This year’s International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship ladder has 58 nations participating across eight groups, with the top 16 facing off in Sweden and Denmark for the annual championship. This post is a primer as to who is in, where it is, and even how to watch it.
The New Jersey Devils are in the playoffs. In fact, most of the Stanley Cup Playoffs are set ahead of the end of regular season on April 17. However, the greatest hockey tournament in the world is not the only one starting soon. The annual international ladder that is the IIHF World Championships begins this Sunday with the lowest division starting it all off in Armenia. This year, the IIHF decided to compact all of their men’s divisions such that the first game starts on April 13 and runs right into the top division tourney in May. If you want to watch lower level international hockey or want to see hockey during the day, then this is for you. Especially since you may be able to watch it.
How to Watch
The IIHF has announced a streaming service: IIHF.TV. This will be their main broadcast for this and their other tournaments: the Women’s World Championships (which have been ongoing) and the World U-18 Championships (good news for all of you aspiring scouts out there). From what I can tell, they’ll be airing every division. And you can watch it provided there is no other broadcast in your country that has the rights to the tourney. So you may not be able to watch the United States or Canada, but you should be able to watch the other divisions if you would rather watch hockey all day instead of working or sleeping or something else. From what I can also tell, it will cost you to watch. I’ve seen 10 Euro for the whole tourney. The site claims a separate cost for watching just one game but that’s not available. Given I don’t see any conversion rate, it’s clear that the European Union is the IIHF’s target audience. The site is also not up to date about territory terms, or which countries cannot watch through the streaming site. Hopefully that changes by Sunday.
Still, this is an improvement from hoping someone streams a game on YouTube. Last year, it was spotty with some coverage just being an arena view with no commentary to an actual professional broadcast. Hopefully it works out for the IIHF in 2025 such that they can continue to provide access. One of the challenges of the WCs is that they aren’t taken seriously. Without actual coverage, it is hard to take it at all. It is a step forward.
Rather than make separate posts for each division, have an overview of all 8 groups in this very post. Starting with a surprising host in Armenia for the lowest division.
Division IV
The Dates: April 13-19
The Place: The Karen Demirchyan Complex in Yerevan, Armenia
The Stakes: The group winner moves up to Division III-B for 2026. No one can be relegated in this group.
The Teams:
Armenia, Host Nation: This is Armenia’s first time in the World Championships since 2010. Their hockey history is controversial. After making their WC debut in 2004 and getting waxed then and in 2005, they looked and played much better in 2006. They also spoke perfect English and many were new. The IIHF asked to see passports to confirm their eligibility. The Aremnians refused and so the IIHF found they used ineligible players. After a year suspension, and a roster on probation (they had to submit it 6 months ahead of time), they hosted a group in 2010. Once again, the Aremnians used ineligible players. Their results were wiped out and they were indefinitely suspended. That lasted until 2015. Since then, they haven’t had the resources to go back to the WCs. Until now. They are back. Their big question for 2025: is their roster IIHF compliant?
Uzbekistan: This is the first ever WC appearance for the Uzbeks. They became associate members of the IIHF in 2019 along with Iran, Algeria, Lebanon, and Colombia. Showing up is the first step. Any result in their favor in Armenia should be treated as a landmark.
Malaysia: Last year’s last place team and likely to finish there again. Unless they can put something together against a returning Armenia and a debuting Uzbekistan. All I can say is: good luck.
Indonesia: The Indonesians won their first WC game last year by beating Malaysia in OT, 7-6. They also only lost to Kuwait, 8-7. They are at the bottom of the ladder but results like that are something to build on. Their goal is to try to flex on Armenia and Uzbekistan in addition to beating Malaysia to avoid finishing last.
Iran: Demoted from Division III-B last year, the Iranians will want to try to battle their way back up. Iran’s roster had a wide range of aged players so it’s hard to grasp if they are improving or they are just holding on to whoever can play. This group will show whether they are worthy of being a Division III team.
Kuwait: Unless I am mistaken, Kuwait was the most penalized team in all of the 2025 WC groups. Over 200 penalty minutes issued in just three games played. This was largely because of a massive and violent brawl between Kuwait and Mongolia. That was the game that effectively decided who would be promoted and Kuwait was losing it. So they lost their cool, to put it incredibly lightly. If they can stay disciplined and not get upset by any of the non-Iran teams, then they could battle for promotion. Please battle in terms of hockey and not in throwing kicks.
Division III, Group B
This is the fun group outside of Division I-A. One made funner by Mongolia replacing Iran. And, once again, five Asian teams are traveling to play outside Asia for this group. Thanks, IIHF?
The Dates: April 27 – May 3
The Place: Lakeside Ice Park, Santiago de Queretaro, Mexico.
The Stakes: The winner of the group moves up to Division III-A for 2026 The last place team is relegated to Division IV.
The Teams:
Mexico, The Host: It has been a bad time for Mexican ice hockey. They have not won a single game in the World Championships since 2019. They have been relegated in each of the last two years. They were in Division II from 2006 to 2023. As the hosts, they need to win a game first. And this group will not be an easy one to bounce back up from. Good luck.
Mongolia: Promoted from Division IV, they have something to look forward to beyond survival. They’ll get a chance at revenge against the Philippines. In 2023, the Pinoys stunned them in OT in Mongolia to move up to this group. Now, that’s a game both teams may need to stay up. The Mongolians may measure up well physically, but their hockey will be tested against Hong Kong and North Korea.
Singapore: The Singaporeans survived last year by beating Iran badly. Iran was relegated. Now Singapore has the target on their back for relegation this year. Ethan Redden and his compatriot will need to grind out games and hope they get the points they need to survive. Their games against the Philippines and Mongolia will be huge.
Philippines: The beloved Philippines hung in there in Division III-B last year. Kenwrick Sze was second only to North Korea’s Hong Shun-rim in goals. Captain Steven Fuglister and Jan Regencia had very productive tourneys. Now is the time to see if they improved. With Mongolia returning, the Pinoys will need to battle to avoid becoming doormats. As a biased writer, sugod.
Hong Kong: They nearly won last year’s group with an upset win over Bosnia. Had they not blown an 8-5 lead to North Korea, the group was theirs. Alas. If HK brings goalies under the age of 50 and can perform, they are a dark horse team in this group. Justin Cheng should still be one of the group’s top players.
North Korea: After skipping 2023, they showed up in Sarajevo in 2024. It did not take long to show that they were one of the better teams in this group. A loss to the hosts last year kept them from winning the group. Provided that Mexico does not have a great goalie for this level, they should be seen as a favorite to move up. Of course, last year showed that a lot can happen – especially if a national team goaltender has a better than expected game.
Division III-A
Hunger and hope for moving up abound in this group of six.
The Dates: April 21 – April 27
The Place: Zeytinburnu Ice Rink, Istanbul, Turkey
The Stakes: The winner of the group will be promoted to Division II-B. The last place team will go to Division III-A.
The Teams:
Turkey, the Host: Turkish hockey has been a yo-yo team in this tournament. Once again, they were relegated from II-B last year. Which also happened in 2017, 2014, 2010, 2007, and 2005. History and being on home ice will favor them as one of the group favorites. There will be challengers, though.
Bosnia and Herzegovina: When B&H won last year’s Division III-B, one of their cornerstones to success was goaltender Dino Pasovic. He was the best goalie in the group and that gave the Host Nation the edge. He also seemingly announced his retirement after the promotion-sealing win. Therefore, B&H needs to have a goalie ready to perform well at this higher level of competition. It would help a lot of if their skaters picked up their play too. They just need a win or two to survive. By any means, B&H.
South Africa: They stayed up last year by beating Mexico 6-3. Unless they can upset Luxembourg or Turkmenistan, their survival may be based on whether they beat Bosnia and Herzegovina this year. The South Africans should consider shooting more. They were dead last in the group with 122 shots last year, as well as in goals with 13. Should they find an offense, that may be enough.
Luxembourg: Luxembourg surprised last year by going 2-1-0-2. They had a winning record after going winless in 2023 and staying up only because North Korea did not show up. Maybe they can continue to surprise this year and challenge for more than just third place?
Turkmenistan: This team took plenty of penalties last year and it did not help them at all. Their PK success rate of 62.5% (12 PPGA from 32 situations) hurt their cause. As did taking just 130 shots on net in 5 games. This squad needs to play smarter and be more aggressive with the puck than their sticks and hands if they want a shot at moving further up the standings.
Kyrgyzstan: They got wrecked 9-4 by Thailand last year before stomping through the group on home ice. One bad night ruined their chances at making Division II. They’ll try to do it again and hope to upset Turkey. Hopefully their goaltending is sorted out. As well as their penalty kill, which had a bad success rate of 61.3% (12 PPGA from 31 situations). If they do, then they can become the favorites to move up to Division II for next year.
Division II-B
A motely crew will gather in New Zealand for the highest rung in the bottom half of the WC ladder.
The Dates: April 27 – May 3
The Place: Dunedin Ice Stadium, Dunedin, New Zealand
The Stakes: The group winner will move up to Division II-A for 2026. Last place in the group will be relegated to Division III-A.
The Teams:
New Zealand, the Host: The Ice Blacks have been a mainstay of Division II-B since 2013. They’ve finished between second and fourth since then, including second place last year. Something or someone has just denied NZ of promotion all these years. Even hosting in 2017 yielded a runner up finish. Jackson Fontaine, Stefan Amston, Csaba Kercso-Magos will be leaned on to provide that extra push this year.
Thailand: The Thais went to Bishkek last year and swept everyone in Division III-A. Built on repatriated players like Nick Lampson, Jan Isaksson, Ken Kindborn, Masato Kitayama, and Ben Kleineschay, they ran through everyone at the Division III level. (There are native Thais on the team like Papan Thanakroekkiat, but the others led in scoring and in the net.) They will get a good test at this one to see how far they have come. Their games against Taiwan, Bulgaria, and Georgia will be good measuring sticks as any. Survival will be their main goal but do not be shocked if they finish above fifth.
Taiwan: No, I’m not calling them Chinese Taipei. Goalie Hsiao Po-yu held it together as best as he could for a team that finished fifth, edged out by Bulgaria. With only 14 goals scored last year, Taiwan needs to find some offensive sparks. If only to get an extra result to stay up for 2026.
Bulgaria: It was a somewhat interesting run for Bulgaria last year. They were blown out by Belgium and Georgia. They beat on Turkey. They upset New Zealand in a shootout. They lost to Taiwan. The national team needs someone to breakout in order to reach another level. They may not get an upset win to help in 2025.
Georgia: The Georgians iced an IIHF compliant roster last year, so that is an improvement over 2023. They also finished just behind New Zealand, although they lost to them. I see them as a gatekeepers for contention in this group. This is to say I see them as safe from relegation but not a favorite. Should Georgia bust out a win over the hosts or Iceland, then this group could get interesting.
Iceland: This squad was relegated from II-A last year. Like Turkey, Iceland has a history of being a yo-yo. This means they may be a favorite this year to go back up to Group A. Their games against the hosts and Georgia will bear that out barring any upsets.
Division II-A
This was going to be in Melbourne, but “security concerns” magically came up. Such things do not exist in Belgrade, Serbia apparently. I’ve got one word for the Australians and let me link to someone spelling it out for them.
The Dates: April 27 – May 3
The Place: Pionir Ice Rink, Belgrade, Serbia
The Stakes: The group winner will get promoted to Division I-B for 2026. Last place will get relegated down to Division II-A.
The Teams:
Serbia, the Host: Serbia stepped up to make sure the tourney would even happen after Australia bailed on hosting. Credit to them. They hosted last year’s group and came in second after a relegation from Division I-B a year earlier. I’m sure their loss to Croatia stings a bit. Serbian goaltender Arsenije Rankovic powered the team through their four wins last year and will likely do it again. The question is really who will challenge them for first this year?
Australia: They were supposed to be the hosts but they chickened out. You mean to tell me a poor Eastern European country can handle “security concerns” but Australia can’t? Nonsense. Even if they were hosting, this group will be a challenge for the Mighty Roos. They won one game last year to survive and the team they beat, Iceland, was relegated. Goalie Aleksi Toivonen will have to be fantastic or someone on the Aussie roster has to put up more than 2 goals and/or 5 points this year.
Belgium: Belgium swept Division II-B and looked great in the process. Belgium returns to this group since being relegated in 2019. Their hope is that they recharged after dominant 2024 performance from Jelle Lievens, Sam Verlest, Bryan Henry, and Vadim Gyesbreghs among others. Now that they are at the next level, they need to maintain survival. Games against Australia and Israel will go a long way to show whether they stay up.
Israel: The Brothers Levin will be the stars. David and Mike were top ten scorers in last year’s group. The issue is, well, the rest of the squad. Not a lot of scoring outside of the Levins. The goaltending led by Maksim Kaliaev wasn’t so good as only relegated Iceland allowed more goals. They had more shorthanded situations than anyone else in the group. Entertaining to watch but not always the most competitive. I do hope they smash Australia by about six on May 3.
Netherlands: Coming down from Division I-B are the Dutch. This is their fourth time ever at this level. Each time they fell to II-A, they were promoted in the following year. For that alone, they will challenge Serbia and UAE for promotion. Goalie Martin Oosterwijk posted an impressive 92.6% save percentage when he played. He’ll need to repeat that and the Dutch needs to find some offense to move on up. They scored just four goals last year, hopefully that was due to the quality of their opponents and not their own quality.
United Arab Emirates: The IIHF rules for player eligibility are strict in that it requires the player to be a citizen and to have played locally. UAE has followed that by bringing in players, mostly from Russia, to become citizens and presumably pay them well enough to stay local and therefore be eligible to play for UAE. It has worked to a point. They definitely had an offense as four of the top ten scorer of last year’s group were from UAE, and the team was a goal behind Croatia for most in the group. The backend was not as strong. Still, if there is a time for UAE to step forward, this may be it. Their game against Serbia will be huge.
Division I-B
This is the highest level group of six where one team moves up.
The Dates: April 26 – May 2
The Place: Tondiraba Ice Hall, Tallinn, Estonia
The Stakes: The winner of the group will be promoted to Division I-A for 2026. The last place team will be demoted to Division II-A.
The Teams:
Estonia, The Host: Estonia finished third last year despite scoring just 11 goals and conceding 20. When Estonia did score, it often involved forwards Robert Rooba and/or Kristjan Kombe. Expect them to perform. The question will be whether any of the other Swallows will emerge. Their penalty kill of 62.5% success and team save percentage of 82.3% were worst in the group last year. That has to improve if the Estonians want to show off well as hosts.
Croatia: I do not know of Croatia-Serbia is a rivalry in hockey but beating them to move up on the final day surely had to feel great. This is their return to Division I-B for the first time since 2018. Marko Katic, Bruno Idzan, Karlo Marinovic, and especially goaltender Vilim Rosandic were the top players on last year’s team. Now at a higher level, we shall see of they can hang. If so, they could stick in I-B for a bit of time. Like they did from 2014-2018.
Spain: Spain should be hoping they can handle the Croatian national team on May 2. It may decide whether they stay up or not. The Spainards weren’t exceptionally bad on special teams, their goaltending wasn’t good but not the worst, and their offense generated 7 goals – second only to the Netherlands last year. That was the one team they beat in 2024 and it was a 1-0 win. This team moved up to this level after 2023. They may bounce back down if Croatia beats them and the rest repeat last year.
China: The Kunlun Project was seemingly dumped last year – the national team isn’t just the KHL roster – and China was fine in the WCs. They won two games and finished fourth. They will try to maintain. Questions abound: Could Hou Yuyang produce more? Will others help him? Can they get more saves from Chen Shifeng? Can their power play convert more than just 2 for 16 like last year?
Lithuania: The Dainius Zubrus-run national team were the only team to slightly slowdown the runaway freight train that was Ukraine last year. They only lost by 3 to them. They also allowed just 3 non-Ukrainian goals in their other four games thanks to a super performance from goaltender Mantas Armalis. Scoring could be better to support Paulius Gintautas. Still, expect the Lithuianians to compete in 2025. A great goaltender takes you far in the lower rungs of the WCs.
South Korea: The relegated team from Division I-A was just edged into last place. South Korea won a game, 4-2 over Slovenia. But Japan lost a game beyond regulation and South Korea lost their other four in regulation, so they are here instead of Japan. Much can be said about South Korean hockey not being greatly helped by their system and the Asian Ice Hockey League. For now, their goal has to be to try to win this group. Forward Shin Sang-hoon and goalie Lee Yeon-seung are expected to lead this effort.
Division I-A
The highest level outside of the actual World Championship. This group was wild last year and it could be again.
The Dates: April 27 – May 3
The Place: Sepsi Arena, Sfântu Gheorghe, Romania
The Stakes: For this group, the group winner and second place will be promoted to the main World Championships for 2026. The last place team will go down to Division I-B.
The Teams:
Romania, The Hosts: Romanian hockey may have found some stability. The national team has bounced up and down in the 2010s between I-A, I-B and occasionally II-A. In this decade, they have stuck around in I-A. An achievement given how crazy last year’s group went down. Goalie Zoltan Toke was one of the best in the group and that helped Romania eke out wins over Japan, South Korea, and group winners Hungary last year. If Romania can find some offense, then they could cook this year. The 84 shots in 5 games they had last year won’t cut it. Nor a power play that went 0 for 10. Nor will a team leading scorer of 2 goals and 4 points, like Roberto Gliga. Maybe home ice will somehow help this?
Japan: Japan survived last year by beating South Korea and taking Italy to overtime. It was a rough return to I-A for Japan. The hope is that they’ll be better prepared at this level. The worry is that they will fall to I-B. Like Romania, their offense was lacking with just 11 goals and 1 PPG in the group. The goaltending wasn’t there either. These ends have to improve and fast in Romania this year.
Ukraine: The Ukrainians dominated Division I-B. They didn’t just go 5-0-0-0. They outscored their opponents by a combined 31-2. Goalies Bogdan Dyachenko and Eduard Zakharchenko were impeccable. The forwards led by Olexander Peresunko were productive. The blueline led by Igor Merezhko and Pylyp Pangelov-Yuldashev were a threat at both ends. Clearly, they’re above that level of play. How far can they go? They are an interesting wild card given how impressive their promotion run was last year.
Italy: Italy scored the most goals in I-A last year. They led the group in shots. Their top goalie was drafted, Damien Clara, and had a 90.4% save percentage so he wasn’t a sieve. They hosted the group. They came in third by tiebreakers – losing to Slovenia, if I recall correctly – and narrowly missed out on promotion. The Italians could use a skater or two to breakout. That might get them over the line this year. But it will be difficult all the same. Italy has landed on being an edge team for the WCs. And there are two other teams that just came from there that will be problematic to deal with.
Poland: Poland qualified for the WCs last year and earned just one point: an overtime loss to Latvia. Still, they didn’t get demolished in all other games. They had respectable scores against Kazakhstan and France. It was a measuring stick and Polish hockey didn’t fail hard despite being a I-B winner in 2022. The goal is to get promotion back and at least become a yo-yo team for the very top of the ladder. They have a positive history against these countries, so it is doable. Now go read Polish Puck, the best English site online about Polish hockey.
Great Britain: They beat Austria last year in the WCs. But they needed 6 points and only got 3. At least they lost to Denmark by 1 and gave a good game to Canada of all teams. Unlike Poland, GB has been in the main WC tourney in 2019, 2021, and 2022. The game is growing there and the talent will follow. Like Poland, they know these opponents and their goal is to get back up. Just as Hungary and Slovenia did last year.
The Actual World Championships
The top of the ladder and the top annual prize for international play. The IIHF were smart enough to have this event held after all of the other divisions are done and well after the first round of the NHL playoffs would end to allow national teams to make some late additions to boost their rosters and add more talent to the tournament overall.
The Dates: May 9 – 25
The Places: Group A will be at the Avicii Arena, Stockholm, Sweden
Group B will be at the Jyske Bank Boxen, Herning, Denmark
The Stakes: There will be two groups of eight nations in the preliminary round. The top four teams move on to the medal tournament. The last place team in each group is relegated to Division I-A. There is no relegation game or playoff.
The medal tournament is a single elimination tournament where the seeds are 1A vs 4B, 2A vs 3B, 3A vs 2B, and 4A v 1B. There is a third place game for bronze. The final winner takes gold.
The Teams of Group A:
Sweden, the Hosts: The 4 Nations Face-Off was a big stage for them in North America. How star studded will they be here? With a load of home support and a traditionally strong team in these tourneys, They have almost always made the medal rounds (shame about 2021) and their bronze last year ended a four-year slide without one.
Slovenia: They qualified out of a crazy competitive Division I-A group in 2024. Their goal, along with Hungary, is to survive. The Lynx know this level is much more difficult based on their 2023 and 2017 appearances. They will need to grind out results against France, Austria, and Latvia to stay up. Anything else is gravy and/or a miraculous bonus.
France: Say what you want about French hockey but they have remained in the World Championships’ top division in every year since 2007. While they have not qualified for a medal tourney since 2014, they have been gatekeepers for promoted teams from Division I-A and competitive enough to avoid last.
Austria: The Austrians stunned Finland last year and took Canada to overtime in a 7-6 thrilling loss. They had a shot at finishing fourth in Group A. They fell short. Just too many goals allowed with 29, tied with Denmark for second most in the group. If the Austrians can get better goaltending or defense, then maybe that is enough to get in the mix for another year.
Latvia: The little nation that could followed up a historic bronze medal win in 2023 with a disappointing non-medal appearance in 2024. The team bled goals and scored only 19. While they won three post-regulation over France, Poland, and Slovakia, they needed those games to be regulation wins for 3 additional points – which would have helped them get into the medal round. They can be the best of the rest in the group but breaking into the top four will require an upset or two.
Slovakia: Slovakian hockey is on the rise with top prospects coming out of the country once again. Whether they get Juraj Slafkovsky and Simon Nemec among others in time is another question. The Slovaks did make the medal round last year but made another early exit. The hard thing for them is that taking on the best team in the other group is difficult, but so is finishing higher than fourth in their own group. Until they can excel from there, they will likely remain there again. But the golden generation may bloom to give them that extra edge – maybe.
Finland: The Finnish hockey stereotype: On paper, it does not look so good but on the ice, the sum is the greater than its parts and it just works. This did not go according to plan at the 4 Nations Face-Off. But they did beat Sweden and I am sure they would love to deny them on home ice in the group. Expect the Finns to qualify for the tourney and be a difficult opponent for whomever they face regardless of how much or how little help they get from the NHL.
Canada: They are Canada. They will likely contend for some kind of medal. Whether they get it, who knows. Switzerland did upset them last year in the semifinals and Sweden beat them for Bronze. But they are still Canada. Disrespect their hockey at your own peril.
The Teams of Group B:
Denmark, the Host: The Danes may be hosting but survival has to be on their minds. They avoided the drop last year thanks to beating Great Britain 4-3 and Austria 5-1. While they will get Hungary to face, they do not have Austria in their group this year. The Danes will need to get results against Hungary, Kazakhstan, and what I presume is a rivalry with Norway to stay up. No one said a host cannot get relegated.
Hungary: The Hungarians return to the main WCs after an appearance in 2023. Before that, they were last in the WCs in 2016. The goal: survival. Like Slovenia in the other group, they need to take whatever they can against the likes of Norway, Kazakhstan, and Denmark. Maybe even Germany. Anything against the bigger teams would be huge as well as unexpected.
Kazakhstan: Asia’s top team is the lone Asian team in the WCs once again. Expect a roster filled with Barys or Nomad Astana players in addition to a few other KHL-based players. They have become mainstays at this level from 2021 onward. The goal is to maintain being at this level as they build up the sport to hopefully get the talent to push them up in the future. Still, their games with Norway, Denmark, and Hungary will be crucial for that.
Norway: Michael Brandsegg-Nygard may be leading a golden generation of Norwegian hockey in time. But the Norwegians, like France, have been at this level since 2006. I see them as gatekeepers for promoted teams and competitive with others who also do not consistently make the medal round. But MBN and other prospects may provide a shot at getting their one day. I doubt it will be this year but who knows.
Germany: German hockey has come some way with some top draft picks, a fourth place finish in 2021, and a Silver medal in 2023. They made the medal round last year and lost just 3-1 to Switzerland, who went on a run that year. They should be able to repeat getting to the medal round again given who is in their group. Whether they go beyond it will depend on how it goes and how many of those NHL players return for this tourney.
Switzerland: Switzerland won the Silver last year in a 2-0 shutout loss to host nation Czechia. It was the country’s third Silver ever since the 1950s. Their NHL players, if made available, elevate a roster filled with players from the National League – which has improved in Europe over the years. They are a darkhorse to make another run depending on who they get this year from the NHL.
The United States: The challenge from the United States is convincing American talent to go. USA Hockey got around that issue last year by tying WC invitation to future participation in the 4 Nations Face-Off and the Olympics in 2026. There are those, like Dylan Larkin, who will always suit up for the Red, White, and Blue. But the squads over the years have ranged from a hodge podge of talent to a strong one on paper like last year. Surprisingly, they got bounced by Czechia 1-0 in the quarterfinals. Such is the reality of a tournament. Expect them to challenge but whether they win anything is unknown. It is not like it matters much here in America.
Czechia: The Czechs hosted last year’s tourney and won it all in Prague. An improvement over their Bronze in 2022 and their crash-outs in the quarterfinals in 2023 and 2021. More importantly, it was their first Gold since 2010. The Czechs do take this tourney seriously and they will want to defend their title. Again, who will come over to help them do it in 2025? Will the European-based players support them enough to prevail in competitive games? Important questions. Still, you have to respect the defending champions.
Your Take
The annual IIHF World Championships start off with Division IV on Sunday. Hopefully, you’re able to actually see some of it as you wish through IIHF.TV. If not, it is at least a diversion before NHL playoff games take place. Who do you think will win the World Championships this year? Will the United States do better? Do you have a national team below the main WCs that you want to see do well this year? How much do you hope that Devils players are not able to play on May 9 in this tourney? Please leave your answers and other thoughts about this year’s World Championships in the comments. Thank you for reading.