Sweden Secures Bronze at the 2025 Ice Hockey World Championship
Sweden wins bronze at the 2025 Ice Hockey World Championship with a 6-2 victory over Denmark, marking consecutive bronze medals for the team.
Key Points
- • Mikael Backlund's two goals lead Sweden to a 6-2 victory over Denmark for the bronze medal.
- • The win follows a semifinal loss to the USA and marks Sweden's second consecutive bronze.
- • Denmark achieves its best-ever World Championship finish in fourth place.
- • Samuel Ersson expresses disappointment at not achieving gold despite the bronze win.
Sweden has clinched the bronze medal at the 2025 Ice Hockey World Championship with a resounding 6-2 victory over Denmark at a packed Globen arena in Stockholm. The game marked a significant comeback for the Swedish team after their earlier semifinal loss to the USA, where they were defeated 6-2.
In the bronze medal match, veteran Mikael Backlund led the way, scoring two key goals, while Marcus Johansson also netted two goals. Other contributions came from Lucas Raymond and Mika Zibanejad, who scored one goal each. Despite aiming for gold, Zibanejad expressed satisfaction, stating, "It is still a medal," reflecting on the team's performance as they closed the tournament on a high note.
Coach Sam Hallam retained goaltender Samuel Ersson, who had replaced Jacob Markström in the semifinal. While Ersson expressed some disappointment, remarking, "It’s well, of course, not the medal we came here for," he acknowledged the importance of the victory.
Denmark's fourth-place finish is historic, marking their best performance ever in World Championship history, though they faced challenges in the match, including a crucial disallowed goal that could have shifted momentum. The final of the tournament is set to feature the USA against Switzerland, the latter having secured silver.
In a tournament characterized by ups and downs, Sweden's achievement of winning consecutive bronze medals demonstrates their consistent presence on the international hockey scene, having also secured the same position the previous year in 2024.
The Swedish team's performance has garnered enthusiastic support, culminating in a standing ovation from the audience of 12,530 following their victory, underscoring the nation’s enduring love and passion for ice hockey.