Canada is the current World Champion, defeating Finland in the gold medal game at the 2021 IIHF World Championship. Since the IIHF introduced a playoff system in 1992, Switzerland has appeared in two World Championship finals, finished as the runners-up after losing to Sweden twice in 2013 and 2018. The United States is the only "Big Six" team to have struggled in the World Championship playoff round and never advanced past the semifinals. The U.S. has never appeared in the gold medal game.