The IIHF announced today that the World Championships in 2019 and 2020 have been awarded to Slovakia and Switzerland respectively.
As an independent country, Slovakia has only hosted one World Championship when the world’s top teams made their way out to Bratislava and Kosice in 2011. The tournament will once again return to those two cities, eight years after Slovakia’s disappointing 10th place finish at their home tournament. Slovakia was the only host of the tournament, and with all the hype created thanks to the 2015 tournament being in the nearby Czech Republic, it should be a very popular event for the locals. The tournament will begin on May 3rd, 2019, and will run until Sunday, May 17th.
For Switzerland, the country has already hosted the tournament in 1935, 1939, 1953, 1961, 1971, 1990, 1998 and most recently in 2009. The tournament is set to take place in Zurich and Lausanne, with Zurich itself being the host of the tournament four separate times. Zurich was actually one of the founding cities of the IIHF, with much of it’s day-to-day activities taking place there. For Lausanne, the city will get a brand-new, 10,000 seat arena, with the excitement of the 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games and World Championships in the same year giving the country much to get excited about.
Once the 2015 World Championships conclude on Sunday, the focus will shift to preparing for the 2016 tournament in Moscow & St. Petersburg, Russia. Before Slovakia will have a chance to host it in 2019, Germany/France and Denmark will host the 2017 and 2018 tournaments respectively.
The IIHF also announced the official locations for 28 World Championship events in 2016. Not included, however, are the dates for the Challenge Cup of Asia, Pan-American Ice Hockey Tournament, a potential Gulf Cup Championship and other smaller events throughout the year.
2016 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship
In Moscow & St. Petersburg, Russia, 6-22 May 2016
Groups to be announced after the gold medal game.
2016 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Division I Group A
In Krakow, Poland, 23-29 April 2016
Participants: Austria, Slovenia, Poland, Japan, Italy, Korea
2016 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Division I Group B
In Croatia, Zagreb, 17-23 April 2016
Participants: Ukraine, Great Britain, Lithuania, Croatia, Estonia, Romania
2016 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Division II Group A
In Jaca, Spain, 9-15 April 2016
Participants: Netherlands, Belgium, Serbia, Spain, Iceland, China
2016 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Division II Group B
In Mexico City, Mexico, 10-16 April 2016
Participants: Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Bulgaria, Israel, DPR Korea
2016 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Division III
In Istanbul, Turkey, 31 March – 9 April 2016
Participants: South Africa, Turkey, Luxembourg, Hong Kong, Georgia, United Arab Emirates, Bosnia & Herzegovina
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