Sweden beats Czechia 4-2 for its 3rd world junior hockey title

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Casper Juustovaara and Viktor Eklund scored first-period goals and Sweden won its third world junior hockey title, beating Czechia 4-2 on Monday night in the first all-European final since 2016.

“It was time for a gold, and we did it,” said forward Antron Frodell, drafted third overall by Chicago last summer. "It’s amazing. We’re a big family. We love each other. We did the right things for the team to win."

Sweden also won in 1981 and 2012. Czechia won its lone titles in 2000 and 2001.

Sascha Boumedienne gave Sweden a 3-0 lead at 3:47 of the third.

Adam Jiricek and Matej Kubiesa scored for Czechia, with Kubiesa striking with 24 seconds left. Ivar Stenberg capped the scoring with an empty-netter with eight seconds left.

“I think Sweden played better from the beginning,” Czechia coach Patrik Augusta. “Our legs weren’t going and the game against Canada last night took a lot of energy from us, not just physically but mentally. We were looking for a little spark, and it didn’t come until the last couple of minutes, which was too late.”

In the third-place game, Sam O'Reilly scored twice, Gavin McKenna and Michael Hage each had four points to help Canada beat Finland 6-3.

McKenna had a goal and three assists, and Hage had four assists. Zayne Parekh had a goal and an assist to break the Canadian record for points by a defenseman with 13 on six goals and seven assists. Alex Pietrangelo had 12 in 2010.

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Sweden Jack Berglund (26) and Leo Sahlin Wallenius (4) celebrate after winning an IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship gold medal game against Czechia, Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Czechia goalie Michal Orsulak (30) and defenseman Vladimir Dravecky (9) react after losing an IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship gold medal game to Sweden, Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Sweden players celebrate after winning an IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship gold medal game against Czechia, Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Sweden's Linus Eriksson celebrates after winning an IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship gold medal game against Czechia, Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Sweden's Ivar Stenberg (15) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the third period of an IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship gold medal game against Czechia, Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Finland goalie Petteri Rimpinen, left, greets Canada goalie Carter George after an IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship bronze medal game, Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Finland scores on Canada goaltender Carter George (30) while Finland's Jasper Kuhta (29) stands in front of the net, during the first period of an IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship bronze medal game in St. Paul, Minn., Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP)

Canada's Sam O'Reilly, center, scores on Finland goaltender Petteri Rimpinen (30) while teammates Kasper Pikkarainen (20) and Max Westergard, second from right, defend during the first period of an IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship bronze medal game in St. Paul, Minn., Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP)

Canada forward Cole Beaudoin (26) shoots against Finland forward Matias Vanhanen (37) during the second period of an IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship bronze medal game, Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

Canada forward Sam O'Reilly (23) celebrates with teammates after a power play goal against Finland during the second period of an IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship bronze medal game, Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Alex Wennberg had a goal and an assist against his former team, and the San Jose Sharks bounced back from a frustrating loss three days earlier and beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-2 on Tuesday night.

Zack Ostapchuk also had a goal while Macklin Celebrini and Mario Ferraro added empty-netters to help the Sharks win their fourth in five games. Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 34 shots for San Jose, which was coming off a 7-3 loss to Tampa Bay on Saturday night.

Wennberg, the Blue Jackets’ first-round pick in 2013, assisted on Pavol Regenda’s goal in the first period then scored on a power play early in the second for his eighth goal of the season. That moved the 31-year-old within two points of reaching 400 for his career.

Celebrini’s goal was his 23rd of the season and extended the 19-year-old’s career-high point streak to 11 games.

Zach Werenski scored his team-leading 16th goal for Columbus, and Sean Monahan also had a goal. Jet Greaves finished with 31 saves.

San Jose broke through moments after Nedeljkovic stopped Charlie Coyle’s wrist shot. Regenda responded quickly and broke free to score his sixth of the season on a cross-ice pass from Wennberg with 49 seconds left.

Wennberg made it 2-0 with a power-play goal at 4:14 of the second when he fired the puck between Greaves' legs. It gave Wennberg his seventh multi-point game of the season.

Werenski trimmed San Jose’s lead to 2-1 with his goal late in the second. He has five points in three games since returning from an ankle injury.

Ostapchuk’s second goal of the season made it 3-1 before Monahan pulled the Blue Jackets within one with 3:55 to go.

Ferraro and Celebrini scored into the empty net 45 seconds apart to seal San Jose's win.

Blue Jackets: At Vegas on Thursday night.

Sharks: At Los Angeles on Wednesday night.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky, middle back, during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Thien-An Truong)

San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini celebrates after scoring in the shoot-out of an NHL hockey game against the Minnesota Wild, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)