Men’s World Championship saw three Ducks players having success, two of them earning medals

The 2026 IIHF World Championship, hosted in Zurich and Freibourg, Switzerland, saw great underdog moments and stalwart performances. The United States brought a lackluster team to the tournament, with only Matthew Tkachuk returning from the 2026 Olympic team that captured gold in Milan. Teams like Czechia, Sweden, and USA were bumped out in the first knockout stage. The hosting Swiss team had a dominant 9-1 run, losing only in the Gold Medal Game to an equally formidable Finnish squad. Norway went on a “Cinderella Run” as they edged out a very strong Canadian team to win bronze, their first-ever medal at the Worlds.

One current Duck, Mikael Granlund, was a big part of Finland’s success. A promising blueline prospect, Stian Solberg, had a solid tourney and came up huge for the Norwegians. Damian Clara, another prospect with great potential, certainly gave his fellow Italians a chance to win in each game he played.

Damian Clara, G

The 21-year-old, 2nd round draft pick for Anaheim, started in 3 games for team Italy at the Worlds. Although his team had a disappointing tournament, going 0-7 (one loss in OT), Clara was not the reason they lost the games in which he appeared. Italy only scored a total of 5 goals in the tournament, so offense, as well as defense, were the issues for them. The one bright spot was the 6-foot-6 goaltender hailing from the city of Brunico. He had a save percentage just over 92%, while making 117 saves on 127 shots.

Some Ducks fans will remember that Clara had a similar showing in February at the Olympics, as he posted a .911 save percentage and also made a name for himself in the worldwide hockey conversation. By far the best player for the squad in both tournaments. With what Clara has been able to do against tougher competition in international play, it makes one wonder how good he can be if he just plays behind an NHL team. Could see him suiting up for Anaheim in some games next season.

Mikael Granlund, C

The 34-year-old Finnish team staple had a fantastic tourney in Switzerland. He showed up a few games late due to his competing as a Duck, of course, but still scored a goal and 5 assists in only 7 games. He finished in the top ten among his teammates for scoring despite playing three games less than them. Granny earned three of his five assists in the knockout rounds. Most notably, he assisted two goals, including the game-winner,  in Finland’s semifinal victory over Canada. Finland went on to beat the Swiss in a tightly contested 1-0 OT game to win Gold! With two more years on his deal with Anaheim, and the success he had in the playoffs this season, Granlund will hopefully bring the winning vibes back to Orange County for 2026-27.

Stian Solberg, D

Following a pretty productive first full season with San Diego, the young d-man, picked 23rd overall in 2024, had himself a very good tourney with team Norway. With the Gulls, he scored 12 goals from the back end and added 12 assists. Although there is no reliable record of his hitting stats, Solberg is no stranger to physical play, both in the AHL and at the Worlds. He was a crucial piece in the Norwegians’ success at the tournament as he was second on the team in time on ice per game, with just under 21 minutes played on average. He has clearly earned a lot of trust at just age 20, playing big minutes for a team that really went on a surprise run.

In terms of scoring stats, Solberg only scored 1 goal and 1 assist, but the goal he scored is by far the biggest one in his career to this point. The defenseman fired a wrister from the point that deflected off a defender and past the Canadian goaltender, Jet Greaves (Columbus Blue Jackets). This gave Norway a commanding two-goal advantage halfway into the game. The Canadians came back to force OT, but Norway prevailed and made history as they won the first medal for the  program at the IIHF World Championship, winning Bronze! Solberg could very well make the Ducks out of camp this fall, but even if he doesn’t, he will certainly make an impact for the club in the near future.

Final thoughts

You can say what you will about the World Championship, but these performances by players in the Ducks organization give some great encouragement for a fanbase that is hungry for more success. Especially following an awesome two-round run for the young group, with vets mixed in. Solberg and Clara could both put on Ducks sweaters in the 2026-27 regular season, and Granlund will surely be a stout, effective force on the ice and in the locker room once again. Go Ducks!

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