Finland staged a dramatic comeback to defeat heavily favored Canada 4-2 in Stockholm, Sweden on May 30, securing their place in the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship final against host nation Switzerland, who dominated Norway 6-0 in the earlier semifinal.
The Finns struck first just 3 minutes and 30 seconds into the opening period when they forced a turnover and set up Patrik Puistola for a breakaway goal that found the upper-right corner of the net.
Canada, still stinging from their overtime defeat to the United States in February’s Winter Olympic gold medal game, responded quickly. Robert Thomas capitalized on a deflected shot to tie the game less than five minutes later, and Dylan Holloway put the Canadians ahead 2-1 by the end of the first period after converting a well-placed pass.
The second period belonged entirely to Finland, who exploded for three goals to seize control of the match. Aleksander Barkov found the net just 49 seconds into the frame, followed by goals from Konsta Helenius and Aatu Raty that gave Finland a commanding 4-2 advantage.
Facing elimination, Canada mounted a desperate offensive push in the third period, but Finnish goalkeeper Justus Annunen delivered an outstanding performance while his defensive teammates protected their lead to secure the victory.
Sunday’s championship game will feature four-time champion Finland seeking their first title since 2022, while Switzerland aims for their inaugural gold medal in their third consecutive final appearance.
