Czech Republic, Finland Win Hockey Worlds Openers in Denmark, Sweden

The 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship opened with several notable matches, including Finland's narrow 2-1 victory over Austria in Stockholm, avenging last year's loss to the same team. Finland took an early 2-0 lead with goals from Patrik Puistola and Juuso Parssinen, while Austria's Bernd Wolf scored to reduce the deficit, and Finnish goalie Juuse Saros made 14 saves. The game featured a unique matchup between the Tolvanen brothers, with Atte Tolvanen defending for Austria and Eeli Tolvanen playing for Finland. Meanwhile, defending champion Czech Republic won a thrilling 5-4 overtime game against Switzerland in Herning, Denmark, with Roman Cervenka scoring the decisive goal. The tournament serves as the final major international competition before NHL players return to the Olympics at the 2026 Winter Games in Italy. Other matches included the United States facing Denmark and Sweden playing Slovakia, highlighting the global competitive landscape ahead of the Olympic return of NHL athletes.