Captain Crosby and his teammates have been thrilling the fans in Stockholm.
photo: Andre Ringuette/IIHF
We are at the halfway point in the preliminary round, so it’s time to check in with our IIHF.com writers in Stockholm on the goings-on so far. Here’s what Risto Pakarinen and Andrew Podnieks have to say about the first half.
What has been your favourite moment so far?
RP: The word “favourite” is doing a lot of heavy lifting here because we’ve seen memorable moments that we can now look back at and even smile a little, but that looked chaotic at the time. And I’m thinking about the case of human dominoes falling when the French goalie knocked down the ref who then took down at least one Latvian player. Is it just me or are players falling down a lot in this tournament?
As far as hockey is concerned, the four goals in 1:43 in the game between Latvia and Slovenia made for an entertaining show!
AP: For me, it was the first power play in the first game for Canada. Crosby, MacKinnon, Konecny, Horvat, Montour. Just 13 seconds after the faceoff, the puck is in the net. This is not a Canadian team you want to give too many power plays to.
Usually, you know what you can expect from players and teams at the IIHF WM--any surprises?
AP: The United States is beating Norway, 5-1, early in the second. The route is on. The game is over. Let’s go to sleep. Except…the Norwegians don’t give up. They chip away, and make it 5-3 by the end of the second period, score midway through the third, and tie the game as time is running out. They lost in overtime, but what a comeback.
RP: I guess France shouldn’t be a surprise after their strong Olympic qualification but somehow it feels like they have now successfully ushered in a new generation of players, with former generation’s stars like Yorick Treille, Cristobal Huet and Florian Hardy now behind the bench.
What player has stood out as a possible MVP candidate?
RP: Well. There’s this promising young player by the name of Sidney Crosby on the Canadian team, and he’s been excellent thus far. Just kidding … about the promising and young part, but not about 87 having been excellent. And we all know how Crosby levels up for the important games. Of course, there’s also Nathan MacKinnon, Kent Johnson, and a few others.
I do also like the Swedish team. Just like Canada, they have several players who have the potential to carry their team deep in the tournament, notably Mika Zibanejad and Filip Forsberg. My dark horse, though, is Leo Carlsson.
AP: It almost feels like the MVP award is Crosby’s to lose. In a tournament with lots of big names, on Canada and the other teams, his towers above all others. His goal against France was ridiculous. His backhand saucer pass half the width of the ice to set up the Konecy goal against Latvia was other-worldly. Playing on a line with two young stars of the game, he is trying to lead without showing off, but what he does others cannot do.
What are you most looking forward to in the second half of the preliminary round?
AP: Canada-Sweden. Final day of the preliminary round. It will likely be the game to decide first place in the group, but who cares? More than that, it’s a game all the players will be jacked up for. Two world-class goalies; two defence corps of the first order. And then loads of talent up ice. The fans will be rocking. I can’t wait!
RP: I love the last two game days when math enters the picture. “If X beats Y while Z only beats G in OT, then…” I know I’m in the minority here, but I think that’s very exciting. And being a Finnish-born Stockholmian, I am looking forward to the last two game days also because Canada will play both Finland and Sweden when we get to the end of the preliminary round. This year, I think the battle for the last playoff spot will go on until the last day.
There are a good number of players who have been coming to the IIHF WM for so many years--who is your "golden warrior" of 2025?
RP: Mikael Backlund, Sweden. I’ll never forget how he came to Cologne in 2010, as a surprise to everyone, fresh off the AHL playoffs. Apparently, he had been on his way back home to Sweden, via Frankfurt, Germany when coach Bengt-Ake Gustafsson called him and told him to forget the connecting flight to Gothenburg and to come to Cologne instead. Backlund was 21 then.
Now he’s 36. He has an Ice Hockey World Championship silver and two bronze medals, and he got to hoist the championship trophy as team captain in 2018. In fact, this is his first tournament since then.
AP: Kaspars Daugavins turns 37 on Sunday, and if this is his farewell event he will be going out on a high. He has been team captain most of the last decade for Latvia and was part of the historic bronze-medal team in 2023. This is his 13th IIHF WM since his first in 2006 in Riga, and he is the all-time leader in overtime goals in the tournament. He has played with passion and determination and pride. It has been a pleasure to watch him. Not one of the great hockey nations in terms of medals, their fans and Daugavins's character make every World Championship a pleasure to watch.
What has been your favourite moment so far?
RP: The word “favourite” is doing a lot of heavy lifting here because we’ve seen memorable moments that we can now look back at and even smile a little, but that looked chaotic at the time. And I’m thinking about the case of human dominoes falling when the French goalie knocked down the ref who then took down at least one Latvian player. Is it just me or are players falling down a lot in this tournament?
As far as hockey is concerned, the four goals in 1:43 in the game between Latvia and Slovenia made for an entertaining show!
AP: For me, it was the first power play in the first game for Canada. Crosby, MacKinnon, Konecny, Horvat, Montour. Just 13 seconds after the faceoff, the puck is in the net. This is not a Canadian team you want to give too many power plays to.
Usually, you know what you can expect from players and teams at the IIHF WM--any surprises?
AP: The United States is beating Norway, 5-1, early in the second. The route is on. The game is over. Let’s go to sleep. Except…the Norwegians don’t give up. They chip away, and make it 5-3 by the end of the second period, score midway through the third, and tie the game as time is running out. They lost in overtime, but what a comeback.
RP: I guess France shouldn’t be a surprise after their strong Olympic qualification but somehow it feels like they have now successfully ushered in a new generation of players, with former generation’s stars like Yorick Treille, Cristobal Huet and Florian Hardy now behind the bench.
What player has stood out as a possible MVP candidate?
RP: Well. There’s this promising young player by the name of Sidney Crosby on the Canadian team, and he’s been excellent thus far. Just kidding … about the promising and young part, but not about 87 having been excellent. And we all know how Crosby levels up for the important games. Of course, there’s also Nathan MacKinnon, Kent Johnson, and a few others.
I do also like the Swedish team. Just like Canada, they have several players who have the potential to carry their team deep in the tournament, notably Mika Zibanejad and Filip Forsberg. My dark horse, though, is Leo Carlsson.
AP: It almost feels like the MVP award is Crosby’s to lose. In a tournament with lots of big names, on Canada and the other teams, his towers above all others. His goal against France was ridiculous. His backhand saucer pass half the width of the ice to set up the Konecy goal against Latvia was other-worldly. Playing on a line with two young stars of the game, he is trying to lead without showing off, but what he does others cannot do.
What are you most looking forward to in the second half of the preliminary round?
AP: Canada-Sweden. Final day of the preliminary round. It will likely be the game to decide first place in the group, but who cares? More than that, it’s a game all the players will be jacked up for. Two world-class goalies; two defence corps of the first order. And then loads of talent up ice. The fans will be rocking. I can’t wait!
RP: I love the last two game days when math enters the picture. “If X beats Y while Z only beats G in OT, then…” I know I’m in the minority here, but I think that’s very exciting. And being a Finnish-born Stockholmian, I am looking forward to the last two game days also because Canada will play both Finland and Sweden when we get to the end of the preliminary round. This year, I think the battle for the last playoff spot will go on until the last day.
There are a good number of players who have been coming to the IIHF WM for so many years--who is your "golden warrior" of 2025?
RP: Mikael Backlund, Sweden. I’ll never forget how he came to Cologne in 2010, as a surprise to everyone, fresh off the AHL playoffs. Apparently, he had been on his way back home to Sweden, via Frankfurt, Germany when coach Bengt-Ake Gustafsson called him and told him to forget the connecting flight to Gothenburg and to come to Cologne instead. Backlund was 21 then.
Now he’s 36. He has an Ice Hockey World Championship silver and two bronze medals, and he got to hoist the championship trophy as team captain in 2018. In fact, this is his first tournament since then.
AP: Kaspars Daugavins turns 37 on Sunday, and if this is his farewell event he will be going out on a high. He has been team captain most of the last decade for Latvia and was part of the historic bronze-medal team in 2023. This is his 13th IIHF WM since his first in 2006 in Riga, and he is the all-time leader in overtime goals in the tournament. He has played with passion and determination and pride. It has been a pleasure to watch him. Not one of the great hockey nations in terms of medals, their fans and Daugavins's character make every World Championship a pleasure to watch.