Canada’s Connor Brown, centre, celebrates teammates after scoring a goal during a Group B preliminary round game between Canada and Sweden at the men’s ice hockey world championship in Fribourg, Switzerland, Friday, May 15, 2026. (Anthony Anex/Keystone via AP)
By The Canadian Press
May 15, 2026 | 10:07 AM
FRIBOURG — Connor Brown scored the winning goal in the third period and Canada opened its 2026 world hockey championship with a 5-3 win over Sweden on Friday.
Canada led 2-0 after the first period and 3-2 late in the second, only to find itself in a 3-3 tie after 40 minutes.
But the Canadians went in front for good 3:31 into the third when Brown took a cross-ice pass from Porter Martone and wired a shot past Swedish goalkeeper Magnus Hellberg.
John Tavares, Ryan O’Reilly, Dylan Holloway and Dylan Cozens also scored for Canada. Martone, Darnell Nurse and Fraser Minten added two assists each.