🇨🇭 Switzerland 4-2 Finland 🇫🇮
World Championship Preliminary Round
Swiss Life Arena, Zürich 🇨🇭
Tuesday, 26 May 2026

Switzerland landed a last-gasp Jäger bomb to see off Finland and clinch first place in Group A at the 2026 IIHF World Championship.

The Swiss completed seven wins from seven in the preliminary round thanks to Ken Jäger’s power play goal on 56:47. A patient build-up culminated with Timo Meier and Théo Rochette putting together a triangle of passes for Jäger to score close in. Mikko Lehtonen’s delay of game penalty proved hugely costly for the Finns.

Jäger isn’t one of the highest-profile scorers in Swiss hockey, but on a team that boasts incredible scoring depth, it feels like Switzerland can find a new hero every night.

“He was amazing,” said Denis Malgin. “It’s nice to see somebody different stepping up every game, right? And that’s our team.”

His goal set up a 4-2 verdict, Nico Hischier finishing the job with an empty netter. It sends Switzerland into a quarterfinal against Sweden on Thursday. Finland takes second place in the group and will face Czechia in the last eight.

Early goals from Attilio Biasca and Jäger put Switzerland up 2-0 and seemingly on the way to top spot in Group A. But Finland hung in and managed to tie it up in the second on two quick goals from captain Alexander Barkov.

“We could have won it,” said Finland’s Mikael Granlund. “Obviously it’s all about the little things. They got their power plays tonight, and they got their goal on the power play at the end there. That’s pretty much it, but it’s two pretty good hockey teams playing, and it can go either way.”

Switzerland made a flying start to the game, scoring with its first shot on Justus Annunen’s net. The opening goal came after 40 seconds – the second fastest in this year’s World Championship so far.

And it was a play that reflected much of what has brought the Swiss success so far in Zürich. The host instantly adopted its fast, direct style. As soon as a puck battle broke Switzerland’s way, Dominik Egli stepped inside and aimed the puck to the net; Biasca’s tip took it beyond Annunen to get the crowd on its feet inside the first minute.

The pressure continued. Switzerland’s direct play had Finland pegged back and a second goal arrived within four minutes. Ironically, it came after the first Finnish foray. Jesse Puljujärvi fired narrowly wide and the same shift saw the Swiss bring play to the other end. Tim Berni made great progress up the middle and his shot rebounded for Jäger to claim his second of the tournament with a shot that kissed Annunen’s glove on its way through.

Finland could not force a save out of Reto Berra in the first five minutes. Mikko Lehtonen ended that wait, but soon after his misjudgement invited the Swiss forward again. Calvin Thürkauf had Annunen scrambling around his crease; the Finnish goalie didn’t look wholly convincing and lost his stick but managed to keep the puck out.

Switzerland was on top and the Finns faced a battle to stay in the game. Three successive penalty kills helped bring belief and by the middle of the second period, the game was an end-to-end affair.

That suited Finland better – and while the Swiss missed chances, their opponents hauled themselves level.

A third Swiss power play saw Nico Hischier agonizingly close to making it 3-0 midway through the game; Finland responded by halving the lead through Barkov. The captain was at the heart of the whole play, forcing the initial entry then barges his way net front as Henri Jokiharju slung the puck into the mixer. It took two attempts, but Barkov bundled it home.

Then Timo Meier was close to making it 3-1 for Switzerland, but again what might have been a big goal for the host turned into a bigger one for the visitor. This time it was Konsta Helenius with the diagonal feed to Barkov at the back door and the game was tied on 35:18.

“The Finns are a very good team, a very disciplined team,” Hischier said. “They’re playing well structurally and it’s never easy to beat the Finns. Definitely a good test for us.”

The third began with a scuffle between Hischier and Aatu Räty. That brought a couple of minor penalties and ushered in a frame that saw the tension rachet up with every passing minute.

Both teams focused on keeping the basics in order, meaning few big chances at either end. Instead, we saw offences probing for weakness and defences erecting an iron core to repulse any incursion.

But that late penalty on Lehtonen unlocked the door and Switzerland took advantage.

Despite the loss, Finland’s Anton Lundell felt his team would benefit from the game.

“We knew they’re a good team, and so we fought really well. They got a great start, and we fought back. That was a great team effort to come back in the game. Overall, I think we learned a lot, and we can take a lot from this moving forward.”

And Hischier, too, saw it as ideal preparation for the knock-out rounds.

“It was a fun game, a very intense game,” he said. “That’s what we expected, and the other games from now on are going to be the same thing. It was great we kept our composure and found a way.”

BOXSCORE
1st Period
00:40 – 🇨🇭 GOAL – Biasca (Egli)
03:59 – 🇨🇭 GOAL – Jäger (Berni, Moser)
15:19 – 🇫🇮 PEN – Lundell, tripping
15:19 – 🇨🇭 PEN – Bertschy, high sticking
16:05 – 🇫🇮 PEN – Björninen, holding

2nd Period
23:10 – 🇫🇮 PEN – Mäenalanen, tripping
30:04 – 🇫🇮 PEN – Jokiharju, slashing
32:48 – 🇫🇮 GOAL – Barkov (Jokiharju, Heinola)
35:18 – 🇫🇮 GOAL – Barkov (Helenius, Jokiharju)
38:02 – 🇨🇭 PEN – Berni, interference

3rd Period
40:45 – 🇫🇮 PEN – Räty, roughing
40:45 – 🇨🇭 PEN – Hischier, roughing
55:58 – 🇫🇮 PEN – Lehtonen, delay of game
56:47 – 🇨🇭 PP GOAL – Jäger (Meier, Rochette)
57:09 – 🇫🇮 PEN – Vaakanainen, roughing
57:09 – 🇨🇭 PEN – Riat, roughing
59:05 – 🇨🇭 EN GOAL – Hischier (Jäger, Meier)

GOALTENDERS
W: 🇨🇭 Berra (23-25)
L: 🇫🇮 Annunen (19-22)

SHOTS ON GOAL
🇨🇭 10+4+9 = 23
🇫🇮 8+8+9 = 25

ROSTERS
🇨🇭 Goaltenders: Reto Berra, Leonardo Genoni. Defence: Tim Berni, Dominik Egli, Roman Josi (C), Sven Jung, Dean Kukan, Christian Marti, Janis Moser. Forwards: Sven Andrighetto (A), Nicolas Baechler, Christoph Bertschy, Attilio Biasca, Nico Hischier (A), Ken Jäger, Simon Knak, Denis Malgin, Timo Meier, Nino Niederreiter, Damien Riat, Théo Rochette, Calvin Thürkauf.
🇫🇮 Goaltenders: Justus Annunen, Joonas Korpisalo. Defence: Ville Heinola, Henri Jokiharju, Mikko Lehtonen, Nikolas Matinpalo Olli Määttä (A), Vili Saarijärvi, Urho Vaakanainen. Forwards: Alexander Barkov (C), Hannes Björninen, Mikael Granlund (A), Konsta Helenius, Lenni Hämeenaho, Janne Kuokkanen, Anton Lundell, Sakari Manninen, Waltteri Merelä, Saku Mäenalanen, Patrik Puistola, Jesse Puljujärvi, Aatu Räty.

Article Credit: IIHF Worlds 2026
Photo Credit: IIHF Worlds 2026 – IIHF – HHOF – IOC