IIHF World Championship 2026, 2027, 2028

[Fjorden]

Which countries that will host the iihf World championship until 2025 have already been decided.

By now three countries have sent letter of intent for the 2026, 2027 and 2028 tournament. Switzerland, Germany and Norway. Great Britain and Kazhakstand has also showed interest. Most likely the 2026 WC will go to Switzerland since their 2020 iihf was cancelled due to covid-19. Then as it is now it will probobaly be Germany or Norway in 2027 and 2028 or vice versa. Norway will also likely host a Junior WC or a Womens WC as "part of the deal".

Last time Norway hosted was in 1999. The lack of arenas with enoug capacity is the reason why Norway never have applied or hosted. Norway beeing the only stable division A team that havent hosted a championship. Now some interesting new projects will make this possible by 2027 or 2028 by cooperation between handball, icehockey and many other sports to build bigger multiarenas to host championships also in other sports.

Which arenas that will be used will be decided next month( 28 February 2021).
By now four arenas have been pointed out in Norway, and two arenas will be chosen next month(28 February 2021).

IIHF will decide the hosts for the tournaments on the yearls congress in may 2022 og 2023.

Oslo/Baerum: Telenor Arena: 15.000 spectators.-about 9 km west of city of Oslo
The shell for the arena is already established. The indoor football/soccer arena will be reconstructed into a multiarena same concept as Maddison Square Garden(Transforms from Basketball, Icehockey, Concert etc.). This will be the biggest indoor arena in northern europe that can be used for Icehockey. It will likely be finished by 2024. Under is a picture as handball arena, but it can be transformed into icehockey. A new metro line will also be built from downtown Oslo so transportation will be smooth

Trondheim- Trondheim spektrum: 9000 spectators
This is also a quite new multiarena that broke ground in 2019. It was used for the handball euro in 2020. By doing some technical upgrades this arena can also be used for icehockey. This is a concept picture under.

Lillehammer-Håkons Hall-10.000 spectators
This is today a multiarna that was used for the 1994 olympics and 1999 IIHF world championship.

Bergen- New byarena. 10.000 spectators.
This is a more uncertain project since construction start havent been decided yet. Anyway I think its cool that Norway will try to host the tournament again with the new arenas coming, what do you think?

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[BOS358]

Anyway I think its cool that Norway will try to host the tournament again with the new arenas coming, what do you think?

Like you, I think Switzerland will host in 2026. After that is a bit less certain.

If Germany can get their new arena in Frankfurt completed, I'd say they're a lock for 2027. I'm surprised Norway has decided to bid on the tournament since it's been so long since they hosted.

I'd say "no" to Great Britain or Kazakhstan unless either stays in the top division for an extended period of time. My opinion counts for nothing, but I hate the idea of a country effectively buying their way into the tournament.

That said, if no other countries submit bids, then it will be up to Switzerland, Germany, and Norway to decide which years they want to host. This happened very recently, and the IIHF took the surprisingly- enlightened step of avoiding a bidding war over any specific year.

 

[Jumptheshark]

as long as FRANCE NEVER gets the games again. I do not care where they go

 

[Jumptheshark]

The Swiss have been loyal and they are owed the games after last year
This year, if they go ahead could be a headache
2022 in is Finland
2023 is in St Petes(I love st pete)
2024 is in the Czech republic
2025 is in Sweden and Denmark
2026 I believe it goes to the swiss

 

[BOS358]

as long as FRANCE NEVER gets the games again. I do not care where they go

I can say without exaggerating that of the seven IIHF World Championships I have attended, the Paris group in 2017 was the biggest joke of all of them and I can't even think of a close second. The fan zone was non-existent. The media services were a joke (the food was beyond awful, not to mention overpriced*.) Outside of the arena, you had no idea that anything was going on. Every other city had something to promote the event throughout much of the host cities, but I can't remember seeing anything as much as a pop-up display at the main train station letting people know that there was a major international sporting event going on.

*Note to any French people reading this: This comment was directed to the staff at the arena, not the city in general. I ate very well in Paris, just not in the media center.

 

[Rob]

Would like to see them in Canada again. Highly unlikely to happen anytime soon though.

 

[habsrule4eva3089]

I can't wait until it's back in Prague.

Best place in the World for this tournament.

 

[Jumptheshark]

I can say without exaggerating that of the seven IIHF World Championships I have attended, the Paris group in 2017 was the biggest joke of all of them and I can't even think of a close second. The fan zone was non-existent. The media services were a joke (the food was beyond awful, not to mention overpriced*.) Outside of the arena, you had no idea that anything was going on. Every other city had something to promote the event throughout much of the host cities, but I can't remember seeing anything as much as a pop-up display at the main train station letting people know that there was a major international sporting event going on.

*Note to any French people reading this: This comment was directed to the staff at the arena, not the city in general. I ate very well in Paris, just not in the media center.

My problem was that the French organisers lied to us and iihf. They never intended to have a fan zone and all the other stuff that makes the championship fun to attend. The claimed for security reasons they had to cancel everything but the games. But a month later, the French open went off with lots of things scattered through out Paris.

They never intended to have any of the fan things happening. Like, you I have been to nearly every single one in the last ten years and Paris was a joke.

For me the best two have been the Russian and Slovakian games

 

[Jumptheshark]

Just to bash Paris a little more. When the Swedes came over from Cologne games they were shocked. They showed us videos of the party there. Several people I know left Paris and went to Cologne.

 

[jcbio11]

My problem was that the French organisers lied to us and iihf. They never intended to have a fan zone and all the other stuff that makes the championship fun to attend. The claimed for security reasons they had to cancel everything but the games. But a month later, the French open went off with lots of things scattered through out Paris.

They never intended to have any of the fan things happening. Like, you I have been to nearly every single one in the last ten years and Paris was a joke.

For me the best two have been the Russian and Slovakian games

Did you do Bratislava or Kosice or both?

 

[GermanNuck]

I know that this is not on the list but I would love Vienna/Bratislava as hosting duo some day. Problem is that Austria is not exactly a lock for the top division.
Used to live in Vienna and always loved trips to Bratislava, always looking for reasons to visit.

 

[jcbio11]

I know that this is not on the list but I would love Vienna/Bratislava as hosting duo some day. Problem is that Austria is not exactly a lock for the top division.
Used to live in Vienna and always loved trips to Bratislava, always looking for reasons to visit.

Would be cool, yes. Although I suppose we're more likely to see Prague/Bratislava before we see Vienna/Bratislava. I'd love to see Vienna again also because of sentimental reasons. 1996 Vienna was the debut for the very young team Slovakia in the top division and I absolutely loved the collectible cards they released for the occasion. Prolly still have them somewhere at my parents place.

 

[Lartsaman]

I would love to see a country like Kazakhstan to arrange the tournament as well as Great Britain. Just give the new countries the right to host.

 

[BOS358]

My problem was that the French organisers lied to us and iihf. They never intended to have a fan zone and all the other stuff that makes the championship fun to attend. The claimed for security reasons they had to cancel everything but the games. But a month later, the French open went off with lots of things scattered through out Paris.

Wow...that makes it even worse than I thought. I had no idea the committee had done that. I had figured that the OC just decided "we're Paris, we don't need to impress anybody." Normally they'd be right. There's a good reason why Paris is the most visited city in the world. But their lack of care when organizing the event bothered me a lot.

Between your reports about people going to Cologne to enjoy themselves (doesn't surprise me) and all the effort the Danes put into hosting the next year, I agree that the French don't need to be hosting any time soon.

 

[BOS358]

Did you do Bratislava or Kosice or both?

I was in both cities and thought the tournament was very well run from pretty much every angle.

 

[Jumptheshark]

I was in both cities and thought the tournament was very well run from pretty much every angle.

Same here. Loved they had a train going between cities

 

[Jumptheshark]

Wow...that makes it even worse than I thought. I had no idea the committee had done that. I had figured that the OC just decided "we're Paris, we don't need to impress anybody." Normally they'd be right. There's a good reason why Paris is the most visited city in the world. But their lack of care when organizing the event bothered me a lot.

Between your reports about people going to Cologne to enjoy themselves (doesn't surprise me) and all the effort the Danes put into hosting the next year, I agree that the French don't need to be hosting any time soon.

When they announced they were to host the games, they held a news conference at the Tower. Announced they had big plans and knew full well they were doing none of it. I was in Paris a lot leading up the games seeing my brother and on business. It became obvious about 3 weeks before the games, there would be nothing but the games.

I taked to a couple of IIHF guys the next year in Denmark and they suggested about 4 weeks prior to the games, the French organisers were saying there would be still be two fan zones. It wasn't till Skoda and other sponsors asked when could they start setting up the fan zones where they told there would not be any.

Paris was a joke. I didn't go to cologne but I know who did and they said Cologne put on a good show

 

[Albatros]

In Paris there's no good place for a fan zone I guess, the plot of land around the arena is pretty small and although there's a park right next to it especially the nearest bit around the bus station is also pretty dodgy after dark.

 

[Jumptheshark]

In Paris there's no good place for a fan zone I guess, the plot of land around the arena is pretty small and although there's a park right next to it especially the nearest bit around the bus station is also pretty dodgy after dark.

There were supposed to be two fan zones. One at the tower. They never gave the location of the second one. It is not unusual to have a fan site up to a half a mile away

 

[Jumptheshark]

There used to be a video on YouTube by the French organisers that they made 1 year prior to the games where they laid out what their plans were. When I find it, I will post it and anyone who went to the Paris games will be shocked at what they said they were going to do and what they actual did

 

[Albatros]

Yeah, but it's just not a good fit as the rest of the city doesn't exactly breath hockey, maybe Pelouse de Reuilly (a relatively nearby circus field) or so could work if there's a shuttle bus.

 

[alko]

Although I suppose we're more likely to see Prague/Bratislava before we see Vienna/Bratislava.

I doubt, Czechs will split WCH. Why? They have enough arenas to host it and take full financial profit. There is maybe one option, if they will do it. Some very important jubilee, like 100 years from something (input your idea).

More possible is the cooperation between Bratislava and Budapest.

 

[Jumptheshark]

Yeah, but it's just not a good fit as the rest of the city doesn't exactly breath hockey, maybe Pelouse de Reuilly (a relatively nearby circus field) or so could work if there's a shuttle bus.

It was never a good fit but they still made promises that they never should have. The fact that the road works around the arena started in feb was not to be completed until july is a clear message the paris organisers had no intention of doing what they promised

 

[kaiser matias]

Would be cool, yes. Although I suppose we're more likely to see Prague/Bratislava before we see Vienna/Bratislava. I'd love to see Vienna again also because of sentimental reasons. 1996 Vienna was the debut for the very young team Slovakia in the top division and I absolutely loved the collectible cards they released for the occasion. Prolly still have them somewhere at my parents place.

I have a bunch of those as well. They used to be in vending machines at the arena for the junior team where I grew up.

 

[Lartsaman]

I have a bunch of those as well. They used to be in vending machines at the arena for the junior team where I grew up.

Oh... Vienna 96 collectible cards. What a good memories. I had almost a whole set of those and now they have been lost somewhere in the storage room, if not at dump. Collecting hockey cards was so big back then, not sure if the kids nowadays even care.