ST. PAUL, Minn. – Chicago Blackhawks prospect Anton Frondell scored in the eighth round of a shootout to give Sweden a 4-3 victory over Finland on Sunday night in the World Junior Hockey semifinals.
Canada faced Czechia in the second semifinal. The final is set for Friday night.
The Swedes avenged a 4-3 overtime loss to Finland in the semifinals last year in Ottawa, Ontario. Sweden has won the World Junior title twice, in 1981 and 2012. They last appeared in the title game in 2024, falling 6-2 to the United States on home ice in Gothenburg.
Frondell, who was drafted third overall by Chicago last summer, put a wrist shot through Petteri Rimpinen’s pads after failing on his first two attempts in the tiebreaker.
Sweden survived a power play in the 10-minute, 3-on-3 overtime after Viggo Bjork, who missed on three overtime breakaways, was called for slashing with 2:03 left.
Linus Eriksson, Ivar Stenberg, and Eddie Genborg scored for Sweden in regulation, while Love Harenstam stopped 33 shots. Atte Joki, Jasper Kuhta, and Joona Saarelainen countered for Finland, with Rimpinen making 29 saves.
Saarelainen tied the game at 3 from close range with 5:59 left in the third period. Eriksson opened the scoring for Sweden just 36 seconds into the first period, but Joki tied it with 3:34 remaining in the period.
Stenberg struck for Sweden at 1:20 of the second, and Kuhta answered 50 seconds later. Genborg gave Sweden a 3-2 lead with 5:53 left in the second period.
On Friday in the quarterfinals, Finland beat the two-time defending champion United States 4-3 in overtime.
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/2026/01/05/sweden-outlasts-finland-4-3-in-shootout-to-reach-world-junior-hockey-final/
