Slovak players (from left to right): Libor Hudáček, goalie Samuel Hlavaj, Pavol Regenda, Michal Ivan, Peter Cehlárik, Peter Čerešňák, Miloš Kelemen a Lukáš Cingel after a lost game against Canada on May 23, 2024, in Prague, Czech Republic. (source: TASR)
After the last duel of this year’s ice-hockey championship, hosted by the Czech cities of Prague and Ostrava, the new IIHF ranking has been published.
Based on this ranking, in which Slovakia came ninth, it is also known in which group Slovakia will play next year.
In 2025, the world championship will take place in Sweden and Denmark from May 9-25. Group A will play in Stockholm, Sweden, and Group B will be based in Herning, Denmark.
Slovakia will play its group games in Stockholm, along with Canada, Sweden, Finland, Latvia, Austria, France and Slovenia. Herning will welcome Switzerland, the Czech Republic, the USA, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Kazakhstan and Hungary.
Tickets will be released on October 3, 2024.
The federation’s ranking defines who will play in which group, but the organisers of each championship have room for minor changes, notes Sportnet.
Stockholm will be host city for Sweden’s group stage, two quarter-finals, semi-finals, the bronze and gold medal games. The other group and two of the four quarter-finals will be played in Herning.
Slovakia ended in seventh place at this year’s tournament, the country’s best finish since 2012.
World's top 10 hockey teams. (source: IIHF)
