Fraser Minten Delivers Two Assists in Canada’s 5-3 Win

fraser minten set up two goals as Canada beat Sweden 5-3 in its opening game at the 2026 IIHF Men’s World Championship on Friday. He finished as Canada’s player of the game after repeatedly creating space for his linemates in a game that swung back and forth before Canada pulled away.

Minten Opens Space

Minten’s clearest sequence came on Canada’s 3-2 goal, when he forced Sweden’s second defense pair to move to the left side and opened the lane for Dylan Holloway to score from the slot. He added another assist later and turned a tight game into one that gave Canada the edge it needed in Group B play.

Canada had started fast with a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals by John Tavares and Ryan O’Reilly. Sweden answered in the second period with three goals from Jacob Larsson, Lucas Raymond and Mattias Ekholm to tie it 3-3 and put the pressure back on Canada.

Canada Answers Sweden

Connor Brown broke that tie at 43:21 of the third period with the eventual game-winning goal, and Dylan Cozens added another at 52:59. Those two goals restored control after Sweden’s three-goal push and left Canada with the 5-3 result to open the tournament.

The performance fit the way Minten was described Friday: one of the best players in any game at creating space and opportunities for his linemates. For Canada, that mattered in a matchup between two heavyweights, and it gave the Boston Bruins center a strong start to the tournament while Sweden left with a result that came apart after its rally in the second period.

Minten’s First Day Impact

Canada joined Finland, Czechia and Switzerland as winners on Day 1, but Minten’s two assists made this one stand out inside the opening slate. He did not need a scoring drought or a late flurry to shape the game; he created the lane that produced the 3-2 goal and then added another assist before Canada closed it out.