ST. PAUL — Sweden is no longer the maid of honor, nor a bridesmaid. It had been 14 years since it won a gold medal at the IIHF World Junior Championship. The Swedes finished as the runner-up four times in that span, including in 2024 as the host nation in Gothenburg. They also won a pair of bronze medals before reaching the pinnacle of the WJC again. But when Ivar Stenberg tapped in an empty-net goal with eight seconds left to secure a 4-2 win over Czechia, the Swedes could finally exhale, knowing they won their third WJC gold medal in the 50th edition of the tournament. “It means everything,” said forward Victor Eklund while he was simultaneously on FaceTime with his brother,...
