Ice Hockey World Championships

The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation. They were preceded by the European Championships which were held from 1910 to 1932, and decided at the 1920 Summer Olympics for the first time. Subsequently ice hockey featured at the Winter Olympics, where the World Championship was decided when the two events occurred concurrently. The last time the World Championships were decided during the Olympic Games was at the 1968 Winter Olympics.

Contents

1 History 2 The Playing Format 3 IIHF European Championships 4 IIHF World Championships 4.1 Medal Table 5 IIHF World Women Championships 6 Junior World Championships 6.1 IIHF World U20 Championships 6.2 IIHF World U18 Championships 7 See also 8 External links/Sources

History

In the early days of the Championships, teams from Canada dominated. Between 1930 and 1939, Canadian teams won the tournament eight times. This occurred despite the fact that Canada sent a different team each year, as in those days Senior A amateur teams typically represented Canada.

The World War II years caused the Championships to be cancelled from 1940-46. Canadian teams continued to dominate the tournament in the early post-war era, but from 1954 onward the Championships became increasingly competitive, as USSR joined them this year, and teams Czechoslovakia and Sweden improved their skill level.

While the top European players were officially able to compete in the World Championships while retaining their amateur status, players in the National Hockey League were prohibited for many years from entering in the tournament. As the great majority of NHL players were Canadian nationals, this rule was seen by many as discriminatory against Canadian players. In 1970, the IIHF allowed Canada to send nine professionals from the ranks of the NHL and its affiliated minor leagues (though as the tournaments were held during the Stanley Cup playoffs, only a handful of them could actually compete). However, these rules were later rescinded after officials produced many reciprocal claims against them. It upset the Canadians, who felt that they should be allowed to send their best players as well. Canada boycotted the World Championships for seven years as a result, during which the IIHF moved the championships out of the Olympics in 1972 and 1976 in an attempt to resolve the issue.

In 1976, a new president of the IIHF finally allowed professionals on all teams, and Canada returned to competition the following year. By this time, the quality of play of European hockey had improved so much that even Canadian rosters filled with NHL players whose teams had missed the playoffs could not dominate. Not until 1994, 33 years after its previous championship, would Canada win the tournament again. The breakup of the Soviet Union, which dominated the Championships for much of the three decades after Canada's dominance ended, and of Czechoslovakia, which won in most of the years in which the Soviets did not, brought about unprecedented parity to the international game. By the early 1990's, many European countries' best players were also competing in the NHL, and the ones who were not represented a number of different countries.

In recent championships, the two nations of the former Czechoslovakia have fared extremely well in international play, accounting for four straight championships between 1999-2002 – the first three by the Czech Republic and the latter by Slovakia. (The Czech side also won the 1998 Winter Olympic gold medal in Nagano, Japan). Canada has recently returned to prominance, capturing the 2003 and 2004 World Championships as well as the 2002 Winter Olympic gold medal at Salt Lake City. The Czech Republic won the 2005 World Championship.

The Playing Format

The modern format for the World Championships features a minimum of 40 teams: 16 teams in the main group, 12 teams in Division I and 12 teams in Division II. If there are more than 40 teams, the rest compete in Division III.

The main group features 16 teams split into 4 groups. The teams play each other in a round robin format, and the top 3 teams in each advance into another round of group play, this time with 2 groups of 6. After another robin round format, the top 4 teams in each advance into an 8 team knockout playoff, which eventually decides the championship.

The bottom teams in the first groups will play in another group as well, this group will determine relegation. After round-robin format, the bottom two teams are usually relegated to the Division I. Japan typically did not get relegated, as the IIHF has held a "Far East Qualifier" since 1998 to develop the popularity of the sport in the region, the winner of which gets an automatic berth. Japan has always won this tournament. Due to the lack of success in popularising hockey in the Far East, little improvement in the quality of play, and poor prospects for any related marketing, the IIHF has discontinued the practice in the 2005 Championships, relegating Japan to compete in Division I.

After the World Championship group are the two 6-team Division I groups. Those groups play in a round robin format and the winner of the respective groups are promoted to the world championship group, while the last place teams in each are demoted to Division II. Division II works similarly to Division I, having two 6-team groups and the last place teams in these groups are subject to a Division III, a qualifying group which determines entry into Division II the following season. There is no relegation from Division III.

IIHF European Championships

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Venue
1910	Template:GBRh	Template:GERh1	Template:BELh	Les Avants
1911	Template:BOHh	Template:GERh1	Template:BELh	Berlin
1912	Cancelled
1913	Template:BELh	Template:BOHh	Template:GERh1	Munich
1914	Template:BOHh	Template:GERh1	Template:BELh	Berlin
No Championships 1915-1920 (World War I)
1921	Template:SWEh	Template:TCHh	(only two teams)	Stockholm
1922	Template:TCHh	Template:SWEh	Template:SUIh	St. Moritz
1923	Template:SWEh	Template:FRAh	Template:TCHh	Antwerp
1924	Template:SWEh	Template:SUIh	Template:TCHh	Milan
1925	Template:TCHh	Template:AUTh	Template:SUIh	Strbske Pleso/Stary Smokovec
1926	Template:SUIh	Template:TCHh	Template:AUTh	Davos
1927	Template:AUTh	Template:BELh	Template:GERh	Vienna
1929	Template:TCHh	Template:POLh	Template:AUTh	Budapest
1932	Template:SWEh	Template:AUTh	Template:SUIh	Berlin

Notes

1. Berlin 1932 was the last separate IIHF European Championship event.
2. European Championships medals were awarded to the European participants of the IIHF World Championships until 1991.

IIHF World Championships

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Venue
1920	Template:CANh1	Template:USAh1	Template:TCHh	Antwerp (Olympics)¹
1924	Template:CANh2	Template:USAh1	Template:GBRh	Chamonix (Olympics)¹
1928	Template:CANh2	Template:SWEh	Template:SUIh	St. Moritz (Olympics)¹
1930	Template:CANh2	Template:GERh	Template:SUIh	Chamonix/Berlin
1931	Template:CANh2	Template:USAh1	Template:AUTh	Krynica
1932	Template:CANh2	Template:USAh1	Template:GERh	Lake Placid (Olympics)¹
1933	Template:USAh1	Template:CANh2	Template:TCHh	Prague
1934	Template:CANh2	Template:USAh1	Template:GERh1	Milan
1935	Template:CANh2	Template:SUIh	Template:GBRh	Davos
1936	Template:GBRh	Template:CANh2	Template:USAh1	Garmisch-Partenkirchen (Olympics)¹
1937	Template:CANh2	Template:GBRh	Template:SUIh	London
1938	Template:CANh2	Template:GBRh	Template:TCHh	Prague
1939	Template:CANh2	Template:USAh1	Template:SUIh	Zürich/Basel
No Championships 1940-1946 (World War II)
1947	Template:TCHh	Template:SWEh	Template:AUTh	Prague
1948	Template:CANh2	Template:TCHh	Template:SUIh	St. Moritz (Olympics)¹
1949	Template:TCHh	Template:CANh2	Template:USAh1	Stockholm
1950	Template:CANh2	Template:USAh1	Template:SUIh	London
1951	Template:CANh2	Template:SWEh	Template:SUIh	Paris
1952	Template:CANh2	Template:USAh1	Template:SWEh	Oslo (Olympics)¹
1953	Template:SWEh	Template:FRGh	Template:SUIh	Zürich/Basel
1954	Template:URSh	Template:CANh2	Template:SWEh	Stockholm
1955	Template:CANh2	Template:URSh	Template:TCHh	Krefeld/Dortmund/Cologne
1956	Template:URSh	Template:USAh1	Template:CANh2	Cortina (Olympics)¹
1957	Template:SWEh	Template:URSh	Template:TCHh	Moscow
1958	Template:CANh2	Template:URSh	Template:SWEh	Oslo
1959	Template:CANh2	Template:URSh	Template:TCHh	Prague/Bratislava
1960	Template:USAh2	Template:CANh2	Template:URSh	Squaw Valley (Olympics)¹
1961	Template:CANh2	Template:TCHh	Template:URSh	Geneva/Lausanne
1962	Template:SWEh	Template:CANh2	Template:USAh	Colorado Springs/Denver
1963	Template:URSh	Template:SWEh	Template:TCHh	Stockholm
1964	Template:URSh	Template:SWEh	Template:CANh	Innsbruck (Olympics)¹²
1965	Template:URSh	Template:TCHh	Template:SWEh	Tampere
1966	Template:URSh	Template:TCHh	Template:CANh	Ljubljana
1967	Template:URSh	Template:SWEh	Template:CANh	Vienna
1968	Template:URSh	Template:TCHh	Template:CANh	Grenoble (Olympics)¹
1969	Template:URSh	Template:SWEh	Template:TCHh	Stockholm
1970	Template:URSh	Template:SWEh	Template:TCHh	Stockholm
1971	Template:URSh	Template:TCHh	Template:SWEh	Berne/Geneva
1972	Template:TCHh	Template:URSh	Template:SWEh	Prague
1973	Template:URSh	Template:SWEh	Template:TCHh	Moscow
1974	Template:URSh	Template:TCHh	Template:SWEh	Helsinki
1975	Template:URSh	Template:TCHh	Template:SWEh	Munich/Düsseldorf
1976	Template:TCHh	Template:URSh	Template:SWEh	Katowice
1977	Template:TCHh	Template:SWEh	Template:URSh	Vienna
1978	Template:URSh	Template:TCHh	Template:CANh	Prague
1979	Template:URSh	Template:TCHh	Template:SWEh	Moscow
1981	Template:URSh	Template:SWEh	Template:TCHh	Gothenburg/Stockholm
1982	Template:URSh	Template:TCHh	Template:CANh	Helsinki/Tampere
1983	Template:URSh	Template:TCHh	Template:CANh	Düsseldorf/Dortmund/Munich
1985	Template:TCHh	Template:CANh	Template:URSh	Prague
1986	Template:URSh	Template:SWEh	Template:CANh	Moscow
1987	Template:SWEh	Template:URSh	Template:TCHh	Vienna
1989	Template:URSh	Template:CANh	Template:TCHh	Stockholm/Södertälje
1990	Template:URSh	Template:SWEh	Template:TCHh	Berne/Fribourg
1991	Template:SWEh	Template:CANh	Template:URSh	Turku/Helsinki/Tampere
1992	Template:SWEh	Template:FINh	Template:TCHh	Prague/Bratislava
1993	Template:RUSh	Template:SWEh	Template:CZEh	Dortmund/Munich
1994	Template:CANh	Template:FINh	Template:SWEh	Bolzano/Canazei/Milano
1995	Template:FINh	Template:SWEh	Template:CANh	Stockholm/Gävle
1996	Template:CZEh	Template:CANh	Template:USAh	Vienna
1997	Template:CANh	Template:SWEh	Template:CZEh	Helsinki/Turku/Tampere
1998	Template:SWEh	Template:FINh	Template:CZEh	Zürich/Basel
1999	Template:CZEh	Template:FINh	Template:SWEh	Oslo/Lillehammer/Hamar
2000	Template:CZEh	Template:SVKh	Template:FINh	St. Petersburg
2001	Template:CZEh	Template:FINh	Template:SWEh	Cologne/Hanover/Nuremberg
2002	Template:SVKh	Template:RUSh	Template:SWEh	Göteborg/Karlstad/Jönköping
2003	Template:CANh	Template:SWEh	Template:SVKh	Helsinki/Tampere/Turku
2004 Details	Template:CANh	Template:SWEh	Template:USAh	Prague/Ostrava
2005 Details	Template:CZEh	Template:CANh	Template:RUSh	Innsbruck/Vienna
2006 Details				Riga
2007				St. Petersburg or Moscow
2008				Halifax/Quebec City
2009				Switzerland
2010				Cologne and Mannheim, Germany

Notes

1. All Olympic Hockey Ice Hockey Tournaments between 1920 and 1968 also counted as World Championships.
2. The 1964 Olympic ice hockey tournament produced two different final standings, one for the Olympic medals and one for the World Championship.
3. In the Olympic years 1980, 1984 and 1988, no IIHF World Championships were staged.

Medal Table

Country	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Medals
Template:CANh	23	11	10	44
Template:URSh	22	7	5	34
Template:SWEh	7	18	14	39
Template:TCHh	6	12	15	33
Template:CZEh	5	0	3	8
Template:USAh	2	9	5	16
Template:FINh	1	5	1	7
Template:GBRh	1	2	2	5
Template:RUSh	1	1	1	3
Template:SVKh	1	1	1	3
Template:SUIh	0	1	8	9
Template:GERh	0	1	2	3
Template:FRGh	0	1	0	1
Template:AUTh	0	0	2	2

IIHF World Women Championships

See: IIHF World Women Championships

Junior World Championships

IIHF also conducts Junior World Championships in two age groups: for Under-20 and Under-18 players. They are organized according to a system similar to World Championships, with the main group and Divisions I, II and III but the number of teams is smaller.

IIHF World U20 Championships

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Venue
1977	Missing image Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union.png Soviet Union	Template:CAN	Czechoslovakia	Banska Bystrica/Zvolen
1978	Missing image Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union.png Soviet Union	Template:SWE	Template:CAN	Montreal
1979	Missing image Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union.png Soviet Union	Czechoslovakia	Template:SWESweden	Karlstad
1980	Missing image Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union.png Soviet Union	Template:FIN	Template:SWE	Helsinki
1981	Template:SWE	Template:FIN	Missing image Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union.png Soviet Union	Fussen
1982	Template:CAN	Czechoslovakia	Template:FIN	Minnesota
1983	Missing image Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union.png Soviet Union	Czechoslovakia	Template:CAN	Leningrad
1984	Missing image Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union.png Soviet Union	Template:FIN	Czechoslovakia	Norrköping/Nyköping
1985	Template:CAN	Czechoslovakia	Missing image Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union.png Soviet Union	Helsinki/Turku
1986	Missing image Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union.png Soviet Union	Template:CAN	Template:USA	Hamilton
1987	Template:FIN	Czechoslovakia	Template:SWE	Piestany
1988	Template:CAN	Missing image Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union.png Soviet Union	Template:FIN	Moscow
1989	Missing image Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union.png Soviet Union	Template:SWE	Czechoslovakia	Anchorage
1990	Template:CAN	Missing image Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union.png Soviet Union	Czechoslovakia	Helsinki/Turku
1991	Template:CAN	Missing image Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union.png Soviet Union	Czechoslovakia	Saskatoon
1992	Missing image Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union.png Soviet Union	Template:SWE	Template:USA	Fussen/Kaufbeuren
1993	Template:CAN	Template:SWE	Czechoslovakia	Gävle
1994	Template:CAN	Template:SWE	Template:RUS	Ostrava/Frydek Mistek
1995	Template:CAN	Template:RUS	Template:SWE	Alberta
1996	Template:CAN	Template:SWE	Template:RUS	Boston
1997	Template:CAN	Template:USA	Template:RUS	Geneva/Morges
1998	Template:FIN	Template:RUS	Template:SUI	Helsinki/Hämeenlinna
1999	Template:RUS	Template:CAN	Template:SVK	Winnipeg
2000	Czech Republic	Template:RUS	Template:CAN	Skellefteå/Umeå
2001	Czech Republic	Template:FIN	Template:CAN	Moscow/Podolsk
2002	Template:RUS	Template:CAN	Template:FIN	Pardubice/Hradec Kralove
2003	Template:RUS	Template:CAN	Template:FIN	Halifax/Sydney
2004 Details	Template:USA	Template:CAN	Template:FIN	Helsinki/Hämeenlinna
2005 Details	Template:CAN	Template:RUS	Czech Republic	Grand Forks/Thief River Falls
2006 Details				Vancouver

IIHF World U18 Championships

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Venue
1999	Template:FIN	Template:SWE	Template:SVK	Fussen/Kaufbeuren
2000	Template:FIN	Template:RUS	Template:SWE	Kloten/Weinfelden
2001	Template:RUS	Template:SUI	Template:FIN	Heinola/Helsinki/Lahti
2002	Template:USA	Template:RUS	Template:CZE	Piestany/Trnava
2003	Template:CAN	Template:SVK	Template:RUS	Yaroslavl
2004	Template:RUS	Template:USA	Template:CZE	Minsk
2005	Template:USA	Template:CAN	Template:SWE	Ceske Budejovice/Plzen

See also

• Olympic Ice Hockey Tournaments
• World Cup of Hockey
• World Professional Hockey Championships
• Canada Cup
• Summit Series

External links/Sources

• World Championships web site (http://ihwc.net) - current Men's World Championships
• Result archive (http://www.iihf.com/archive/archive.htm) - Full results for men's, women's and junior championships since 1999 and medalists for all tournaments.
• Hockeyarchives.info (http://www.hockeyarchives.info/)
• Hockey Almanac (http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Dugout/4128/49INTERNATIONAL.html)

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