Norway pulls off major upset over Canada at World Hockey Championship
Canada has failed to medal at the 2026 IIHF World Championships after a major upset in the bronze medal game on Sunday morning.
The Canadians were looking to return to the podium after falling to Denmark in the quarterfinals last year, but it was another unexpected opponent that got in their way.
Canada managed to make it to the bronze medal game this time around, where they lined up against an upstart Norway club. The Norwegians had never won a medal at the World Championships and entered the game as heavy underdogs against Canada.
Yet, it was Norway who held a 2-0 lead late in the game, only to allow the Canadians to battle back in the final minutes with a pair of goals from Robert Thomas to force the game into OT.
That comeback would be for naught, as Noah Steen scored the winner on a 2-on-1 break to secure a 3-2 victory and Norway’s first-ever podium finish.
What a reaction from Team Norway after upsetting Canada in the Bronze Medal Game 🥹#MensWorlds pic.twitter.com/Mv7Ozfb5yg
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) May 31, 2026
Canada now has to settle for fourth place, marking the third-straight tournament that the country has failed to medal. It was also another major upset that caused their demise, as both Denmark and Norway are considered to be far less powerful teams.
It’s a strange slump for Canada to be in, as they have routinely been a gold medal contender in just about every other international tournament of late. The country is coming off a silver-medal finish at the 2026 Olympics and took home the 4 Nations Face-Off Championship just last year.
You can make the excuse that Canada did not have their best players with them at the tournament, with the likes of Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon not available, but they still had an imposing roster led by Macklin Celebrini and Sidney Crosby.
The focus will now shift to next year’s tournament in Germany.