Publisher: International Ice Hockey Federation, Editor-in-Chief: Jan-Ake Edvinsson Supervising Editor: Kimmo Leinonen Editor: Szymon Szemberg, Assistant Editor: Jenny Wiedeke April 2004 - Vol 8 - No 2 Jukka Rautio, Europhoto Photo: PUSHING FOR PRIME POSITION IN PRAGUE: The Czechs will do everything to restore their old Prague-magic from 1947, 1972 and 1985 when they became IIHF World Champions on home ice. In the process, they'll have to defeat the defending IIHF World Champion Canada, who is on top of the IIHF World Ranking coming into Prague. Above, Anson Carter, who scored the dramatic overtime Gold Medal winner last year against Sweden, tries to stay in possession by screening Czech defenseman Pavel Kolarik in the semi-final game in 2003. The Canadians are no strangers to success in Prague, winning gold in the Czech capital in 1938 and 1959. Can the Czechs check Canada off the throne? The 68th IIHF World Championship in the Czech Republic has the Finland 1997 could be broken as the Czech organizers set their sight on 600,000 tic- potential to be the best tournament ever. Record championship kets for the games in Prague and Ostrava. crowds are expected II to come to the most When the puck is dropped for the first game in the Sazka Arena, it will mark a RENÉ FASEL EDITORIAL record ninth time that the IIHF World Championship is played in the wonderful city at modern arena in the the Vltava River. “Golden Prague” becomes thus the unofficial capital of the IIHF world as the teams go for medals, ranking positions and a World Championship, having hosted the tournament in 1933, 1938, 1947, 2006 Olympic berth. And all this in one of the most beautiful 1959, 1972, 1978, 1985 and 1992. and historic cities in Europe. The host nation has won on three of those occasions, while Canada, the II Having the privilege to go Prague in spring is usually enough to make defending IIHF World Champions and current ranking leaders, have gone all you tremble with anticipation. For us ice hockey fans it gets even better as the way in Prague twice. Those two teams are definitely among the gold we will also be part of the 17,000-seat Sazka Arena inauguration in an IIHF medal favourites, but I cannot recall the last time when the list of gold World Championship, which will be the first where the recently introduced medal hopefuls was so long with credible entries. IIHF World Ranking will come into full effect. (See more on ranking on page 5.) Up for grabs: II A Russian team with Viktor Tikhonov back on the bench certainly doesn’t The ranking will not only determine which top eight teams following the The 2004 IIHF go to Prague to finish second. Only an overtime goal separated Sweden from 2004 World Championship will be directly qualified for Turin 2006, but it will Gold Medal. the gold medal in Helsinki in 2003 and the Finns are dying to redeem them- also establish the seeding for the Austria 2005, making every single game selves after the massive collapse against Sweden in the quarter-final last sea important, as vital ranking points for the future are at stake. son. The Slovaks are playing virtually on home ice while Team USA, with the Olympic qualification in mind, simply has to improve from its 13th place finish from II In January already we received indications that the attendance record of from last year. Continued on next page April 2004 - Vol 8 - No 2 Continued from page one: Draw for Austria 2005 set for Innsbruck on May 12 II The ever-improving Germans, who lost to eventual II The draw for the four gold winners Canada on an overtime goal in the quar- groups for the 2005 IIHF World ter-final in Finland, could finally be ready to make it to Championship in Austria will the final-four. The fan support that the Germans will be held at 13.00 on May 12 at enjoy in Prague, by the way, will be huge. We have hotel Hilton in Innsbruck. This eight teams who are legitimate contenders for the will mark the first time that the semi-final, a scenario which will make the playoff 16 teams in the draw will be round a real nail-biter. seeded according to the recently introduced IIHF World And who will pull off “a Denmark” this year? Maybe Ranking. See more on World the Danes again, or are newcomers Kazakhstan or Ranking on page 5. The draw will be live on IHWC.net. France able to score a major upset against one of the established hockey powers? In Finland 2003, the year the draw was introduced, the teams were seeded according to their final placing in As the President of the International Ice Hockey the recently concluded IIHF World Championship. Federation I want to extend my warmest regards to all ice hockey fans and welcome you to the 68th IIHF Photo: Europhoto II The 69th IIHF World Championship in Austria will World Championship. WHO FOR VIENNA, WHO TO INNSBRUCK?: This will be played in Vienna and Innsbruck on April 30 - May René Fasel be decided on May 12 in the Tirolean capital. 15, 2005. IIHF President Modified overtime Top Euro hockey nations Canada, Germany and regulations in CZE 2004 to launch IIHF Super Six Sweden in race for 2008 II The representatives of the top seven European II The IIHF Congress in Prague (May 6 - 8) will vote II Except for the Gold Medal game, all overtime national associations and leagues agreed on a final to allocate the 2008 and the 2009 IIHF World periods of the 2004 IIHF World Championship draft of a contract that would the see IIHF Super Six Championships. Canada, Germany and Sweden are (Quarter-finals, Semi-finals and Bronze Medal game) club competition being launched in January 2005. applicants to organize the 2008 tournament, which will will be ten minutes and will end when the ten minutes be part of the IIHF’s 100-year anniversary celebrations. has expired or when a goal is scored. The representatives of the Czech Republic, Finland, The teams will start immediately after a 3-minute Germany, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden and Switzerland If Germany and Sweden don’t get the 2008 cham- break. The teams will remain on the ice. The teams will expressed commitment to sign off the three-year con- pionship, they will likely extend their application to not change ends. tract (2005 - 2007) around April 15. 2009 and for that race they will be joined by Switzerland. (In the 2003 IIHF World Championship a 20-minute Tentative dates for the 2005 IIHF Super Six are January overtime was tested for all playoff games and the IIHF 13 - 16. Organizer is to be announced later. Canada has never hosted the IIHF World Council decided to return to the previous overtime rules Championship. Germany hosted the tournament last as stated above, partly due to scheduling reasons.) II Eligible to participate in the IIHF Super Six are the time in 2001, Sweden in 2002 while Switzerland was five top ranked national champion club teams accor- the organizer in 1998. II For the Gold Medal game, the overtime period ding to the IIHF World Ranking. Additionally, the IIHF will remain at twenty minutes. shall be entitled to appoint a sixth national champion II Canada (Montreal and Winnipeg) was appointed In the Gold Medal game, the teams will start the over- from any European country listed on the IIHF Ranking organizer in 1970, but the Canadian Amateur Hockey time period after a 15-minute intermission. The ice will that can offer optimal organizing and hosting condi- Association (CAHA) withdrew due to a disagreement be re-surfaced during the intermission. The teams will tions. with the IIHF over amateur regulations at that time change ends. The puck will be faced off at centre ice. and the championship went to Stockholm, Sweden. The IIHF will officially announce details about the IIHF 1962 in Colorado Springs, USA was the only time II If a game is still tied following an overtime peri- Super Six during the 2004 IIHF World Championship in when the IIHF’s banner tournament was held in North od, the game will be decided by Game Winning Shot Prague. America. competition (“penalty shoot-out”). In all play-off round games teams will skate 4-on-4. René Fasel awarded France’s Legion of Honour ❑❑ Canada is the most frequent participant in pro- II IIHF president René Fasel was awarded the Legion longed international games, having played in 17 over- of Honour by French President Jacques Chirac at a time games since 1976 (World Championships, ceremony at the Palais de l’Elysee in Paris on January Olympics, Canada Cup and World Cup). Canada has a 30. 50 % success rate in “penalty shoot-outs” (3-3) while it has a remarkable 73 % success rate (8-3) in games The Legion of Honour is the highest award given by decided by a “sudden-death” goal. the French Republic for outstanding service to France, In Finland 2003 Canada won both the quarter-final regardless of the nationality of the recipient. Fasel is and the Gold Medal game in overtime. native of Fribourg, Switzerland. “This is a great honour for me to receive this award,” Fasel said. “This is one of the greatest moments of my life.” II Fasel was recongnized for his numerous years of Photo: RUDY FASEL FROM PRESIDENT TO PRESIDENT: Jacques Chirac service to both ice hockey and his work with the poses with René Fasel and family following the award International Olympic Committee.