Granlund’s goal immortalized, pgs. 4-7 June 2011 Volume 15 Number 3 Published by International Ice Hockey Federation Editor-in-Chief Horst Lichtner Editor Szymon Szemberg Design Adam Steiss Thank you Slovakia, see you in Finland! Matthew Manor / HHOF-IIHF Images Photo: Photo: THe bLue wave: Finland, seen here in celebration following their 6-1 gold medal victory over neighbours Sweden, will be defending their championship on home ice next year. The Swedes will co-host. 16-year wait finally over, but now the home pressure is on The first time a Finnish team didn’t include any of the 1995 in the books, we have to go back to Moscow 1986 to find a team (Soviet Union) that won gold gold medal heroes, they became World Champions again. The on home ice. Changing of the Guard – and a 16-year wait – was finally over. So the pressure is on the newly crowned World Champions as they will be hosting the 2012 René faseL edIToRIAL tournament, followed by Sweden in 2013. Will the home-ice curse end in any of the two cham- pionships? nn The last player from the historic 1995 team – the first Finnish men’s IIHF World Champion – to step down from Team Suomi was defenceman nn A team that hasn’t had to wait as long for a repeat is the United States women’s team. Petteri Nummelin who ended his international career in Germany 2010 Since ending Canada’s eight-in-a-row unbeaten streak in 2005, the U.S. have won four out with his 15th IIHF World Championship. of the last five World Women’s and now three in a row. The latest win came after a thrilling overtime victory over Canada in Zurich, just a couple of days before the men’s championship With the Changing of the Guard complete, Finland could finally end 16 years of frustration started in Slovakia. And just like Finland’s men, the newly crowned women’s champions will get which included six gold medal game losses in major championships. Although the general per- the opportunity to defend their title at home in 2012. ception in the hockey world is that Finland “always” loses the important games against archrival Sweden, the fact remains: the two times Finland has become World Champion, Tre Kronor were They say that the season following an Olympic year can be somewhat of a “hangover”. I cannot defeated on both occasions. disagree more. Our post-Vancouver season started with the World Juniors in Buffalo and it was a magnificent success. The men’s U18 in Germany in April were perhaps the best “World Juniors nn Although 16 years sounds, and is, a lot, other countries have been waiting longer for a Light” so far in the event’s 13-year history. These were followed then with the great events in golden repeat. Canada went without a gold medal between 1961 and 1994 (33 years), Czech- Zurich and in Bratislava/Kosice. oslovakia’s historic win in Prague 1972 ended a winless streak of 23 years, while Sweden’s surprising 1987 victory came 25 years after the mythological gold in Colorado Springs in 1962. With this I would like to thank the organizers of all 27 IIHF World Championship events for an excellent job in 2010-2011. You all deserve a summer of rest and relaxation. And wouldn’t you The longest waiting record among the seven nations who have been men’s IIHF World Champi- know, in 2012 we already start the positioning for seeding for the 2014 Olympics in Sochi. ons belongs to the United States, who last won gold in 1933 (not counting Olympics). These historic flashbacks remind us that winning does not come easy. What is definitely not easy René Fasel in our flagship event, is winning at home. With the 75th IIHF World Championship in Slovakia IIHF President 2 Volume 15 Number 3 June 2011 IIHF ConGReSS ReCAp neWS & noTeS n AUSTRIA: Christian Yngve will coach the Austrian Russia’s 2016 bid boosted by visit from PM Putin women’s national team next season. He will replace Mi- nn The 2016 IIHF World Championship will be held in Rus- IIHF event hosted in two Russian regions. The arenas are well- roslav Berek in this position. The 47-year-old signed a sia’s two biggest cities, Moscow and St. Petersburg, from April known to hockey fans. Moscow’s 13,577-seat arena Sports two-year contract and will lead Austria through two World 29 to May 15. No vote was needed at the annual congress in Palace Megasport will be the main venue and offers an ad- Women’s Championships as well as the Olympic qualifi- Bratislava as the other candi- ditional practice sheet. cation events in 2012-2013. He was Sweden’s first coach dates, Denmark and Ukraine, The arena was built in when the IIHF World Women’s Championship was intro- withdrew their bids, making view of the 2007 IIHF duced in 1990. In his last event he led the women’s na- the approval a mere formality. World Championship tional team to its first ever medal in a world tourney at the and then called Kho- 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Russia’s bid was bolstered dynka Arena. with a surprise visit by Rus- n BELARUS: Underperformance at the recent World sian Prime Minister Vladimir n The games in St. Pe- Championship caused a series of coaching changes, includ- Putin, who after the ensu- tersburg will be played ing Belarus coach Eduard Zankovets, who resigned last ing press-conference was at the 12,300-seat Ice month following the team’s 14th place finish and near- presented with a Russian Palace, originally built relegation. national team jersey No. 16 for the 2000 IIHF World by IIHF President René Fasel. Matthew Manor / HHOF-IIHF Images Championship. n CANADA: Michael Bruni was elected chair of the board Photo: Photo: by acclamation at Hockey Canada’s Annual General Meet- n Russia and the Soviet Un- Vladimir Putin received a Russian jersey from IIHF President René Fasel. Denmark (Copenha- ing on May 28, taking over for Ken Corbett, who concluded ion have hosted the IIHF World gen & Herning) an- a term of over two years as chair of Hockey Canada’s board Championship six times – five times in Moscow and once in St. nounced to bid for 2017 instead. Latvia (Riga) announced that of directors. Hockey Canada has also announced that Don Petersburg. The 2016 IIHF World Championship will be the first they will bid for 2017 as well. Hay of the WHL’s Vancouver Giants will coach the Canadian national junior team at the 2012 IIHF World U20 Cham- Changes in World Championship structure pionship. nn The Extra-Ordinary increase parity and the n GERMANY: Jakob Kölliker was named new national Congress unanimously number of competitive team coach of Germany. He succeeds Uwe Krupp, who left approved the first major games. after five years to become a head coach and sport direc- format change in the tor with Kölner Haie. Kölliker was coaching the Swiss U20 structure of the IIHF World In the men’s category, national team for 11 years and he was an assistant coach Championship program the best two teams for the men’s national team for 15 years. since its last reform in from the Division I 2000. It affects all events Group A will be pro- n ISRAEL: The Ice Hockey Federation of Israel has an- in all categories of the Di- moted to the Top Divi- nounced the election of Konstantin Batchikov as the Fed- vision I level and down to sion. The last-placed eration President. Sergei Matin was chosen as General Division III. team of next year’s Manager and Lihu Ichilov will serve as General Secretary. Division I Group A From the season 2011- event will move down n LATVIA: The Latvian Hockey Federation released the 2012, the events in all to Group B, while the entire team staff of the men’s national team after Latvia’s categories will be struc- best Group B team will 13th-place finish at the 2011 IIHF World Championship tured vertically, which promote up to Group A. where they escaped relegation only in the last game. Head means that the Division coach Olegs Znaroks, assistant coaches Harijs Vitolins and I groups A and B will be Accordingly, the best Leonids Beresnevs, and general manager Sandis Ozolins two separate tiers, same Division II Group A were relieved from their duties. as the Division II groups A team in next year’s and B and eventual Divi- event will be promoted n RUSSIA: The Russian Hockey Federation announced sion III groups. to the Division I Group the release of national team head coach Vyacheslav Bykov B and replace the last- and assistant coach Igor Zakharkin. A new coaching staff Previously, the 12 teams placed team of that will be named later. The announcement followed the end of each Division played group (see illustration of the 2011 World Championship, where Russia finished in the same tier divided with the example of the fourth after losing the semi-final against Finland 3-0 and into two equally strong men’s category). the bronze medal game to the Czech Republic 7-4. groups. n Another major n SLOVAKIA: The Slovak Ice Hockey Federation an- n The best six teams change is that only one nounced that Glen Hanlon will not return as the national of any division will be team (earlier two) will team head coach, after the host Slovak team won just two seeded into Group A and be relegated from the games and finished out of the playoff round in the 2011 the following six teams in Top Division of the U20 World Championship.