a chance for his hat-trick. Unselfishly, though, he looked for a pass to set up Damien Riat to make it 4-2 with his second goal of the tournament.
“I thought we brought all the momentum on our side, and then we just threw it away, myself included,” lamented Danish forward Nicklas Jensen. “So it’s tough right now. We gotta use that energy to keep a lead.
“We threw it away too easily, then it’s tough to come back when you are up 2-1 then suddenly you end up down 4-2.”
In the closing stages, veteran Andres Ambuhl was close to grabbing his first goal of this year’s tournament in his record-extending 143rd game at the Ice Hockey World Championship. At the other end, a big block from Jonas Siegenthaler denied Morten Poulsen a third Danish goal that might have revived home hopes. Instead Switzerland closed out the win, with Hischier wrapping it up with an empty-netter.
Next up, the Swiss face the USA in a big game for California-born Moy. “It’s super-special,” he said. “It’s a unique experience to be able to play the team or the country that you’re born in. I’m excited for it.”
For Denmark, a 2-5 loss means the host nation is still awaiting its first points of the competition. But after a 0-5 reverse against the USA on Friday, there was encouragement for Mikael Gath’s team in a strong second period show before Tyler Moy stepped up with three points to lead the Swiss to success.
Moy’s line with Nico Hischier and Timo Meier made all the difference here. Hischier scored the first and last, Moy potted his first two goals at this level, and the trio shared eight points as the Swiss built on its opening OT loss to the Czechs.
“I think their line is doing well,” said Swiss forward Christoph Bertschy. “They try to create a lot. They’re all really good players. Nico and Timo, they’re superstars in their team in the NHL. They’re difference-makers, and they help our team very well."
Early in the game, Denmark’s offensive struggle continued. Swiss debutant goalie Stephane Charlin was a virtual spectator for much of the first, with the Danes unable to generate much even on the only power play of the session. Charlin, 24, who plays for Geneve-Servette, made his first save in the last minute of the stanza, reacting smartly when Oscar Moelgaard got free in front of the net.
In the absence of NHLers Nikolaj Ehlers and Lars Eller, the Danes must wish they had someone as reliable as Hischier to call on. The Swiss captain had 11 points last year and opened his 2025 account in the 15th minute. The 26-year-old got free at the back door to steer a Christian Marti feed past Sebastian Dahm and continue his strong record against Denmark. By the end of today’s game, he was on 8 (3+5) points in four games against this opponent.
And the lead was no more than Switzerland deserved after controlling the opening stanza. A 13-2 shot count in favour of Patrick Fischer’s men in no way misrepresented the early action.
Yet things changed at the start of the second period. It did not look promising for the home team when Switzerland got on the power play, but Matias Lassen’s tripping minor brought a short-handed goal from Moelgaard. He profited from Sven Andrighetto’s slip on the blue line, sprinting down the ice to beat Charlin with a backhand finish.
In one of the tournament’s more improbable stats, it was Denmark’s first goal on the Swiss since 2016; since then we’ve seen three shut-out wins in 2021, 2022 and 2024.
Snapping that drought also changed the game, at least for a time. Where Denmark had been sluggish, now it was speedy. Tentative turned to assertive. And despite another lacklustre power play, seconds after Bertschy returned to the ice Joachim Blickfeld rifled a fine shot through traffic, beating Charlin to his top corner. Suddenly there were smiles around the Jyske Bank Boxen and some swagger on the ice. A third Danish power play saw the offence transformed: the full two minutes took place in front of Charlin’s net, with the Swiss PK struggling to contain some effervescent passing play from a rejuvenated host.
But Hischier’s habit of hurting the Swiss returned to subdue the Norse revival. His feed set up Tyler Moy for a one-timer that whipped across the face of Dahm and inside the far post to tie the game at 2-2. And late in the second period the game took another turn when Timo Meier danced through the Danish defence and lifted a pass over a flailing stick to present Moy with his second goal in three minutes, restoring the Swiss lead.
“It was a great response from yesterday,” said man-of-the-moment Moy. “We had a tough loss in OT there, and then going down 2-1 in this game.
“To be able to close out games is important, and obviously they put a lot of pressure there at the end. I thought we did a great job shutting them down. We had some good blocks defensively. All in all, I thought it was a great team effort.”
And Moy’s game-winning contribution continued into the third. A Swiss power play saw the Harvard graduate with a chance for his hat-trick. Unselfishly, though, he looked for a pass to set up Damien Riat to make it 4-2 with his second goal of the tournament.
“I thought we brought all the momentum on our side, and then we just threw it away, myself included,” lamented Danish forward Nicklas Jensen. “So it’s tough right now. We gotta use that energy to keep a lead.
“We threw it away too easily, then it’s tough to come back when you are up 2-1 then suddenly you end up down 4-2.”
In the closing stages, veteran Andres Ambuhl was close to grabbing his first goal of this year’s tournament in his record-extending 143rd game at the Ice Hockey World Championship. At the other end, a big block from Jonas Siegenthaler denied Morten Poulsen a third Danish goal that might have revived home hopes. Instead Switzerland closed out the win, with Hischier wrapping it up with an empty-netter.
Next up, the Swiss face the USA in a big game for California-born Moy. “It’s super-special,” he said. “It’s a unique experience to be able to play the team or the country that you’re born in. I’m excited for it.”
Denmark vs Switzerland - 2025 IIHF WM
OF