Stockholm, May 29, 2026 – The Europe Today: The tenure of Sam Hallam as head coach of Tre Kronor has officially come to an end following a period marked by mixed results, including two World Championship bronze medals but also disappointing exits in major international tournaments.
Hallam, who took charge of the Swedish national team in 2022 after winning three Swedish championships with Växjö between 2015 and 2021, was tasked with restoring Sweden’s dominance in international ice hockey.
Sweden had not secured a major championship title since former head coach Rikard Grönborg guided Tre Kronor to back-to-back World Championship titles in 2017 and 2018.
Hallam inherited a squad affected by injuries and high expectations, but his final months in charge were overshadowed by struggles in the group stages of major tournaments and quarter-final eliminations against elite opposition.
At the recent World Championship, Sweden narrowly avoided an early elimination after a difficult group-stage campaign that included a historic 2-3 defeat to Norway. The loss pushed Sweden into fourth place in the group, setting up a quarter-final clash against undefeated host nation Switzerland in Zurich.
Sweden’s campaign ended there as the Swiss side, fueled by strong home support, eliminated Tre Kronor from the tournament.
The disappointing performance followed a similar pattern at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, where a late goal conceded against Slovakia prevented Sweden from winning its group and securing direct qualification to the quarter-finals.
Instead, Tre Kronor faced Latvia in the round of 16 before eventually being knocked out by the eventual champions, the United States, in overtime during the quarter-finals.
Under Hallam, Sweden achieved bronze medals at the 2024 and 2025 World Championships, but the team failed to reach the final on either occasion, suffering clear defeats in the semi-finals.
Hallam’s overall record with Tre Kronor included a sixth-place finish at the 2023 World Championship, third place at the 2025 Four Nations tournament, seventh place at the 2026 Olympics, and another seventh-place finish at the 2026 World Championship.
The Swedish Ice Hockey Federation has confirmed that double world champion coach Rikard Grönborg will return to lead Tre Kronor next season in an effort to revive the national team’s fortunes.
Meanwhile, Hallam is set to continue his coaching career in Switzerland, where he will take over Genève-Servette HC.
