The hockey world championship is an end of season event that takes place each year, bringing together the best hockey nations to take each other on. Heavyweights of the hockey world, including Finland, USA, Canada and Sweden all take part, providing a feast of action for fans over a two week period.
History of the Hockey World Championship
The first edition of this event took place back in 1920, when the competition formed part of the Summer Olympics. 12 teams took part in that event, and over the years, we have seen the competition grow to 16 teams. These are split into two groups of eight, although in 2022, 14 teams will take part, with Russia and Belarus expelled from the tournament.
Tournament Schedule
Groups are drawn based on rankings, in a bid to make an even split between them. Each team plays others once during the group stage, with the top four teams qualifying for the knockout round, and the bottom team from each group gets relegated to the division below, replaced by promoted teams.
The ice hockey world championship 2022 will take place in Finland, with two host arenas for the games. The Nokia Arena in Tampere and Hartwell Arena in Helsinki will host games, the first takes place on May 13, while the final of the competition is scheduled for May 29.
Ice Hockey World Championship Teams
14 teams will take to the ice in May, split into two groups. Below you will find the teams taking part this year.
Group A
- Canada
- Germany
- Switzerland
- Slovakia
- Denmark
- Kazakhstan
- Italy
Group B
- Finland
- USA
- Czech Republic
- Sweden
- Latvia
- Norway
- Great Britain
Who Will Win the Hockey World Championship?
When the ice hockey world championship odds are released for the tournament in 2022, hosts Finland, Canada, USA and Sweden will lead the betting. It is likely that these four teams will be the strongest contenders, though the makeup of the rosters will determine who emerges as favorite to win.
European based players will play in the tournament, joined by NHL players who are no longer playing in the playoffs. This means some will be available straight away, while others will join mid-tournament, and could be the boost their team needs to take them to glory.
One positive for Finland is home ice advantage, which could play a big part in this. Their squad will be made up of many players who currently play in Liiga, with a handful of top quality NHL players on top of that, depending on who is available at the time of the tournament.