Greaves makes 34 saves, Canada blanks U.S. 4-0 in hockey worlds quarterfinal

FRIBOURG — Jet Greaves made 34 saves as Canada blanked the United States 4-0 in quarterfinal action Thursday at the world hockey championship.

The Americans pressured at different points, including early in the third period, but Greaves turned them aside as Canada advanced to the semifinals three months after losing to the U.S. in the Olympic final.

“The guys did such a great job in front of me,” Greaves said. “I thought we had a great start, and we carried that throughout the game.

“I am grateful for where we are as a group and where we are heading. This is the best rivalry there is in hockey, and it is a privilege to be able to play these games against such a good team like (the United States).”

Greaves, who plays in the NHL for the Columbus Blue Jackets, made an impression on his teammates.

“I didn’t realize the calmness and the poise, and his ability to read the play,” Canadian forward John Tavares said. “He makes the saves, but it’s not always conventional, but that’s because we had two or three breakdowns. But he was calm and tonight came up with the big save when we needed it. He was the best player on the ice tonight, for sure.”

Macklin Celebrini scored his sixth goal of the tournament for Canada, while Dylan Holloway, Connor Brown and Sidney Crosby had Canada’s other goals.

Crosby’s goal into an empty net was his first of the tournament, though he entered the quarterfinals tied for the tournament lead with nine assists.

“I think that was as close to a full 60-minute effort as you can get,” Celebrini, the team’s captain, said of Canada’s game.

“Obviously, we gave (the Americans) a little life in the third, and (Greaves) made some amazing saves, but that was a good performance by us and Jet was unbelievable.”

Devin Cooley made 34 saves for the U.S., which entered the tournament as defending champion.

The two teams met for the first time since the final at the Milan Cortina Olympics, when the Americans prevailed 2-1 in overtime to take gold. The rivalry between the North American powers has ramped up in the last two years, starting with Canada’s win over the U.S. at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off.

“Our guys were really excited about this game, especially with the result of the Olympics fresh in our mind,” Canada head coach Misha Donskov said. “We really focused on our start because we have not been happy with the way we have started games in this tournament.

“The guys in our room really took control because they knew the magnitude of this game and how much it meant to our group to move forward to (the semifinals in) Zurich, and there is always a little extra motivation when you play the Americans.”

Canadian defenceman Evan Bouchard left the game after taking a hit to the head from U.S. defenceman Ryan Lindgren at 6:12 of the opening period.

Lindgren received a five-minute major for a hit to the head and a game misconduct.

Bouchard appeared unconscious on the ice following the collision.

“It was tough to see ‘Booch’ in that spot,” Tavares said. “We didn’t like the hit, but we created some looks on the power play, even if we didn’t take the lead. But we got another power play and got the lead with that.”

The 26-year-old Edmonton Oilers blueliner led all NHL defencemen in scoring last season with 95 points, including 21 goals and 72 assists.

Canada remains on course to capture its 29th title at the worlds and will next face Finland in Saturday’s semifinals. The Finns advanced with a 4-1 win over Czechia on Thursday.

Switzerland will face Norway in the other semifinal. Switzerland moved on with a 3-1 quarterfinal win over Sweden, while Norway defeated Latvia 2-0.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 28, 2026.

The Canadian Press