Sweden and Canada battled in the third-place game after both countries were upset in the semis.
Pontus Holmberg is leaving his first World Hockey Championship with hardware after Sweden defeated Canada 4-2 the Bronze Medal match in Prague on Sunday.
Team Sweden takes Bronze at the #MensWorlds! 🇸🇪 pic.twitter.com/jEfljbslN7
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) May 26, 2024
Playing in his first ever IIHF World Hockey Championship, Holmberg played in all 10 games for Sweden where he finished with six assists while averaging 15:29 of ice time per game while playing on a line with fellow NHLers Lukas Raymond and Andre Burakovsky.
Holmberg had last represented Sweden as part of the 2022 Olympic team that did not feature NHL players.
Sweden fought off the Canadians thanks to a pair of goals from former Leafs prospect Carl Grundstrom
SWEDEN TAKES THE LEAD!
Carl Grundstrom gives his team the lead in the 3rd period. #MensWorlds pic.twitter.com/6QHak9n0ST
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) May 26, 2024
Maple Leafs and Canada captain John Tavares recorded an assist on Canada’s second goal of the game that gave them a 2-1 lead before Sweden responded with three unanswered tallies.
Pierre-Luc Dubois finishes the feed from Hagel. Canada gets the lead in the third.🇨🇦🚨 #MensWorlds #SWECAN @hockeycanada @LAKings pic.twitter.com/ocULIIdMh3
— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) May 26, 2024
Despite the disappointing fourth-place finish, Tavares has a pretty good tournament, tying with Dylan Cozens for the team lead in points with 11 while doing it in one fewer game played (two goals, nine assists in nine games.
Canada and Sweden were favored to meet in the final. But host Czechia defeated Sweden 73 in the first semifinal on Saturday. Canada fell to Switzerland 3-2 in a shootout.
Maple Leafs forward David Kampf is set to take part in the Gold Medal Game later on Sunday.
