Team USA secured its first victory of the 2026 IIHF World Hockey Championship in Switzerland on Sunday, beating Great Britain 5-1.
Following a 3-1 loss to host Switzerland on Friday, the Americans bounced back Sunday in a game they were widely expected to win.
Team USA moved into fourth place in the Group A standings behind Finland, Switzerland and Austria with the win, while Slovakia jumped into second place in Group B behind only Canada by virtue of beating Italy 4-1 on Sunday.
Once group play concludes, the top four teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage.
Edmonton Oilers forward Isaac Howard led the way for the United States with a pair of goals, while New Jersey Devils forward Paul Cotter added one goal and two assists.
Calgary Flames goalie Devin Cooley turned aside 19 of the 20 shots he faced in Team USA’s win as well.
Last year, Team USA won the World Championship tournament for the first time since 1933, beating Switzerland 1-0 in overtime in the final.
That American team included several players who went on to be part of Team USA’s gold-medal-winning team at the 2026 Winter Olympics, such as Buffalo Sabres forward Tage Thompson, Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski, Utah Mammoth forward Clayton Keller, Anaheim Ducks defenseman Jackson Lacombe and Boston Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman.
This year, Team USA is leaning more heavily on young players and journeyman veterans, as nobody from the Olympic team is on the squad.
The United States will be back in action Monday when it faces 2-0 Finland at 10:20 a.m. ET.
