4 days ago
CONFIRMED: 2029 IIHF World Championship Goes To Slovakia
At its annual congress in Stockholm on Friday, the IIHF awarded the 2029 World Championship to Slovakia – specifically Bratislava and Košice.
According to the website of the Slovak Ice Hockey Association, 99 percent of the delegates at the congress approved the bid from Slovakia. Exact figures are not yet known.
As far back as February, the 2029 Worlds going to Slovakia was a near certainty as it was the only remaining applicant to host. Previously, there had also been applications from Hungary and Great Britain, which both withdrew, although both countries have expressed interest in hosting at some point in the future.
Advertisement
An obstacle for both Hungary and Great Britain is that neither country plays in the top division frequently enough for one to be confident that they would qualify for the 2029 World Championship on their own merits. A host country automatically qualifies but the IIHF tries to avoid that situation – the last time it became an issue was 2010, when host Germany played (and finished fourth) despite its 15th-place finish in 2009, which should have relegated the Germans.
At this year's Worlds, France was relegated and will play next year in Division I Group A, although France is already qualified for the 2028 World Championship as host.
Bratislava and Košice have already co-hosted the IIHF World Championships in 2011 and 2019 at Ondrej Nepala Arena and Steel Arena. Previously, Bratislava also co-hosted the Worlds in 1959 and 1992 as part of Czechoslovakia.
With the awarding of the 2029 tournament, the hosts of the next four elite-level World Championships are now known:
Advertisement
2026 – Zurich and Fribourg, Switzerland
2027 – Düsseldorf and Mannheim, Germany
2028 – Paris and Lyon, France
2029 – Bratislava and Košice, Slovakia
Photo © George Walker IV-Imagn Images
Nikolaj Ehlers: Denmark Beating Canada 'One Of The Biggest Things I've Done In My Career'
Nikolaj Ehlers: Denmark Beating Canada 'One Of The Biggest Things I've Done In My Career' 'I don't have any words for this,' Nikolaj Ehlers said after the game, almost in disbelief. 'To beat Canada at home and go through is one of the biggest things I've done in my career, so it's amazing.'
