The Swiss, who fell 2-0 to the Czechs in the 2024 gold medal game, will get a chance for revenge when the two nations face each other in the Group B opener in Herning, Denmark.
photo: PHOTO: © INTERNATIONAL ICE HOCKEY FEDERATION / ANDREA CARDIN
At the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, there are no easy answers about who will dominate Group B. The eight teams in Herning, Denmark range from the defending champion Czechs to the newly promoted Hungarians, but there is upset potential aplenty en route to the quarter-finals.
General managers and coaches are conducting evaluations for their 2026 Olympic rosters as well as aiming to capture medals in Stockholm, Sweden on 25 May, which heightens the intrigue this year. Let’s take a closer look at the contenders and pretenders.
Czechia
In 2024, Radim Rulik sealed his fame by guiding Czechia to the gold medal in Prague in his first tour as the national team head coach. It will be challenging – but not impossible – to match that feat this year. A huge plus is the return of superstar Boston winger David Pastrnak, who scored the winner against the Swiss in the 2024 final, along with still-evolving Colorado ace Martin Necas. Ditto for adding Vancouver’s Filip Hronek, named Best Defenceman at the 2019 Worlds in Slovakia.
Still, there is a drop-off in depth, both on defence and among the bottom-six forwards. And likely starting goalie Karel Vejmelka, coming off 58 games with Utah (2.58 GAA, 90.4 save percentage), will be hard-pressed to match Lukas Dostal’s 2024 all-star performance. Captain Roman Cervenka, 39, is the reigning IIHF Male Player of the Year and just led the Czech playoffs with 19 points for Pardubice. If he can inspire his fellow Europe-based skaters to elevate their games again, you never know. Certainly, anything less than a medal this year would be a disappointment.
Denmark
This is the second time the Danes have pursued a straightforward objective as a host nation: make the quarter-finals (2010, 2016). They fell short in 2018 in Herning with a heartbreaking 1-0 loss to Latvia to end the preliminary round. And once again, Danish dreams hang by a thread.
The roster isn’t as shiny as the one that secured a 2026 Olympic berth on home ice in Aalborg in September. Generating scoring will be harder without veteran NHLers like Nikolaj Ehlers (Winnipeg), Lars Eller (Washington), and Oliver Bjorkstrand (Tampa Bay). Forwards Nicklas Jensen (Rapperswil-Jona) and Patrick Russell (Linkoping), who each scored twice in the 4-1 win over Norway to punch their tickets to Milan, face extra pressure to produce in this scenario.
The togetherness of a seasoned defensive core, led by Jesper Jensen Aabo, will be critical, especially after coach Mikael Gath’s troops were outscored 29-15 last year en route to 13th place. The goaltending duo of Frederik Dichow and Sebastian Dahm (back after ending his three-year retirement from the national team) can’t make up for Frederik Andersen’s absence, but can still steal games. Riding the red-and-white fervor at Jyske Bank Boxen, Denmark must gain points against Hungary and Kazakhstan (doable), as well as Germany and Norway (dicier), in order to maximize its playoff hopes.
Germany
The Germans have advanced to the playoff round at seven of the last eight Worlds, peaking with 2023’s silver medal under coach Harald Kreis in Tampere. That was Germany’s first medal since 1953. The expectations continue to climb, and justifiably so. The 2025 roster boasts veteran NHL goaltending in Philipp Grubauer (Seattle), a legitimate number one defenceman in Moritz Seider (Detroit), and game-breaking 23-year-old forwards in Tim Stutzle (Ottawa) and JJ Peterka (Buffalo).
That said, Germany is still a step below the traditional powers most days. (Witness last year’s 6-1 losses to Sweden and the U.S. and the 3-1 quarter-final exit versus Switzerland.) A totally committed, two-way effort for 60 minutes and a bit of puck luck can turn the tide, though. Another quarter-final berth is well within reach. If the Germans draw a less-offensively gifted opponent on do-or-die day, they could play for a medal again.
Hungary
The drums and chanting of Hungarian fans sound like a fearsome medieval army preparing to attack. The reality, though, is that Hungary – back in the top division after a one-year absence – will likely struggle on the attack.
The Magyars tallied just 15 goals in five games to top Division IA last year, with six coming against Korea. Key domestic scorers like Istvan Sofron, Istvan Bartalis, and Balazs Sebok are 37, 34, and 30 respectively, making it even harder to maintain the pace required among the world’s top 16 nations. The Hungarians are dexterous enough to upset a careless foe (witness 2023’s 3-2 overtime win over France) if they get exceptional goaltending, and performed well in pre-tournament exhibition play. Ultimately, this is all about trying to outdo the likes of Kazakhstan and Norway in the fight against relegation, and that may be a long shot.
Kazakhstan
Having elected to stop relying on naturalized players like Canadian-born forward Nigel Dawes or Swedish-born blueliner Viktor Svedberg, Kazakhstan has seen its depth tested. After posting a 12th-place finish in 2024, the former Soviet republic is about to discover if it has viable netminding options beyond veterans Nikita Boyarkin and Andrey Shutov (Barys Astana). Both are injured and out for the tournament. That might leave a 30-year-old ex-Barys goalie, Sergei Kudryavtsev (now with Arlan Kokshetau), as coach Oleg Bolyakin’s best bet.
Keeping games tight and exploiting power play chances or shootout scenarios are among Kazakhstan’s keys to staying up. The Kazakhs have few consistent offensive threats beyond venerable captain Roman Starchenko, 38, and Nikita Mikhailis, 29. Their fate – good or bad – will likely be sealed by 14 May, as they round out Group B play against medal contenders in the Czechs, Americans, and Swiss.
Norway
The halcyon days of semi-regular quarter-final berths (2008, 2011, 2012) may be in the rear-view mirror, but the Norwegians still deserve credit for staying in the top division continuously since 2006. Unable to qualify for either the 2022 or 2026 Olympics (they appeared in three straight from 2010 to 2018), they now aim to keep their place among the world’s elite on the ice of their Nordic rivals. Last year, it took wins over Denmark (2-0) and Great Britain (5-2) to secure an 11th-place finish.
Coach Tobias Johansson’s Polar Bears have faced some roster issues in the run-up to this year’s Worlds. Question marks abound.
Will there be enough scoring without the likes of NHL ace Mats Zuccarello (Minnesota) and AHL prospects Emilio Pettersen and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard? Who will replace the intensity and experience of Patrick Thoresen after the power forward re-retired from the national team at age 41? Can goalie Jonas Arntzen (Orebro) fill Henrik Haukeland’s skates after the veteran starter emulated Thoresen’s example? Still, based on recent history, expect Norway to wind up somewhere in the top 13.
Switzerland
Nobody takes Swiss hockey lightly anymore. The Swiss won three silver medals in the last 13 years (2013, 2018, 2024). Even in 2022 and 2023, they topped their preliminary-round group before falling in the quarter-finals. Another deep run is feasible in 2025.
It’s not just the sniper power of New Jersey captain Nico Hischier and teammate Timo Meier up front, or the solid NHL pedigree of Devils defenceman Jonas Siegenthaler and fellow blueliner Janis Moser (Tampa Bay). There is – similar to the host Danes – a family feel on the squad, built up through numerous World Championship runs together. The Swiss have their godfather figures in 41-year-old forward Andres Ambuhl – the all-time Worlds games leader (141) poised to retire after this season – and 37-year-old goalie Leonardo Genoni, whose acrobatic and determined style keyed the last two silver-medal outings. All four lines can skate, move the puck, and hold their own physically against the tough North American and Nordic teams.
Switzerland will aim for a strong tone-setter in the Day One rematch of the 2024 final with the Czechs and go from there.
United States
The U.S., unbelievably, has a World Championship gold medal drought stretching back to 1933, excluding the Olympic-year victories of 1960 and 1980 (when the Winter Games counted as the World Championships). Could that futility finally end at this tournament? The answer – as it often has been in recent years – is “Why not?”
On paper, coach Ryan Warsofsky has enough veteran skill and depth at every position to fuel a run to the final. Goalie Jeremy Swayman (Boston) could bounce back to rediscover his Jennings Trophy form of 2023. On defence, Brady Skjei (Nashville) brings nearly 700 games of NHL experience and power play production aplenty. With captain Clayton Keller (Utah) coming off a career 90-point season and Tage Thompson (Buffalo) surpassing 40 goals for the second time this year, the Americans should be able to get timely scoring. And per usual, there is a cohort of talented youngsters, from Utah sophomore Logan Cooley (65 points) to Boston University blueliner Cole Hutson, the younger brother of Calder Memorial Trophy favourite Lane Hutson (Montreal) and a nifty, indomitable overachiever.
The Americans have played for a medal at seven of the last 11 Worlds, garnering four bronzes (2013, 2015, 2018, 2021). It all boils down to not faltering at critical moments in the medal round. Stay tuned.
General managers and coaches are conducting evaluations for their 2026 Olympic rosters as well as aiming to capture medals in Stockholm, Sweden on 25 May, which heightens the intrigue this year. Let’s take a closer look at the contenders and pretenders.
Czechia
In 2024, Radim Rulik sealed his fame by guiding Czechia to the gold medal in Prague in his first tour as the national team head coach. It will be challenging – but not impossible – to match that feat this year. A huge plus is the return of superstar Boston winger David Pastrnak, who scored the winner against the Swiss in the 2024 final, along with still-evolving Colorado ace Martin Necas. Ditto for adding Vancouver’s Filip Hronek, named Best Defenceman at the 2019 Worlds in Slovakia.
Still, there is a drop-off in depth, both on defence and among the bottom-six forwards. And likely starting goalie Karel Vejmelka, coming off 58 games with Utah (2.58 GAA, 90.4 save percentage), will be hard-pressed to match Lukas Dostal’s 2024 all-star performance. Captain Roman Cervenka, 39, is the reigning IIHF Male Player of the Year and just led the Czech playoffs with 19 points for Pardubice. If he can inspire his fellow Europe-based skaters to elevate their games again, you never know. Certainly, anything less than a medal this year would be a disappointment.
Denmark
This is the second time the Danes have pursued a straightforward objective as a host nation: make the quarter-finals (2010, 2016). They fell short in 2018 in Herning with a heartbreaking 1-0 loss to Latvia to end the preliminary round. And once again, Danish dreams hang by a thread.
The roster isn’t as shiny as the one that secured a 2026 Olympic berth on home ice in Aalborg in September. Generating scoring will be harder without veteran NHLers like Nikolaj Ehlers (Winnipeg), Lars Eller (Washington), and Oliver Bjorkstrand (Tampa Bay). Forwards Nicklas Jensen (Rapperswil-Jona) and Patrick Russell (Linkoping), who each scored twice in the 4-1 win over Norway to punch their tickets to Milan, face extra pressure to produce in this scenario.
The togetherness of a seasoned defensive core, led by Jesper Jensen Aabo, will be critical, especially after coach Mikael Gath’s troops were outscored 29-15 last year en route to 13th place. The goaltending duo of Frederik Dichow and Sebastian Dahm (back after ending his three-year retirement from the national team) can’t make up for Frederik Andersen’s absence, but can still steal games. Riding the red-and-white fervor at Jyske Bank Boxen, Denmark must gain points against Hungary and Kazakhstan (doable), as well as Germany and Norway (dicier), in order to maximize its playoff hopes.
Germany
The Germans have advanced to the playoff round at seven of the last eight Worlds, peaking with 2023’s silver medal under coach Harald Kreis in Tampere. That was Germany’s first medal since 1953. The expectations continue to climb, and justifiably so. The 2025 roster boasts veteran NHL goaltending in Philipp Grubauer (Seattle), a legitimate number one defenceman in Moritz Seider (Detroit), and game-breaking 23-year-old forwards in Tim Stutzle (Ottawa) and JJ Peterka (Buffalo).
That said, Germany is still a step below the traditional powers most days. (Witness last year’s 6-1 losses to Sweden and the U.S. and the 3-1 quarter-final exit versus Switzerland.) A totally committed, two-way effort for 60 minutes and a bit of puck luck can turn the tide, though. Another quarter-final berth is well within reach. If the Germans draw a less-offensively gifted opponent on do-or-die day, they could play for a medal again.
Hungary
The drums and chanting of Hungarian fans sound like a fearsome medieval army preparing to attack. The reality, though, is that Hungary – back in the top division after a one-year absence – will likely struggle on the attack.
The Magyars tallied just 15 goals in five games to top Division IA last year, with six coming against Korea. Key domestic scorers like Istvan Sofron, Istvan Bartalis, and Balazs Sebok are 37, 34, and 30 respectively, making it even harder to maintain the pace required among the world’s top 16 nations. The Hungarians are dexterous enough to upset a careless foe (witness 2023’s 3-2 overtime win over France) if they get exceptional goaltending, and performed well in pre-tournament exhibition play. Ultimately, this is all about trying to outdo the likes of Kazakhstan and Norway in the fight against relegation, and that may be a long shot.
Kazakhstan
Having elected to stop relying on naturalized players like Canadian-born forward Nigel Dawes or Swedish-born blueliner Viktor Svedberg, Kazakhstan has seen its depth tested. After posting a 12th-place finish in 2024, the former Soviet republic is about to discover if it has viable netminding options beyond veterans Nikita Boyarkin and Andrey Shutov (Barys Astana). Both are injured and out for the tournament. That might leave a 30-year-old ex-Barys goalie, Sergei Kudryavtsev (now with Arlan Kokshetau), as coach Oleg Bolyakin’s best bet.
Keeping games tight and exploiting power play chances or shootout scenarios are among Kazakhstan’s keys to staying up. The Kazakhs have few consistent offensive threats beyond venerable captain Roman Starchenko, 38, and Nikita Mikhailis, 29. Their fate – good or bad – will likely be sealed by 14 May, as they round out Group B play against medal contenders in the Czechs, Americans, and Swiss.
Norway
The halcyon days of semi-regular quarter-final berths (2008, 2011, 2012) may be in the rear-view mirror, but the Norwegians still deserve credit for staying in the top division continuously since 2006. Unable to qualify for either the 2022 or 2026 Olympics (they appeared in three straight from 2010 to 2018), they now aim to keep their place among the world’s elite on the ice of their Nordic rivals. Last year, it took wins over Denmark (2-0) and Great Britain (5-2) to secure an 11th-place finish.
Coach Tobias Johansson’s Polar Bears have faced some roster issues in the run-up to this year’s Worlds. Question marks abound.
Will there be enough scoring without the likes of NHL ace Mats Zuccarello (Minnesota) and AHL prospects Emilio Pettersen and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard? Who will replace the intensity and experience of Patrick Thoresen after the power forward re-retired from the national team at age 41? Can goalie Jonas Arntzen (Orebro) fill Henrik Haukeland’s skates after the veteran starter emulated Thoresen’s example? Still, based on recent history, expect Norway to wind up somewhere in the top 13.
Switzerland
Nobody takes Swiss hockey lightly anymore. The Swiss won three silver medals in the last 13 years (2013, 2018, 2024). Even in 2022 and 2023, they topped their preliminary-round group before falling in the quarter-finals. Another deep run is feasible in 2025.
It’s not just the sniper power of New Jersey captain Nico Hischier and teammate Timo Meier up front, or the solid NHL pedigree of Devils defenceman Jonas Siegenthaler and fellow blueliner Janis Moser (Tampa Bay). There is – similar to the host Danes – a family feel on the squad, built up through numerous World Championship runs together. The Swiss have their godfather figures in 41-year-old forward Andres Ambuhl – the all-time Worlds games leader (141) poised to retire after this season – and 37-year-old goalie Leonardo Genoni, whose acrobatic and determined style keyed the last two silver-medal outings. All four lines can skate, move the puck, and hold their own physically against the tough North American and Nordic teams.
Switzerland will aim for a strong tone-setter in the Day One rematch of the 2024 final with the Czechs and go from there.
United States
The U.S., unbelievably, has a World Championship gold medal drought stretching back to 1933, excluding the Olympic-year victories of 1960 and 1980 (when the Winter Games counted as the World Championships). Could that futility finally end at this tournament? The answer – as it often has been in recent years – is “Why not?”
On paper, coach Ryan Warsofsky has enough veteran skill and depth at every position to fuel a run to the final. Goalie Jeremy Swayman (Boston) could bounce back to rediscover his Jennings Trophy form of 2023. On defence, Brady Skjei (Nashville) brings nearly 700 games of NHL experience and power play production aplenty. With captain Clayton Keller (Utah) coming off a career 90-point season and Tage Thompson (Buffalo) surpassing 40 goals for the second time this year, the Americans should be able to get timely scoring. And per usual, there is a cohort of talented youngsters, from Utah sophomore Logan Cooley (65 points) to Boston University blueliner Cole Hutson, the younger brother of Calder Memorial Trophy favourite Lane Hutson (Montreal) and a nifty, indomitable overachiever.
The Americans have played for a medal at seven of the last 11 Worlds, garnering four bronzes (2013, 2015, 2018, 2021). It all boils down to not faltering at critical moments in the medal round. Stay tuned.