WC: 2023 IIHF championships Finland and Latvia Divisions announced

[Lartsaman]

Would like to see them try to grow interest. Host it in the UK, Italy or Germany for a change

UK would be great! I´d love to visit there. But I think they first have to seal their spot at elite division a bit longer.

 

[Calendal]

Ticket prices were ridiculously high in Riga for the limited capacities allowed for the last group day and knockout stage in 2021. I wouldn't be surprised if the actual ticket prices cost the same in both cities or are very, very close. However, beer in Riga is still around EUR 3-4, unlike Tampere.

Riga is a great city. Visited it some 17 years ago for the first time. At 5 am hotel reception told the three of us us they could not sell us beer before morning. I asked how do you define morning.. and he was a little flummoxed, looked at the time and was like “ok, I guess it is morning, so maybe I can sell you 3 beers”.

I said “ok, can you make it 3 times 3 beers..” after a while looking at the three of us he grudginly agreed. Then I asked if he would also sell my two friends 9 beers, each. He agreed and we exchanged some latis for beer.

At 6 am we were woken up by the ice hockey rink being built accross the street. That explains why the hotel was so cheap.

—

Great museums, nice old town. Reasobly priced beer, top rate food pretty much everywhere. Riga is a town to visit.

 

[Zenos]

Would like to see them try to grow interest. Host it in the UK, Italy or Germany for a change

Considering where the country stands in the hockey echelon, Germany hosts quite a bit actually. Cologne has hosted games for at least three different tournaments within the last 20 years. If anything, I wouldn’t mind seeing another German city host (please Berlin!!).

 

[maclean]

The tournament has little by little slipped later and later. When Finland won in 1995 the final was on May 7th. These days on that date the tournament hasn't even started.

This year it was pushed back because of the Olympics. Otherwise it has ended around mid-May for at least the last 20 years

 

[AKQJ]

This year it was pushed back because of the Olympics. Otherwise it has ended around mid-May for at least the last 20 years

The IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships of the upcoming years:

• 2023: Tampere (Finland) & Riga (Latvia), 12-28 May 2023
• 2024: Prague & Ostrava (Czechia), 10-26 May 2024
• 2025: Stockholm (Sweden) & Herning (Denmark), 9-25 May 2025
• 2026: Zurich & Fribourg (Switzerland), 15-31 May 2026

No Olympics next 3 years, but tournament real late...

 

[Urbanskog]

This year it was pushed back because of the Olympics. Otherwise it has ended around mid-May for at least the last 20 years

The last time the World Championship ended "around mid-May" was in 2015 and even before that there were plenty of instances when it ended later, such as 2014.

 

[maclean]

HUH

Well, my only excuse is that I'm getting old and all the years have started running together

Also, someone told me that it started later this year because of the Olympics and I made the mistake of believing them

 

[Gold Standard]

HUH

Well, my only excuse is that I'm getting old and all the years have started running together

Also, someone told me that it started later this year because of the Olympics and I made the mistake of believing them

I think the late start of the NHL POs had more to do with. They wanted at least one round in books or close to it. When Russia hosts they are notorious for wanting later start dates to get as many of their A listers home in time. Russia won't be hosting for a while.

 

[Jumptheshark]

Ticket prices were ridiculously high in Riga for the limited capacities allowed for the last group day and knockout stage in 2021. I wouldn't be surprised if the actual ticket prices cost the same in both cities or are very, very close. However, beer in Riga is still around EUR 3-4, unlike Tampere.

actually, I go to the worlds for the party outside of the arena--that is why I hated the Paris games so much.

I have been to about 15 years over the last 20 years and I found the party outside the arena to be the best part of the games

 

[Mestaruus]

I probably wrote this post about 2023 groups on the wrong thread so I'll copy it. Here are my thoughts about the groups:

I really like these groups from Finland's perspective. Sweden and Czech are teams which I never want Finland to play against in the QF stage because sometimes they are killers at that stage, especially with K.Jalonen having 1 full year as the Czech NT coach (getting to know the players in various leagues) and Sweden will have a new coach as well, who could be good. Finland gets guaranteed games vs 2 Finnish head coaches with Germany and Czech. That makes those games like some sort of rivalries and more interesting.

I like the fact that there's CAN & USA rivalry match guaranteed in the other group also. From Slovakia's perspective it's very possible that Finland could be their QF opponent again. Maybe Slovakians would've hoped to have Finland in the same group for once, because Slovakia has a problem beating Finland. Slovakia was good in the QF game this year and I hope that their coach Ramsay continues with the team next year as well and builds on that.

 

[Jumptheshark]

The IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships of the upcoming years:

• 2023: Tampere (Finland) & Riga (Latvia), 12-28 May 2023
• 2024: Prague & Ostrava (Czechia), 10-26 May 2024
• 2025: Stockholm (Sweden) & Herning (Denmark), 9-25 May 2025
• 2026: Zurich & Fribourg (Switzerland), 15-31 May 2026

No Olympics next 3 years, but tournament real late...

they have pushed it in hope of getting more top nhlers to play every year after they get knocked out of the playoffs

 

[Lambo]

I probably wrote this post about 2023 groups on the wrong thread so I'll copy it. Here are my thoughts about the groups:

I really like these groups from Finland's perspective. Sweden and Czech are teams which I never want Finland to play against in the QF stage because sometimes they are killers at that stage, especially with K.Jalonen having 1 full year as the Czech NT coach (getting to know the players in various leagues) and Sweden will have a new coach as well, who could be good. Finland gets guaranteed games vs 2 Finnish head coaches with Germany and Czech. That makes those games like some sort of rivalries and more interesting.

I like the fact that there's CAN & USA rivalry match guaranteed in the other group also. From Slovakia's perspective it's very possible that Finland could be their QF opponent again. Maybe Slovakians would've hoped to have Finland in the same group for once, because Slovakia has a problem beating Finland. Slovakia was good in the QF game this year and I hope that their coach Ramsay continues with the team next year as well and builds on that.

Especially since there is now a new euphoria in the Czech Republic because of the bronze medal. The Czech Republic is more dangerous than it has been for a long time. Sweden is always strong! I won't let myself be lulled in by one or the other Swede here in the forum.

 

[Mestaruus]

Especially since there is now a new euphoria in the Czech Republic because of the bronze medal. The Czech Republic is more dangerous than it has been for a long time. Sweden is always strong! I won't let myself be lulled in by one or the other Swede here in the forum.

I'm hoping that we/team Finland will get an advantage of NHL players & roster (this year we didn't get lucky with that) to over come the danger of Czechs and Switzerland. For Sweden it's a different story. Their roster tends to almost always be at least on par with Finland's. Now if Sweden's new coach turns out to be a good tournament coach that could spell trouble.

I also think that Canada will send at least same level roster as this year and they will be pissed because they didn't win gold this year and since there hasn't been any best on best tournaments they want to represent their country. One of McDavid or Crosby will be there. That's what my fortune telling abilities are saying . Perhaps World Cup 2024 is confirmed then and many very good Canadians want to use WHC 2023 to show case that they are good in national team too. That has sort of happened in the past with some WHC tournaments one year before the winter Olympics.

 

[ilvins]

I probably wrote this post about 2023 groups on the wrong thread so I'll copy it. Here are my thoughts about the groups:

I really like these groups from Finland's perspective. Sweden and Czech are teams which I never want Finland to play against in the QF stage because sometimes they are killers at that stage, especially with K.Jalonen having 1 full year as the Czech NT coach (getting to know the players in various leagues) and Sweden will have a new coach as well, who could be good. Finland gets guaranteed games vs 2 Finnish head coaches with Germany and Czech. That makes those games like some sort of rivalries and more interesting.

I like the fact that there's CAN & USA rivalry match guaranteed in the other group also. From Slovakia's perspective it's very possible that Finland could be their QF opponent again. Maybe Slovakians would've hoped to have Finland in the same group for once, because Slovakia has a problem beating Finland. Slovakia was good in the QF game this year and I hope that their coach Ramsay continues with the team next year as well and builds on that.

Viesturs Koziols who is IIHF council member said in the interview, that there won't be any crossover quarterfinals next year - they will be played in the same groups, A1-A4, etc. He said that is 99% decided. Also Latvia still would like to switch one of the teams with Tampere group - Canada, USA, Kazakstan or Slovenia.

 

[Mestaruus]

Viesturs Koziols who is IIHF council member said in the interview, that there won't be any crossover quarterfinals next year - they will be played in the same groups, A1-A4, etc. He said that is 99% decided. Also Latvia still would like to switch one of the teams with Tampere group - Canada, USA, Kazakstan or Slovenia.

Okay this is very interesting development. Personally I don't like it if there won't be cross over matches between the groups during the QF stage. One positive is that QF games will be played in the arenas that each of the teams are familiar with.

On the Latvia wanting a team swap. It can't be Canada. I don't see how #1 & #2 seed can be in the same group.

I think that they will swap USA & Czech. That will also create Slovakia vs Czech rivalry match and potentially in the QF stage they could meet each other again, but it would remove the USA vs CAN rivalry so I don't know about that one.

 

[Urbanskog]

Viesturs Koziols who is IIHF council member said in the interview, that there won't be any crossover quarterfinals next year - they will be played in the same groups, A1-A4, etc. He said that is 99% decided.

Not a fan of this idea at all. What's the basis for it, avoiding a possible Finland-Latvia quarterfinal?

 

[GX]

Head of Latvian federation confirms they aim to swap Czechs and the USA.

 

[Jumptheshark]

Head of Latvian federation confirms they aim to swap Czechs and the USA.

Figured that there would be some kind of swap

 

[GX]

Calendar is out, more info on ticket sales to follow on September 22.

So, they did indeed swap Czechs and USA. Riga group opener is Latvia-Canada (I guess in hopes to repeat the success of 2021 opener ). Finland-USA in Tampere.

 

[ES]

Seemingly they didn't want to have both countries to have host-openers at the same time. Finland plays in Friday afternoon game and Latvia in the evening game.

 

[Czechboy]

The Canada pool looks to be the weaker one...

the problem is that Canada starts slow and builds beautifully as it progresses so someone good is going to get a nightmare quarter for a budding Canada.

Finns, US and Swedes all on other side.

 

[Lartsaman]

Any info yet on how the quarterfinal matchups work out, crossover or not?

 

[Gold Standard]

Calendar is out, more info on ticket sales to follow on September 22.

So, they did indeed swap Czechs and USA. Riga group opener is Latvia-Canada (I guess in hopes to repeat the success of 2021 opener ). Finland-USA in Tampere.

I'm okay with that opening result as well, as long as the tournament ends in the exact same way the 2021 tournament ended. That was a blast.

 

[Jumptheshark]

for those curious about tickets

IIHF - Tickets World Championship

Tickets World Championship

www.iihf.com

I find the price different between games in Lativia and Finland slightly amusing

 

[crobro]

Has France ever hosted the tournament ?