2025 IIHF World Championship: Results Schedule Winner

The United States ended a 92-year drought on May 25, 2025, claiming gold at the IIHF World Championship in dramatic fashion. Tage Thompson’s overtime goal lifted Team USA past Switzerland 1-0 in the final at Avicii Arena in Stockholm—a result that rewrote the record books and sent shockwaves through the international hockey world. The tournament, co-hosted by Sweden and Denmark across two cities, delivered historic upsets, breakthrough performances, and a finish no one predicted at the start.

Dates: May 9-25, 2025 · Hosts: Stockholm, Sweden & Herning, Denmark · Teams: 16 nations · Champions: United States

Who Won the IIHF 2025 Tournament?

The United States claimed the 2025 IIHF World Championship title, defeating Switzerland 1-0 in overtime in the final on May 25, 2025, at Avicii Arena in Stockholm. Tage Thompson buried the game-winning goal 21 seconds into overtime, sending Team USA to a historic victory that had not been achieved in 92 years. Goaltender Jeremy Swayman turned aside 25 shots for the shutout.

Final Match Details

The gold medal game was a tight, defensive battle with Switzerland holding the edge in regular shots on goal (38-26 overall), but USA converted its best chance when it mattered most. Thompson’s strike marked the culmination of a remarkable tournament run that saw the Americans defeat Finland 5-2 in the quarterfinals and Sweden 6-2 in the semifinals. Switzerland entered the final as Group B winners with a tournament-leading 26 points but could not solve Swayman in the deciding moment.

Team USA has struck gold at the World Championship for the first time in nearly a century.

— NHL.com, reporting on the final result

Medal Standings

The final standings confirm the United States as champions with 25 points from 10 games (7 wins, 2 overtime wins, 1 loss, 46 goals for, 18 against, +28 goal differential). Switzerland settled for silver with 26 points (8 wins, 2 overtime losses, 47 goals for, 10 against, +37 goal differential) but earned more points in the preliminary round. Sweden took bronze on home ice, while Denmark achieved its best-ever result at fourth place.

The USA’s triumph marks its first gold in 92 years, establishing the Americans as legitimate contenders on the world stage.

Where Was the 2025 IIHF Championship Held?

The 2025 IIHF World Championship was co-hosted by Stockholm, Sweden, and Herning, Denmark, marking the first time the tournament was contested across two countries. This arrangement was confirmed at the IIHF congress on May 24, 2019, representing years of collaborative planning between the two Nordic nations.

Host Cities

Stockholm served as the primary host for Group A preliminary games and all playoff matches at Avicii Arena, the 14,000-seat arena that also staged the medal games. Herning welcomed Group B teams at Jyske Bank Boxen, a venue known for its passionate Danish crowds. The dual-city format allowed the tournament to accommodate 16 national teams while splitting the logistical burden between two experienced hosts.

Tournament Venues

Avicii Arena in Stockholm hosted the gold medal game at 20:20 local time on May 25, 2025, with the bronze medal game scheduled earlier that same day at 15:20 at the same venue. The 88th IIHF Men’s Ice Hockey World Championship utilized world-class facilities in both cities, with preliminary round action beginning on May 9, 2025, across both venues.

The two-host format proved successful, allowing fans across both nations to experience tournament hockey while ensuring all playoff action concentrated in Stockholm for maximum atmosphere.

2025 IIHF World Championship Schedule and Results

The tournament ran from May 9 to May 25, 2025, following a structured format that saw 16 teams compete in preliminary round action before advancing to knockout playoff rounds. The schedule unfolded across both host cities, with key results reshaping expectations as the tournament progressed.

Preliminary Round

The preliminary round featured two groups of eight teams each. In Group A (Stockholm/Avicii Arena), Sweden finished first, Canada second, Finland third, and Austria fourth to advance. Group B (Herning/Jyske Bank Boxen) saw Switzerland top the standings with 26 points, followed by the United States with 25 points and the host Danes—marking Denmark’s first-ever semifinal appearance after their quarterfinal upset of Canada.

Playoffs and Finals

Denmark’s 2-1 quarterfinal victory over Canada on May 21, 2025, proved to be the tournament’s biggest upset—a result that eliminated the five-time champions from medal contention for the first time since 2014. The Danes subsequently fell to the United States 6-2 in the semifinals on May 23, but had already secured their place in history as the first Danish team ever to reach the tournament semifinals.

Denmark defeated Canada 2–1, in what was widely considered one of the biggest upsets in IIHF World Championship history.

— Wikipedia coverage of the quarterfinal upset

The playoff bracket produced a final between two teams that had taken different paths: Switzerland had dominated the preliminary round with the best goal differential (+37), while the United States had fought through a tougher Group B before finding tournament form at the right moment. The bronze medal went to Sweden with a win over Denmark on May 25.

The quarterfinal upset set the stage for a final that few predicted, proving that any team can be vulnerable in knockout hockey.

How to Stream the IIHF World Championships

The official streaming platform for IIHF events is IIHF.tv, which offers live and on-demand coverage of all games including preliminary round matches, playoffs, and medal games. The platform provides international feeds with multi-language commentary options for registered users.

Official Streaming Platform

IIHF.tv serves as the primary digital destination for fans seeking comprehensive tournament coverage. The platform archived game replays and highlight packages following each matchday, allowing viewers to catch up on specific games or review key moments from the tournament. Subscription details and regional availability vary by country, with some national broadcasters holding exclusive rights in specific markets.

Availability

Beyond the official IIHF platform, select national broadcasters carried live coverage of their respective teams throughout the tournament. These regional deals meant that fans in Canada, Sweden, the United States, and other participating nations could access coverage through familiar broadcasters, often with commentary from their domestic hockey experts. The dual-city hosting format meant that some games were available across multiple venues simultaneously, requiring fans to choose between concurrent matchups during the preliminary round.

Regional broadcast agreements can change year-to-year, so fans should verify their local options before each tournament.

Which Country Is No. 1 in Ice Hockey?

Following the 2025 World Championship, the IIHF World Ranking will incorporate the tournament results, affecting how nations are seeded for future competitions. The United States’ gold medal victory represents a significant ranking boost for the Americans, who had not won gold since the 1933 tournament.

IIHF World Ranking

The IIHF World Ranking system accounts for all major tournaments over a four-year window, with recent results weighted more heavily. The 2025 results—USA’s gold, Switzerland’s silver, Sweden’s bronze, and Denmark’s fourth-place finish—all contribute to updated rankings that will influence seedings for the 2026 championship draw. The USA’s triumph marks the first time the Americans have topped the World Championship podium since 1933, when the tournament featured fewer participating nations and a different format.

Post-2025 Updates

The dramatic shift in the competitive landscape—Canada’s quarterfinal elimination, Denmark’s historic semifinal run, and the USA’s breakthrough—demonstrates the depth of international hockey. The traditional powerhouses (Canada, Russia, Sweden, Finland, Czechia) remain formidable, but emerging programs like Denmark have proven capable of competing at the highest levels when the format allows.

The U.S. Men’s National Team won its first gold in 92 years.

— Team USA Hockey official statement

The rankings shift demonstrates that single-elimination tournaments can produce unexpected champions, but sustained top-tier performance remains the true benchmark of national program strength.

2025 IIHF World Championship: Additional Insights

Top Performers and Awards

Beyond the team results, individual honors recognized standout performances across the tournament. Leonardo Genoni of Switzerland earned the best goalkeeper award, posting five wins with a 95.33% save percentage, a 0.99 goals-against average, and four shutouts during the tournament. His performance anchored a Swiss team that allowed just 10 goals against in ten games—tournament lows across all teams that advanced to medal games.

Relegation and Promotion Context

France and Kazakhstan’s relegation to the 2026 Division I tournament marks a significant setback for both programs. France had competed at the top level consistently since 2018, while Kazakhstan’s relegation comes after a decade of top-division competition. Their replacements will be determined through the Division I tournaments scheduled for 2026, with Italy, Kazakhstan (for France’s spot), and other Division I contenders positioned for promotion.

The 2025 tournament demonstrated that traditional hierarchies in international hockey can be disrupted, with both the USA’s breakthrough and Denmark’s run proving that programs willing to invest strategically can compete for medals.

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USA ended its 92-year drought with a 1-0 overtime triumph over Switzerland, vividly captured in coverage of the final.

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