In the world of international hockey, few teams carry the weight of expectation quite like Team Canada. With a storied history, a roster stacked with superstars, and a nation’s hopes riding on their shoulders, every appearance on the global stage is met with anticipation and pressure.

The 2025 IIHF World Championship was no exception. As the tournament unfolded, all eyes were fixed on the Canadian squad, especially after the high-profile additions of Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon—two of the game’s most celebrated talents.

Confidence was running high as Canada stormed through the group stage, seemingly destined for another deep playoff run. The quarter-final matchup against Denmark was widely considered a mere formality, with fans and pundits alike predicting a comfortable win for the hockey powerhouse.

However, what followed would shock the hockey world and serve as a powerful reminder that nothing is guaranteed in sports, no matter how talented or favored a team may be. In a stunning turn of events, Team Canada’s journey came to an abrupt halt, leaving fans searching for answers and sparking conversations about confidence, preparation, and the unpredictable nature of competition at the highest level.

Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon of Team Canada.

Photo credit: ESPN

Team Canada went into their Quarter-Final with Denmark full of confidence, but that came back to bite them after a recent report shows how arrogant they were before their shock defeat to the underdog Danish team.

Heading into the 2025 IIHF World Championship, many saw Canada as the favourite to win gold, especially after they added the likes of Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon to their already talented roster.

Through the group stage, the team went 6-1, earning their place in the medal stages as they were set to take on Denmark in their Quarter-Final, one that many saw them easily winning.

Seemingly, Canada did too, as the team reportedly didn’t bring any of their stuff to Denmark with them for the matchup, being so certain that they would be moving on, and after that, they flew back to Stockholm to collect their things on the same flight as those Danes.

While many have made fun of the Canadians for their shock loss to Denmark, most see this as a simple sign of confidence, something that all athletes should have, especially heading into big time games like this one.

It wasn’t a dominant performance from Denmark that sent the Canadians packing, but with two late goals, including this thriller in the final moments, this will forever go down as one of the biggest upsets in hockey history and a moment that so many in Denmark will never forget.

Ultimately, it was good for the Canadian team to be confident coming into this matchup, but ahead of a highly anticipated 2026 Olympic Games next February, this may have been the humbling and the wake up call that they needed.