Norway Blank Slovenia 4-0 as Jacob Berglund Scores Natural Hat Trick | 2026 IIHF Worlds

Norway dominates Slovenia in Group B showdown 

Norway picked up their first win of the 2026 IIHF Worlds with a dominant 4-0 blanking of Slovenia. Berglund’s three goals and a rock-solid performance from Haukeland highlighted the Constitution Day victory.

Norway 4 Slovenia 0 – Berglund hat trick steals the show as Norway earns crucial three points at the 2026 IIHF World Championship...

In a decisive Group B matchup at the 2026 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, Norway delivered a commanding performance, blanking Slovenia 4-0 at the BCF Arena. The victory came on Norway’s Constitution Day, adding extra patriotic flair to what fans are calling one of the team’s most satisfying results in recent memory.

Game Summary 

Norway controlled the tempo from the opening faceoff and never looked back. The scoring opened in the first period, and the Norwegians exploded for three more goals in the second to put the game out of reach. Slovenia struggled to generate consistent offense and was held to just 11 shots on goal.

Final Score:

Norway 4 – Slovenia 0

Period Breakdown: 

1st Period: Norway 1 – Slovenia 0

2nd Period: Norway 3 – Slovenia 0

3rd Period: Norway 0 – Slovenia 0

Star of the Show: Jacob Berglund’s 

Natural Hat Trick

Forward Jacob Berglund stole the spotlight with a natural hat trick in the second period alone. His goals came at:

5:27 (power play)

Around 9-10 minutes (even strength)

16:32 (even strength, banging home a loose puck)

Berglund’s clinical finishing and positioning overwhelmed the Slovenian defense. He was supported brilliantly by linemates and contributors like Kristian Ostby and Havard Salsten, who each picked up two assists.

Goaltending Excellence

Henrik Haukeland was rock-solid in net for Norway, turning aside all 11 shots he faced for the shutout. His calm presence allowed the skaters to push forward aggressively without worrying about the back door.

Slovenia’s goaltender faced significantly more pressure and was unable to keep his team in the game despite some solid individual efforts.

This was Norway’s first win after an opening loss to Slovakia.

Slovenia dropped to 0-1-0-1 in the tournament (following their impressive overtime win over Czechia earlier).

The three points are crucial for Norway in the battle to avoid relegation and climb the Group B standings.

Norwegian fans celebrated wildly online, with many noting the perfect timing on Constitution Day. One fan summed it up: “3 points, 4-0 Victory, and on our national constitution day as well. We Norwegians haven’t had hockey happiness like this in ages.”

Berglund powers @norskishockey to victory! 👊🇳🇴 #MensWorlds #IIHF

🔗 Game recap: https://t.co/sF3ViRKwkn pic.twitter.com/E4fMx8ulAN

— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) May 17, 2026

Norway will look to build momentum with this confidence-boosting shutout, while Slovenia must regroup quickly and find their offensive spark if they hope to stay competitive in the top division.

This result sends a clear message: Norway came to Switzerland ready to compete, and Jacob Berglund is on a mission.

Stay tuned for more IIHF World Championship coverage as the tournament heats up!