HELSINKI, May 10: Canada and Sweden won their semifinal matches on Friday to set up a repeat of the 1997 final at the world ice hockey championships.

Led by two goals and an assist by Mats Sundin, Sweden ousted defending champions Slovakia 4-1, while Canada got a hat-trick from Dany Heatley to double up the Czech Republic 8-4.

Sunday’s final will feature the same contestants as in the 1997 gold medal game played in the same Helsinki arena.

Looking to exact revenge after the Slovaks ousted Sweden in last year’s semi-final, Mika Hannula gave his team a 1-0 lead at 18:40 of the first period.

Peter Bondra tied it up at 7:39 of the second before Sundin took matters into his own hands scoring twice to give his team the lead for good. Henrik Zetterberg scored an empty net goal late in the game on a Sundin assist to round out the scoring.

Mikael Tellqvist was a surprise starter in net for Sweden and was outstanding in place of Tommy Salo, who was shelled for five goals in Wednesday’s quarter-final win against Finland.

Coach Hardy Nilsson would not tip his hand on who will tend net for Sweden on Sunday but said that either way he felt the team was in good hands.

Canada, looking for its first title since winning the tournament in Helsinki in 1997, blew a 3-0 lead before erupting for five goals in the third period to beat the Czechs 8-4.—Reuters