Day 5 at the 2026 IIHF Men’s World Championship in Switzerland belonged to the tournament’s mid-tier and newly promoted programs. With the traditional powerhouses resting, the spotlight turned to crucial group-stage battles in Zurich (Group A) and Fribourg (Group B), featuring unexpected shutouts, tight defensive battles, and a dramatic nine-goal shootout thriller.
Slovakia avoids a scare
Group A (Zurich – Swiss Life Arena)
Austria 3, Latvia 1
Austria continued its historic run in Zurich, locking down its third straight regulation victory—a feat the program hadn’t achieved at the top tier since 1999. The win pulled the Austrians even with Switzerland and Finland at the top of Group A.
Latvia dictated the pace early, pinning the Austrians back, but goaltender Atte Tolvanen stood tall under pressure. Tim Harnisch broke the ice in the second period to give Austria a 1-0 lead. Early in the third, Latvian captain Rudolfs Balcers struck back with his tournament-leading fourth goal to tie the game.
The turning point came on an Austrian power play when Benjamin Nissner slid a shot across the line, confirmed via a lengthy video review. Despite being outshot 10-3 in the final frame and 26-13 overall, Austria held firm before Montreal Canadiens prospect Vinzenz Rohrer iced the game with an empty-netter with just two seconds remaining.
Hungary 5, Great Britain 0
In a vital battle to avoid relegation, Hungary completely overwhelmed Great Britain, securing a definitive shutout victory.
Hungary wasted no time asserting dominance. Krisztian Nagy opened the scoring just 2:19 into the first period, followed later in the frame by a marker from Doman Szongoth to make it 2-0. Great Britain mounted a desperate push in the second period—outshooting the Hungarians 13-4—but they couldn’t solve Hungary’s defensive shell or hit an unscreened keeper.
Hungary punished the Brits for their inability to finish, with Istvan Terbocs lighting the lamp twice (once in the second and again in the third). Nagy added his second of the game at the 14:05 mark of the final period to seal a dominant 5-0 victory, leaving Great Britain winless and searching for answers.
Group B (Fribourg – BCF Arena)
Norway 4, Italy 0
Norway picked up its second victory of the tournament in convincing fashion, using disciplined defensive structure and clinical finishing to blank a newly promoted Italian squad that remains without a point.
Goaltender Henrik Haukeland turned away all 30 shots he faced, though Norway’s defensive core made his life manageable by clearing out secondary opportunities. The offensive production was perfectly balanced, featuring goals from Eskild Bakke Olsen, Noah Steen, Christian Kaasastul, and Tinus Luc Koblar. Italy battled hard but failed to generate high-danger traffic in front of the Norwegian net, suffering their second consecutive heavy defeat.
Slovakia 5, Slovenia 4 (SO)
The game of the day took place in Fribourg, where Slovakia and Slovenia traded blows in a wildly entertaining, back-and-forth emotional roller coaster that required a skills competition to settle.
Slovakia took early control with a re-direction from Adam Liska just 80 seconds into the match. Slovenia clawed back on a 5-on-3 power play courtesy of Ken Ograjensek, but Martin Chromiak immediately responded to give Slovakia a 2-1 lead at the first intermission. The second period turned chaotic: veteran Rok Ticar tied it for Slovenia, but rapid-fire goals from Filip Mesar and Martin Fasko-Rudas pushed Slovakia ahead 4-2. Before the period ended, Jan Drozg capitalized on a power play to bring Slovenia within one.
Slovenia pulled their goalie late in the third and were rewarded when Ticar scored his second of the night with just 29 seconds left on the clock to force overtime. After an electric, scoreless 3-on-3 frame featuring massive saves from Slovak netminder Adam Gajan, the game went to a shootout. Strikes from Oliver Okuliar, Kristian Pospisil, and Mesar secured the extra point for Slovakia, keeping them undefeated and sitting just one point behind Canada in Group B.
Day 5 Summary Board
| Game | Group | Top Performer | Key Takeaway |
| AUT 3 – 1 LAT | Group A | Atte Tolvanen (25 Saves) | Austria is a legitimate threat to advance. |
| HUN 5 – 0 GBR | Group A | Istvan Terbocs (2 Goals) | Great Britain faces a steep relegation hill. |
| NOR 4 – 0 ITA | Group B | Henrik Haukeland (30-Save SO) | Norway builds safety through defensive structure. |
| SVK 5 – 4 SLO (SO) | Group B | Rok Ticar (2 Goals, 1 Assist) | Slovenia proves they can run with the big dogs. |
