USA upsets defending champion Finland to open hockey worlds

TAMPERE, Finland – The United States defeated defending champion Finland 4-1 to open the World Cup of Hockey on Friday.

Alex Tuch had two goals and Drew O’Connor had a goal and two assists to lead Cutter USA. Gauthier also scored, and goaltender Casey DeSmith stopped 23 shots.

Teemu Hartikainen gave the hosts a 1-0 lead late in the opening period on the power play before Gauthier tied it from the left circle in the second.

O’Connor and Tuch completed the rally midway through the final period. Tuch scored his second goal into an empty net.

In Riga, Latvia, MacKenzie Weegar scored a goal and added two assists to lead Canada in a 6-0 shutout of host Latvia in its opener.

Lawson Crouse, Scott Laughton, Samuel Blais, Joe Veleno and Jack McBain each scored to warm up the 2022 runner-up. Samuel Montembeault made 23 saves.

The Czech Republic beat Slovakia 3-2, also in Riga, and Oscar Lindberg scored the only goal on the power play for Sweden, which beat Germany 1-0 in Tampere.

Finland and Latvia are organizing the tournament after the hosting rights were taken away from Russia due to the war in Ukraine. Tampere was one of the host cities last year and Riga in 2021.

Russia and its ally Belarus are excluded from the tournament for the second year in a row.