Nazar rallies US past Czechs to play Finland at quarters at ice hockey worlds, Canada tops Sweden

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Frank Nazar scored twice to help the United States rally for a 5-2 victory over the Czech Republic and hand the titleholder its first defeat at the ice hockey world championship on Tuesday.

The victory lifted the Americans to second place in Group B in Herning, Denmark. Switzerland won the group, with the Czechs finishing third and Denmark fourth.

Tuesday’s results determined the pairings for the quarterfinals on Thursday: Canada vs. Denmark, the United States vs. Finland, Sweden vs. Czech Republic and Switzerland vs. Austria.

“I loved our effort and how we played to our identity,” U.S. head coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “Give our power play credit too. Overall, great team effort and a good step forward as we continue to build.”

Nazar deflected a shot into the net to tie the game at 2-2 1:35 into the final period on a power play. He scored again on another power play for the 21-year-old Chicago Blackhawks forward's sixth goal at the tournament.

Logan Cooley roofed a shot from close range to make it 4-2 with 6:31 to go and Andrew Peeke finished it off with a goal into an empty net.

Josh Doan gave the Americans a 1-0 lead 9:25 into the game on a rebound with a backhand between the pads of goalie Karel Vejmelka.

The U.S. dominated the first period, outshooting its opponent 23-8. The Czechs came back in the second, as David Pastrnak tied the game on a breakway 41 seconds into the period by beating his Boston Bruins teammate Swayman for his sixth goal at the tournament.

Pastrnak then set up Martin Necas in the left circle to one-time a shot that put the Czechs 2-1 up 8:33 into the middle period.

In Stockholm, Canada completed the preliminary stage with a 5-3 victory over Sweden to rebound from Monday’s 2-1 loss to Finland. Canada topped Group A with 19 points, with Sweden one point behind and Finland another two points back.

Defenseman Travis Sanheim was in front of the goal to put Canada ahead 18 seconds into the game, the second fastest goal at the tournament. Elias Lindholm scored the equalizer 3:29 later with a shorthanded goal on a breakaway with his seventh goal.

Tyson Foerster beat goalie Jacob Markstrom to restore Canadas lead and Ryan O'Reilly made it 3-1 against a team that had only conceded three goals in total in its six previous games at the worlds.

The Swedish team used a 5-on-3 power play to reduce the deficit through Marcus Johansson 3:02 into the middle period, but Macklin Celebrini collected a through pass from captain Sidney Crosby to restore a two-goal advantage on a breakaway midway through the frame.

Travis Konecny was on his knees when he set up MacKinnon for the fifth 4:11 into the final period — one of his three assists in the game.

The Swedes pulled Markstrom with 4:12 to go and Rasmus Andersson pulled one goal back.

Earlier, Austria reached the playoffs for the first time in 31 years after it defeated Latvia 6-1 and became the fourth and final team to advance to the quarterfinals from Group A.

Finland defeated Slovakia 2-1.

Switzerland beat Kazakhstan 4-1.

Kazakhstan was relegated after five years in the top division.

Denmark prevailed 2-1 over Germany after a penalty shootout to become the fourth and final team from Group B to advance.

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

Canada's Macklin Celebrini, center, celebrates scoring with teammates during the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship group A match between Sweden and Canada in Stockholm, Sweden, Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (Fredrik Sandberg/TT News Agency via AP)

Canada's Macklin Celebrini (96) scores past Sweden's goalkeeper Jacob Markström during a Group A match between Sweden and Canada at the hockey world championships, Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at Avicii Arena in Stockholm, Sweden. (Fredrik Sandberg/TT News Agency via AP)

United States' Frank Nazar celebrates after scoring against the Czech Republic during a Group B match at the hockey world championships, Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in Herning, Denmark. (Bo Amstrup/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

United States' Frank Nazar (910) celebrates with teammates after scoring against the Czech Republic during a Group B match at the hockey world championships, Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in Herning, Denmark. (Bo Amstrup/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

Frank Nazar of the USA, left, scores past Czech Republic goalkeeper Karel Vejmelka and Libor Hajek, center, during a Group B match between Czech Republic and the US at the hockey world championships in Herning, Denmark, Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (Bo Amstrup/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

Finland's Jesper Mattila, center, in action in front of Slovakia goalkeeper Samuel Hlavaj, left, and Mislav Rosandic, right, during the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship group A match between Slovakia and Finland in Stockholm, Sweden, Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (Fredrik Sandberg/TT News Agency via AP)

Tage Thompson of the US, front, and Czech Republic goalkeeper Karel Vejmelka in action during a Group B match between Czech Republic' and the US at the hockey world championships in Herning, Denmark, Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (Bo Amstrup/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

Switzerland's Sven Andrighetto, left, celebrates his side's second goal during the IIHF 2025 Ice Hockey World Championship group B match between Switzerland and Kazakhstan in Herning, Denmark, Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)

Austria's Thomas Raffl, left, celebrates after scoring his side's fourth goal during the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship group A match between Latvia and Austria in Stockholm, Sweden, Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (Pontus Lundahl/TT News Agency via AP)

Switzerland's Kevin Fiala, right, scores his side's first goal during the IIHF 2025 Ice Hockey World Championship group B match between Switzerland and Kazakhstan in Herning, Denmark, Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday that he will allow service members to carry personal weapons onto military installations, citing the Second Amendment and recent shootings at bases across the country.

In a video posted to X, Hegseth said he is signing a memo that will direct base commanders to allow requests for troops to carry privately owned firearms “with the presumption that it is necessary for personal protection.”

He said any denial of a service member's request must be explained in detail and in writing.

“Effectively, our bases across the country were gun-free zones,” Hegseth said. “Unless you're training or unless you are a military policeman, you couldn't carry, you couldn't bring your own firearm for your own personal protection onto post.”

Questions about why service members lacked access to weapons have often emerged following shootings on the nation's military bases. Such shootings have ranged from isolated events between service members to mass casualty events, such as the shootings by an Army psychiatrist at Texas’ Ford Hood in 2009 that left 13 people dead.

Hegseth cited some of the events in his video, including a shooting that injured five soldiers at Fort Stewart in Georgia last year. Officials said the shooter, an Army sergeant who worked at the base, used his personal handgun before he was tackled by fellow soldiers and arrested.

“In these instances, minutes are a lifetime,” Hegseth said. “And our service members have the courage and training to make those precious, short minutes count.”

Defense Department policy has prohibited military personnel from carrying personal weapons on base without permission from a senior commander, with strict protocol for how the firearms must be stored.

Typically, military personnel must officially check their guns out of secure storage to go to on-base hunting areas or shooting ranges, then check all firearms back in promptly after their sanctioned use. Military police are often the only armed personnel on base, outside of shooting ranges, hunting areas or in training, where soldiers can wield their service weapons without ammunition.

Tanya Schardt, senior counsel at the Brady gun violence prevention organization, said in a statement that Defense Department leaders and the military’s top brass have opposed relaxing the current policy, which was originally enacted under President George H.W. Bush.

Schardt noted that most active duty service members who die by suicide do so with a weapon they own personally, not one military-issued, and argued that there will “undoubtedly be an increase in gun suicide and other gun violence.”

While fewer American service members died by suicide in 2024, the suicide rates among active duty troops overall still have gradually increased between 2011 and 2024, according to a Pentagon report released Tuesday.

“Our military installations are among the most guarded, protected properties in the world, and they’ve never been ‘gun-free zones,’” Schardt said. “If there is a problem with violent crime on these installations, then the Secretary of Defense has an obligation to alert the American people and describe how he’s working to prevent that crime.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks to members of the media during a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)