USA Eyes Gold Medal Defense
The United States is set to begin its campaign for a second straight gold medal at the International Ice Hockey Federation world championships, with the tournament kicking off on May 15.
Sixteen nations have been divided into two groups of eight, and the top four from each group will move on to the knockout stage. The Americans sit in Group A, where they will face seven opponents in a round‑robin that spans the opening weeks.
Head‑to‑head results will be the first tiebreaker, and games that extend beyond regulation will be decided by a five‑minute sudden‑death overtime played at 3‑on‑3 before a shootout if needed.
Overtime and Shootout Nuances
If a preliminary‑round game is tied after 60 minutes, a five‑minute overtime begins with teams skating 3‑on‑3, and the sides do not change ends. A shootout follows if the deadlock remains, with each side taking five attempts before moving to sudden death.
Playoff overtime lasts up to ten minutes and also uses a 3‑on‑3 format, while the gold‑medal game may end in a shootout after a ten‑minute overtime if no winner emerges.
All U.S. contests will be televised by the NHL Network, which will also carry select games from the quarterfinals, semifinals and medal rounds.
The championship schedule culminates with the bronze‑medal game earlier on May 31, followed by the gold‑medal final later that evening, giving fans a full slate of decisive matchups in a single day.