Sweden won long-awaited gold at the 2026 world juniors in Minnesota, holding off Czechia's push in the dying moments and avoiding heartbreak.
SAINT PAUL, Minn. – The final three minutes of the 2026 world juniors featured enough chaos for an entire tournament, but in the end, Sweden took gold for the first time since 2012 and just the third time in tourney history.
The Tre Kronor beat the Czechs 4-2, but it got dodgy at the end. Sweden had a commanding 3-0 lead and had largely shut down the Czechs all game, blocking shots and limiting their opponents' offensive chances. But with goalie Michael Orsulak pulled for the extra attacker, Czechia scored twice to get within one before 2026 NHL draft prospect Ivar Stenberg iced things with an empty-netter.
Despite giving up two late goals, Love Harenstam (STL) was a rock in net for the Swedes and earned top goaltender and all-star honors for the tourney as a whole.
"Love, his whole tournament was amazing," said Anton Frondell (CHI). "The semifinal game, he saved us, and tonight he was incredible. So thanks, Love, for the gold."
He got a lot of help in the gold medal game as the Swedes gave the Czechs a dose of their own medicine by playing a great defensive game in front of him.
Early in the third period, the shots were 30-13 for Sweden, and even with the massive late push, the Czechs only had 29 shots by the end of the night.
"The team played incredibly today and throughout all three periods we pretty much owned the game," Harenstam said. "I was just happy how the guys fought today. It doesn't matter that they got two quick ones, so many guys blocked shots and did a perfect job in our own zone."
While the Czechs came into the game knowing they could not give the skilled Swedes a lot of chances on the power play, Sweden nonetheless cashed in with the man advantage.
They opened the scoring shorthanded (but on a delayed Czech penalty as well) when captain Jack Berglund (PHI) drew a couple of defenders and Orsulak on the rush before dishing to Casper Juustovaara (2026), who made no mistake for the 1-0 lead.
Sweden doubled their lead in the second after eventual tournament MVP Vojtech Cihar (LA) got the gate for cross-checking Stenberg. On the ensuing power play, Viktor Eklund (NYI) picked up a loose puck at the side of the net and popped one in.
By the third period, the Swedes were in control, and when Sascha Boumedienne (WPG) blasted a slapshot past Orsulak after a great possession shift and pass from Stenberg, the gold looked like a lock.
But the Czechs would not give up, and the final minutes of the game were a mad scramble. Bomb point shots from Adam Jiricek (STL) and Matej Kubiesa made things incredibly tense before Stenberg's empty-netter, and seconds later, the celebration was on.
World Juniors: Organizers Praise Minnesota And Address Attendance Numbers
IIHF president Luc Tardif said Minnesota was the best place to celebrate the 50th world juniors and praised how it went. As for the attendance, "the geopolitical situation makes it not so easy."
While this Swedish team was certainly one of the favorites heading into the tournament, we've seen that movie before, and it usually ended in heartbreak. Not this time. The Swedes were skilled, they played hard, and they got great goaltending. They are the worthy champions of the 2026 world juniors.
"I was so sure we were going to win," Eklund said. "There was no doubt about it. We came into the game with the mentality that the job was not finished and that's what we did: We scored and we won."
Added Frondell: "It was a crazy game, and we found a way to win. It was time for a gold, and we did it."
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