Gameday 1 and 2
The 89th IIHF World Championship will take place in Zurich and Fribourg from 15 to 31 May. Two EVZ players will also be taking part. In this article, we’ll keep you up to date on what’s happening with the EVZ at the World Championship.
In Group B on Friday, Dominik Kubalík’s Czech team comfortably defeated Denmark 4–1. The highlight from an EVZ perspective? In the 9th minute, Kubalík slipped past the Danish defense and opened the scoring. In the end, the Czech Republic secured a 4-1 victory, with former Zug player Daniel Vozenilek also getting on the scoresheet.
In Group A, Switzerland kicked off the home World Championship in the best possible way. In their opening game against the USA, the Swiss took revenge on last year’s final opponent, the USA, and won 3-1. Once again, Switzerland’s rock-solid presence is Leonardo Genoni. The Zug goalkeeper—last year’s World Championship MVP—concedes only once and is the cornerstone of Switzerland’s success.
On Saturday, both the Czech Republic (in Fribourg) and Switzerland (in Zurich) will play the evening game again. Things aren’t going as planned for Dominik Kubalík; the Czechs suffer a surprise loss to Slovenia, and the EVZ player fails to score. Meanwhile, Switzerland wins again, with Sandro Aeschlimann in goal and Leonardo Genoni sitting out.
Gameday 3
After a day off on Sunday, the World Championship tournament continues for the Swiss and the Czechs on Monday. And both Leonardo Genoni and Dominík Kubalik enjoy a sense of accomplishment. Genoni celebrates a 6-1 rout of Germany with Switzerland in front of an electrifying crowd. The EVZ goalie, in his 50th (!) World Championship game, didn’t concede a goal until just before the end; he has now played 120 World Championship minutes and allowed only two goals.
Dominik Kubalík also has reason to celebrate. After a frustrating loss to Slovenia, the Czechs are back on track. And how: They defeated Sweden 4-3, with Kubalík getting a chance on the power play and scoring the go-ahead goal to make it 2-0 in the first period.
Gameday 4
May 20, 2026, is a special day for EVZ and national team goalie Leonardo Genoni. In Switzerland’s 9-0 victory over Austria, he keeps a clean sheet, celebrating his 13th shutout at a World Championship. That’s a World Championship record. Historic. EVZ also congratulates its exceptional goalie.
Meanwhile, Dominik Kubalík continues to score freely. His Czech team is far superior to Italy, but still trails 0-1 after 40 minutes. The tide turns in the final period, with Kubalík contributing his share by scoring an empty-net goal to make it 3-1 in the final minute. It is his third World Championship goal in his fourth game.
Overview: Genoni at WC
The Swiss match schedule (all games in Zurich):
Switzerland-USA 3:1 (2:0, 0:0, 1:1) – Genoni 60′ for Switzerland
Switzerland-Latvia 4:2 (0:0, 2:1, 2:1) – Genoni not playing
Switzerland-Germany 6:1 (0:0, 5:0, 1:1) – Genoni 60′ for Switzerland
Switzerland-Austria 9:0 (4:0, 3:0, 2:0) – Genoni 60′ for Switzerland
21 May, 20:20: Switzerland-Great Britain
23 May, 16:20: Switzerland-Hungary
26 May, 20.20: Switzerland-Finland
Overview: Kubalík at WC
The Czech Republic match schedule (all games in Fribourg):
Czech Republic-Denmark 4:1 (2:0, 0:0, 2:1) – Kubalík scores 1:0
Czech Republic-Slovenia 2:3. a.E. (0:1, 2:0, 0:1)
Czech Republic-Sweden 4:3 (3:2, 1:1, 0:0) – Kubalík scores 2:0
Czech Republic-Italy 3:1 (0:0, 0:1, 3:0) – Kubalík scores 3:0
23. May, 16.20: Czech Republic-Slovakia
25 May, 16.20: Czech Republic-Norway
26. May, 20.20: Czech Republic-Canada
