Sweden's U18 team secured gold at the 2026 IIHF U18 World Championship in Slovakia, defeating the host nation 4-2 in the final. MoDo Hockey's Elton Hermansson led the tournament with 12 points and earned All-Star honors. Teammate Malte Gustafsson also made the All-Star Team.
Sweden claimed the U18-VM title after a strong playoff run, overcoming early group stage losses to Czechia and the USA. In the quarterfinals, they eliminated Canada, then avenged their group stage defeat by beating Czechia in the semifinals. The final against host Slovakia saw Sweden take control early, with Wiggo Sörensson scoring first and Elton Hermansson adding the second goal for a 2-0 lead after two periods. Ola Palme and Adam Andersson extended the advantage to 4-0 in the third before Slovakia rallied with two late goals in a 4-2 victory, as detailed by HockeyNews.se coverage of the event ending May 2, 2026.