Canada's National Men's Team will face the United States in the quarterfinals of the 2026 IIHF World Championship on Thursday, May 28.
The game takes place at BCF Arena in Fribourg, Switzerland, renewing a historic hockey rivalry.
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Canada's Perfect Preliminary Record
Canada finished Group A with a perfect record.
They overcame a 2-0 deficit against Czechia on Tuesday to win 3-2, with Sidney Crosby providing two assists and John Tavares scoring the game-winning goal.
Goaltender Jet Greaves made 17 saves against Czechia, earning his fifth victory of the tournament. He previously recorded 31 saves in a 5-1 win over Slovakia on Sunday.
Canada's offense has been led by forward Macklin Celebrini, who sits second overall in tournament scoring with 11 points.
His partnership with captain Sidney Crosby has been key to Canada's success.
"It's awesome the way we are moving the puck in the offensive zone and making plays," Celebrini said.
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He added that playing with Crosby has been "a lot of fun."
United States' Path to Quarterfinals
The United States secured their quarterfinal spot by defeating Austria 4-1 in their final preliminary game.
Connor Clifton, Ryan Ufko, Paul Cotter, and Matthew Tkachuk scored for the Americans. Goaltender Devin Cooley stopped 24 shots.
The U. S.
finished fourth in Group A with a 3-1-0-3 record. Despite their position, they boast the tournament's top power play, converting seven of 20 man-advantage opportunities.
Historically, Canada holds a 42-7 all-time record against the United States at the IIHF World Championship since 1931.
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This marks the third quarterfinal meeting between the two nations, with Canada winning in 1995 and the United States winning in 2001.
