Norway's Noah Steen is tied for second in tournament goal scoring with six.
Quick: Name the goaltender who’s posted a 1.00 goals-against average and recorded three shutouts in the six games he’s played at the 2026 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship.
If you said Henrik Haukeland, you’re our kind of hockey fan.
But not many people could have predicted that — even though the 31-year-old Norwegian has put up several stellar performances at the Worlds in the past.
Equally surprising as Haukeland’s record is the fact that Norway is going to play in the semifinal. The nation that dominates practically every other winter sport is suspiciously absent from the list of IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship medalists.
Twelve nations have won a Worlds medal, and Norway is not one of them. Nor have they ever been particularly close, even though their best finish is a fourth place in 1951.
Here in 2026, Norway has taken the hockey world by storm. They got off to a good start in the tournament, giving Slovakia a scare and then beating the teams they thought they should beat. And not only did they win against Slovenia and Italy, they shut them out.
Then came the ultimate confidence booster: taking mighty Canada into overtime.
Even though they lost the game, something happened, and the Norwegians never looked back. The semifinal berth may not mean that Norwegian hockey has suddenly leveled up, but their success in this tournament is no longer a matter of lucky bounces.
First, there’s Haukeland, but he’s had a lot of help from the skaters in front of him, constantly blocking shots and making sure he can see the puck.
On defense, Stian Solberg and Johannes Johannesen log the most minutes, and Norway also hopes Solberg can find the same scoring touch he had last year, when he scored six points in seven games. This year, he has one assist.
Noah Steen and Tinus Luc Koblar have been Norway’s most dangerous forwards, with six goals apiece — tied for second in the tournament — but others have chipped in precisely when the team has needed it most. Eirik Salsten scored the game-winner against Sweden, Michael Brandsegg-Nygård got the OT winner against Denmark and the game-winner against Czechia, and Eskild Bakke Olsen scored the important first goal against Italy to get the ball rolling.
Speaking of rolling balls, Norway may just be one of those snowballs that has gathered momentum and can’t be stopped.
“Can’t be stopped?”
Not in Haukeland’s vocabulary.
However — yes, of course there is a however — and it’s called Switzerland.
They, too, have an excellent goaltender in Leonardo Genoni. In fact, his save percentage is even better than Haukeland’s. His 96.6 is the best save percentage in the tournament, as is his 0.60 goals-against average.
So the Swiss won’t have to worry about goaltending.
Or defense.
Roman Josi and Janis Moser are the anchors. Both play around twenty minutes a game, and Josi has posted an incredible plus-15 in eight games while collecting eleven points. Dean Kukan and Christian Marti are a solid second pair, and Dominik Egli, who’s been paired with Josi, is a mobile defender who can join the rush and make plays.
Nothing to worry about there, either.
It’s the Swiss offense that will worry the Norwegians, though. Sven Andrighetto leads the team — and the tournament — in scoring with 13 points. Denis Malgin, who scored the game-winner in the quarterfinal against Sweden, has 12. Timo Meier has 11, and Nico Hischier has 10. Hischier leads the team in goal scoring, with five.
And the offense is deep, too. Nino Niederreiter has five points, but also has the potential to win a game single-handedly.
Oh, and then there’s that magical seventh player, made up of 10,000 Swiss fans who jump up and down and sing for three hours straight.
“I get goosebumps. I mean, that’s the best feeling you can have playing at home,” Egli said.
The fans want more. And this Swiss team will do everything in its power to give it to them.
Nothing will stop them.
No how, Norway?
If you said Henrik Haukeland, you’re our kind of hockey fan.
But not many people could have predicted that — even though the 31-year-old Norwegian has put up several stellar performances at the Worlds in the past.
Equally surprising as Haukeland’s record is the fact that Norway is going to play in the semifinal. The nation that dominates practically every other winter sport is suspiciously absent from the list of IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship medalists.
Twelve nations have won a Worlds medal, and Norway is not one of them. Nor have they ever been particularly close, even though their best finish is a fourth place in 1951.
Here in 2026, Norway has taken the hockey world by storm. They got off to a good start in the tournament, giving Slovakia a scare and then beating the teams they thought they should beat. And not only did they win against Slovenia and Italy, they shut them out.
Then came the ultimate confidence booster: taking mighty Canada into overtime.
Even though they lost the game, something happened, and the Norwegians never looked back. The semifinal berth may not mean that Norwegian hockey has suddenly leveled up, but their success in this tournament is no longer a matter of lucky bounces.
First, there’s Haukeland, but he’s had a lot of help from the skaters in front of him, constantly blocking shots and making sure he can see the puck.
On defense, Stian Solberg and Johannes Johannesen log the most minutes, and Norway also hopes Solberg can find the same scoring touch he had last year, when he scored six points in seven games. This year, he has one assist.
Noah Steen and Tinus Luc Koblar have been Norway’s most dangerous forwards, with six goals apiece — tied for second in the tournament — but others have chipped in precisely when the team has needed it most. Eirik Salsten scored the game-winner against Sweden, Michael Brandsegg-Nygård got the OT winner against Denmark and the game-winner against Czechia, and Eskild Bakke Olsen scored the important first goal against Italy to get the ball rolling.
Speaking of rolling balls, Norway may just be one of those snowballs that has gathered momentum and can’t be stopped.
“Can’t be stopped?”
Not in Haukeland’s vocabulary.
However — yes, of course there is a however — and it’s called Switzerland.
They, too, have an excellent goaltender in Leonardo Genoni. In fact, his save percentage is even better than Haukeland’s. His 96.6 is the best save percentage in the tournament, as is his 0.60 goals-against average.
So the Swiss won’t have to worry about goaltending.
Or defense.
Roman Josi and Janis Moser are the anchors. Both play around twenty minutes a game, and Josi has posted an incredible plus-15 in eight games while collecting eleven points. Dean Kukan and Christian Marti are a solid second pair, and Dominik Egli, who’s been paired with Josi, is a mobile defender who can join the rush and make plays.
Nothing to worry about there, either.
It’s the Swiss offense that will worry the Norwegians, though. Sven Andrighetto leads the team — and the tournament — in scoring with 13 points. Denis Malgin, who scored the game-winner in the quarterfinal against Sweden, has 12. Timo Meier has 11, and Nico Hischier has 10. Hischier leads the team in goal scoring, with five.
And the offense is deep, too. Nino Niederreiter has five points, but also has the potential to win a game single-handedly.
Oh, and then there’s that magical seventh player, made up of 10,000 Swiss fans who jump up and down and sing for three hours straight.
“I get goosebumps. I mean, that’s the best feeling you can have playing at home,” Egli said.
The fans want more. And this Swiss team will do everything in its power to give it to them.
Nothing will stop them.
No how, Norway?