Canada Blanks U.S. 4-0 to Reach World Championship Semifinal

By Tahani Elghazaly
Published May 29, 2026

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Canada delivered one of its strongest performances of the tournament, defeating the United States 4-0 in the quarterfinals of the 2026 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship and booking a semifinal clash with Finland.

The win carried extra weight because it came against Canada’s North American rival and eliminated the defending champion United States from the tournament. Canada scored in every period, controlled key stretches of play, and relied on an outstanding performance from goaltender Jet Greaves, who stopped all 34 U.S. shots for his first shutout with Team Canada.

Macklin Celebrini opened the scoring late in the first period, giving Canada a 1-0 lead on the power play. Dylan Holloway doubled the advantage in the second period, before Connor Brown and Sidney Crosby added two empty-net goals late in the third to seal the victory. Crosby’s goal was his first of the tournament.

The result sends Canada into the semifinal round, where it will face Finland on Saturday, May 30, at Swiss Life Arena in Zurich. The other semifinal will feature Switzerland against Norway, with the winners advancing to the gold medal game and the losers moving to the bronze medal game on Sunday, May 31.

For Canada, the victory strengthens hopes of another deep run on the world stage. The team last won the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in 2023, while Finland last captured the title in 2022, setting up a high-stakes semifinal between two major hockey nations.