Konsta Helenius Leads Finland Past Switzerland 1-0 in Overtime — Finland Vs Switzerland Hockey
Konsta Helenius scored at 10:42 in overtime, and Finland beat host Switzerland for gold at the 2026 IIHF Men's World Championship in finland vs switzerland hockey. The finish ended a scoreless final through regulation and delivered Finland the title in the tournament’s last game.
Helenius Breaks The Deadlock
Helenius finished the gold-medal game after Finland had already pushed the pace through 60 minutes and then survived the first swings of overtime. Jesse Puljujarvi hit the post early in the extra period for Finland, and Damien Riat answered with a shot that hit the crossbar for Switzerland before Helenius settled it at 10:42.
The winning goal came after a final that stayed tight from the opening period onward. Finland outshot Switzerland 22-19 through regulation, but neither side found a breakthrough until overtime, where one bounce had already gone each way before Helenius ended it.
Määttä Opens Finland's Best Look
Olli Määttä had Finland’s clearest early chance in the first period. Anton Lundell set him up in front of the net, and Leonardo Genoni stopped the tip attempt before the game settled into a physical, low-scoring battle.
Määttä’s role in the final fit the way he has been used all tournament. He finished with 20:21 of ice time in the final and ended the championship with two points and 12 shots in 10 games, numbers that show how often Finland leaned on him even before the title game shifted into overtime.
Switzerland Forced Into Silver
Switzerland had the home crowd and a chance to take gold to overtime’s edge, but Genoni’s goaltending and the posts kept the game level until Helenius struck. The loss left the hosts one shot and one bounce short after they matched Finland through regulation and nearly stole the opening moments of extra time themselves.
Finland leaves the 2026 IIHF Men's World Championship with gold, and Switzerland settles for silver after a final decided by one overtime shot. For Finland, Helenius’ goal closed the tournament in the only way that mattered: with the title on the line and the last word in overtime.
