A single goal ended it. Konsta Helenius beat Switzerland 1-0 in overtime Sunday, giving Finland its fifth ice hockey world championship and its first since 2022.
Helenius, a rookie center with the Buffalo Sabres, scored at 10:42 of the extra period to decide the tournament final in Zurich. The goal capped a shutout performance by Finland's goaltender and sent the Finnish team to the top of the podium for the first time in four years.
According to ESPN, the victory came in the tournament final, with Helenius delivering the decisive moment after neither team could score through regulation. Switzerland, playing in front of a home crowd in Zurich, could not find an answer to Finland's defense across 60 minutes of play or the first stretch of overtime.
Helenius, as a rookie, delivered the biggest goal of the tournament at the highest level of international play outside the Olympics. His performance in Zurich signals the kind of impact the young center could have as he continues his development with Buffalo. Finland now holds five world championship titles in the modern era, and the latest came on one of the most dramatic possible finishes.
