In a goalie battle for the ages, USA defeated Switzerland 1-0 in overtime to capture gold at the 2025 IIHF World Championships, and all three medalists will take plenty of lessons with them.
The Americans are tournament champions for the first time since 1933 after Tage Thompson scored the lone goal of the game in 3-on-3 overtime. Jeremy Swayman stopped all 25 shots he faced in his seventh consecutive victory.
The Swiss haven taken home the team's fourth medal since 2013. Prior to that, the country had a nearly 60-year podium drought in this tournament beginning in 1954. The host country Sweden took home its second straight bronze medal.
With nine months to go until the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, the three teams to hit the podium in this tournament have gained some valuable wisdom in terms of how to approach the next big international competition.
Team USA re-emerging as an international threat
The Americans have certainly underperformed on the international stage over the last 20 years. Before the gold medal finish, Team USA had only taken home four bronze medals at the World Championships since 2005.
What makes this year's team so different? Simply put, they had something to prove. The roster was the youngest at the tournament, including seven players age 21 or under. It was filled by players still searching to find their role in the NHL and beyond.
Up-and-coming skaters like Frank Nazar and Logan Cooley led the charge offensively, but every single skater recorded at least one point throughout the 10 games.
Some notable names were missing from this year's squad, namely the Hughes brothers, Tkachuk brothers, and even staples like Auston Matthews and Cole Caufield. Yet, the offensive prowess was able to shine through with more shots than any other squad and the second-most goals behind Switzerland.
The same goes for the goaltenders: Jeremy Swayman ran away with the starting position as Connor Hellebuyck and Jake Oettinger were busy in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He won seven straight matches, posting two shutouts along the way with a 1.69 GAA.
The success of this team has big implication for the 2026 Winter Olympics. It raises the question: should Team USA take a different approach next February?
Rather than rely on veterans like Chris Kreider and Brock Nelson, maybe it's time to get back to the historic philosophy of using younger skaters. Of course, it's a given that at least two of the Hughes will be back, along with Matthews, but putting them alongside some fresh-faced teammates could make a world of difference.
Ever since winning gold at the Winter Olympics in 1980, Team USA has taken home just two medals: both silver, in 2004 and 2010. Next year could break the trend if they choose to build the roster using the World Championship team as an outline.
Switzerland establishing itself as a hockey powerhouse
Switzerland has a long and storied history on the ice and is finally earning the recognition it deserves once again with the second silver medal in a row.
The team built its brand on commanding both sides of the puck. They were effective at shutting down the opponent's offense, posting five shutouts in 10 games, while also scoring the most goals of any team in the tournament.
Stellar goaltending was a huge difference maker as well. Leonardo Genoni allowed under one goal per game in his seven appearances, with a tournament-leading .953 SV%. He made 39 saves to keep his team alive through regulation.
The roster featured the perfect blend of veterans and developing talent. Eight players were age 30 or above, while another six were 25 or younger. Some of the club's standouts were homegrown players with 19 skaters coming from the National League, the highest level of hockey in Switzerland, plus six NHLers.
Switzerland does not have the same NHL legacy that countries like Russia, Sweden or Finland have, but has nevertheless produced some premier-level athletes in more recent memory. Nico Hischier, Timo Meier, Kevin Fiala and Roman Josi are the headliners of this group.
The team will likely look somewhat different next year, with more NHL pros like Pius Suter and Philipp Kurashev expected to join the ranks. Longtime forward Andres Ambuhl is hanging up the skates now that the tournament is over, leaving another roster spot open.
But there's not much to complain about looking back at the phenomenal effort put forth in this World Championships, and not many tweaks that need to be made. With more of the same, Switzerland will no doubt continue to remain relevant in international play.
Sweden back on the upswing?
With its second straight bronze medal at this tournament, Sweden is hopeful about finding its way back to the longstanding excellence it enjoyed for so many years.
It comes as somewhat of a disappointment for the home team after failing to place higher in front of its fans. But the third-place finish is a generally positive sign going forward.
Like Team USA, this group was missing some of its best skaters: Victor Hedman, Jesper Bratt, and Erik Karlsson, to name a few. All of those guys will more than likely represent their country at the Olympics next year.
Still, Sweden showed flashes of what they're capable of, averaging 33.6 shots and 4.1 goals per game. Especially in the bronze medal match, they played a fast and aggressive style that overwhelmed Denmark's defense.
The biggest downfall in the two losses to USA and Canada respectively was the defensive lapses. Both Canada and USA play a high-speed game that Sweden simply could not handle, resulting in early deficits that they could not come back from. It was easy for the opponents to exploit the holes in the defense combined with some mid-level goaltending.
The Swedes have long been one of the world's leading producers of high-caliber NHL talent, but have fallen out of favor in international play recently. Since winning back-to-back golds at the World Championship in 2017 and 2018, they failed to medal until the bronze finish in 2024.
Sweden also finished outside of the podium three times in the last four Olympic Games dating back to 2010, taking home silver in 2014.
Looking ahead to 2026, the team will be padded by more of the country's superstars. With a bolstered defensive core plus more offensive threats up front, Sweden has to potential to be a real contender for the podium once again.