The sixth day of play at the 2026 Ice Hockey World Championship took place on 20 May. The national teams of Switzerland, Sweden, the Czech Republic and the USA all secured victories.
The Swiss team is putting in an impressive performance. The tournament hosts defeated the Austrian national team 9–0 and are the only side to have won all four of their matches.
The Swiss performance is particularly worth noting. The hosts opened the scoring in the sixth minute. In total, they scored four goals in the first period without conceding a single one.
The second period proved no less impressive for the Alpine side. They managed to extend their lead over the Austrians to 7–0. In the final period, they scored twice more.
Nico Gishir, Theo Rosette and Damien Ria were the top scorers of the match. Sven Andrighetto (3) provided the most assists. He currently leads the scoring charts. In total, he has 3 goals and 5 assists to his name.
The Czechs defeated Italy, who are languishing at the bottom of the group. Traditionally, one of Europe’s strongest teams can be considered the favourites.
It is worth noting that the USA and Sweden needed victories. Both teams were outside the playoff spots, but improved their position following their wins. The reigning world champions secured crucial points against Germany, albeit not without difficulty, whilst the Scandinavians thrashed Slovenia 6-0.
All results from the sixth day of the 2026 World Cup:
Austria v Switzerland 0–9 (0–4, 0–3, 0–2)
Czech Republic v Italy 3–1 (0–0, 0–1, 3–0)
USA v Germany 3–2 (1–1, 1–2, 1–0, 0–0 OT, 2–1 SO)
Sweden – Slovenia 6:0 (2:0, 4:0, 0:0)
2026 Ice Hockey World Championship groups and likely winners
The situation surrounding the US team remains intriguing. The 2025 world champions may fail to progress from the group if they drop points. Latvia could be their main rival, with three games remaining; it is against them that the Americans will decide their fate on 23 May in a head-to-head clash.
The situation regarding qualification from Group A is already looking predictable – Switzerland, Finland and Austria have built up a points cushion. Meanwhile, the USA, Hungary and Latvia will battle it out for fourth place. It is not out of the question that the Germans and the British could also spring a surprise.
In Group B, the situation is not quite so clear-cut. Canada and the Czech Republic, despite leading the group, cannot afford to rest on their laurels. Slovenia and Norway could overtake them depending on the results of the favourites.
It is clear that the Swedes have not had their final say yet. The Scandinavians still have to prove themselves.
