Official 2025 IIHF Hockey World Championship Thread

[LegionOfDoom91]

Group A:
- Canada (1)
- Finland (3)
- Sweden (7)
- Slovakia (9)
- Latvia (10)
- Austria (13)
- France (14)
- Slovenia (19)

Group B:
- Czechia (4)
- Switzerland (5)
- United States (6)
- Germany (8)
- Denmark (11)
- Norway (12)
- Kazakhstan (15)
- Hungary (18)

IIHF - Home 2025 IIHF ICE HOCKEY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

IIHF - Home 2025 IIHF ICE HOCKEY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

www.iihf.com

 

[FLYguy3911]

Lopsided groups.

 

[tade]

Hasn't been posted here yet, but it appears that both, Konecny and Sanheim, will play for Team Canada.

 

[ellja3]

With Milano coming up, this brings close to zero emotions... For now. Also how do we have FRA/SLO while the other group has KZK/HUN??

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

With Milano coming up, this brings close to zero emotions... For now. Also how do we have FRA/SLO while the other group has KZK/HUN??

No Russia & to a lesser extent Belarus create some unbalance. Russia is the current 2nd ranked country according to IIHF’s rankings. Belarus is 16th.

 

[ellja3]

No Russia & to a lesser extent Belarus create some unbalance. Russia is the current 2nd ranked country according to IIHF’s rankings. Belarus is 16th.

Gotcha, makes sense. I had (thankfully) already forgotten about those two.

 

[tade]

With Milano coming up, this brings close to zero emotions... For now. Also how do we have FRA/SLO while the other group has KZK/HUN??

Why is that? I am obviously very much looking to Milano with NHL players being able to participate, and games will be in prime time in Europe. But not sure why it should affect my interest for WHC, I love this tournament every year. If anything, Olympics coming up already next Feb. might have positive impact on quality of CAN/USA roster, which would be great.

What's better? Watching WHC games and after that NHL play-offs. May is beautiful month.

 

[ellja3]

Why is that? I am obviously very much looking to Milano with NHL players being able to participate, and games will be in prime time in Europe. But not sure why it should affect my interest for WHC, I love this tournament every year. If anything, Olympics coming up already next Feb. might have positive impact on quality of CAN/USA roster, which would be great.

What's better? Watching WHC games and after that NHL play-offs. May is beautiful month.

I understand where you're coming from. My answer to why:

- Suboptimal rosters, USA/CAN pretty much brings best of the eliminated players, it's ofc normal given the timing and there's still star players, but gives a bit of exhibition tournament vibes (emphasis on ''a bit'').
- The proximity to Milano Olympics
- Latvia is going thru a bit of generation/roster change and while it is much needed and awesome, on subconscious level I cannot relate to likes of Vilmanis, Ločmelis etc. the way I could to Dārziņš, Karsums etc. I know it sounds dumb and I couldn't put my finger on it quite a while, but it's true.
- Our recent bronze makes it feel we've reached near max and everything after that feels like a bit of cooldown. Again - emphasis on ''a bit'' and this will also change w time.