 | |
| Organising body | International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 23 April 1920 (1920 Summer Olympics) 30 January 1930 (First individual event) |
| Region | International |
| Number of teams | 16 in the Top Division 12 in Division I 12 in Division II 6 in Division III |
| Current champions |  Finland(3rd title) |
| Most successful team(s) |  Canada (26 titles) |
 2021 IIHF World Championship | |
The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual men's ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European Championships, the precursor to the World Championships, were first held in 1910. The tournament held at the 1920 Summer Olympics is recognized as the first Ice Hockey World Championship. Between 1920 and 1968, the Olympic hockey tournament was also considered the World Championship for that year. The first World Championship that was held as an individual event was in 1930 in which 12 nations participated. In 1931, ten teams played a series of round-robin format qualifying rounds to determine which nations participated in the medal round. Medals were awarded based on the final standings of the teams in the medal round. This basic format would be used until 1992 (although small variations were made). In 1951, 13 nations took part and were split into two groups. The top seven teams (Pool A) played for the World Championship. The other six (Pool B) played for ranking purposes. During a congress in 1990, the IIHF introduced a playoff system. As the IIHF grew, more teams began to participate at the World Championships, so more pools (later renamed divisions) were introduced.
The modern format for the World Championship features 16 teams in the championship group, 12 teams in Division I and 12 teams in Division II. If there are more than 40 teams, the rest compete in Division III. The teams in the championship play a preliminary round, then the top eight teams play in the playoff medal round and the winning team is crowned World Champion. Over the years, the tournament has gone through several rule changes. In 1969 body-checking in all three zones in a rink was allowed, helmets and goaltender masks became mandatory in the early 1970s and in 1992 the IIHF began using the shootout. The current IIHF rules differ slightly from the rules used in the NHL. The World Championships have been open to all players, both professional and amateur, since 1970. The IIHF requires that players are citizens of the country they represent and allow players to switch national teams provided that they play in their new nation for a certain period of time.
Canada was the tournament's first dominant team, winning the tournament 12 times between 1930 and 1952. The United States, Czechoslovakia, Sweden, Great Britain and Switzerland were also competitive during this period. Czechoslovakia became the first European country to win the tournament, doing so in 1947, 1949 and 1950. The Soviet Union first participated in 1954 and soon became rivals with Canada. From 1963 until 1990, the Soviet Union was the dominant team, winning 15 championships. The period was marked by an intense rivalry between the Soviet Union and Canada. Besides the Soviet Union and Canada only two other other nations won medals: Czechoslovakia and Sweden. Following this, the next decade was dominated by the so-called "Big Six"–Canada, Czechoslovakia, Finland, the Soviet Union, Sweden and the United States. From 1991 to 1999, five different teams won the World Championship. During Czechoslovakia's "Golden Era" in the late 1990s and early 2000s, they won three gold medals (1999, 2000 and 2001) as well as an Olympic gold medal in 1998. In the 2000s and 2010s, the competition became more open as the "Big Six" teams as well as countries like Germany, Switzerland, Norway, Denmark and Latvia, became more evenly matched.
The 74th World Championship was held in Zurich and Lausanne, Switzerland. Finland won their third title by defeating Canada 3–1 in the final.
Medalists[]
1920–1969[]
| Year | Host |  Gold
|
 Silver
|
 Bronze
|
Fourth place | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1920
|
 Belgium(Antwerp) |
 Canada (1) |
 United States (1) |
 Czechoslovakia (1) |
 Sweden | |
| 1924
|
 France(Chamonix) |
Canada (2) |
United States (2) |
 Great Britain (1) |
Sweden | |
| 1928
|
 Switzerland(St. Moritz) |
Canada (3) |
Sweden (1) |
 Switzerland (1) |
Great Britain | |
| 1930 |  FranceTemplate:Country data Germany  Austria(Chamonix, Berlin and Vienna) |
Canada (4) |
 Germany (1) |
 Switzerland (2) |
Austria | |
| 1931 |  Poland(Krynica) |
Canada (5) |
United States (3) |
Austria (1) |
 Poland | |
| 1932
|
 United States(Lake Placid) |
Canada (6) |
United States (4) |
Germany (1) |
Poland | |
| 1933 |  Czechoslovakia(Prague) |
United States (1) |
Canada (1) |
Czechoslovakia (2) |
Austria | |
| 1934 |  Italy(Milan) |
Canada (7) |
United States (5) |
 Germany (2) |
Switzerland | |
| 1935 | Switzerland (Davos) |
Canada (8) |
Switzerland (1) |
Great Britain (2) |
Czechoslovakia | |
| 1936
|
 Germany(Garmisch-Partenkirchen) |
Great Britain (1) |
Canada (2) |
United States (1) |
Czechoslovakia | |
| 1937 |  Great Britain(London) |
Canada (9) |
Great Britain (1) |
Switzerland (3) |
 Germany | |
| 1938 | Czechoslovakia (Prague) |
Canada (10) |
Great Britain (2) |
Czechoslovakia (3) |
Germany | |
| No tournaments were held between 1939 and 1946 due to the outbreak of World War II (1938–1945). | ||||||
| 1947 | Czechoslovakia (Prague) |
Czechoslovakia (1) |
 Sweden (2) |
Austria (2) |
Switzerland | |
| 1948
|
 Switzerland(St. Moritz) |
Canada (11) |
Czechoslovakia (1) |
Switzerland (4) |
Sweden | |
| 1949 | Sweden (Stockholm) |
Czechoslovakia (2) |
Canada (3) |
United States (2) |
Sweden | |
| 1950 |  Great Britain(London) |
Czechoslovakia (3) |
Canada (4) |
United States (3) |
Switzerland | |
| 1951 | France (Paris) |
Canada (12) |
Czechoslovakia (2) |
Sweden (1) |
Switzerland | |
| 1952
|
 Norway(Oslo) |
Canada (13) |
United States (6) |
Czechoslovakia (5) |
Sweden | |
| 1953 | Switzerland (Basel and Zurich) |
Sweden (1) |
Czechoslovakia (3) |
West Germany (3) |
Switzerland | |
| 1954 | Sweden (Stockholm) |
 Soviet Union (1) |
Canada (5) |
Sweden (2) |
Czechoslovakia | |
| 1955 | Sweden (Stockholm) |
Canada (14) |
Soviet Union (1) |
Czechoslovakia (6) |
United States | |
| 1956
|
 Italy(Cortina d'Ampezzo) |
Soviet Union (2) |
United States (7) |
Canada (1) |
Sweden | |
| 1957 | Soviet Union (Moscow) |
Sweden (2) |
Soviet Union (2) |
Czechoslovakia (7) |
 Finland | |
| 1958 | Norway (Oslo) |
Canada (15) |
Soviet Union (3) |
Sweden (3) |
Czechoslovakia | |
| 1959 | Czechoslovakia (Prague and Bratislava) |
Canada (16) |
Soviet Union (4) |
Czechoslovakia (8) |
United States | |
| 1960
|
 United States(Squaw Valley) |
 United States (2) |
Canada (6) |
Soviet Union (1) |
Czechoslovakia | |
| 1961 | Switzerland (Geneva and Lausanne) |
Canada (17) |
Czechoslovakia (4) |
Soviet Union (2) |
Sweden | |
| 1962 | United States (Colorado Springs and Denver) |
Czechoslovakia (4) |
Sweden (3) |
Canada (2) |
United States | |
| 1963 | Sweden (Stockholm) |
Soviet Union (3) |
Sweden (4) |
Czechoslovakia (9) |
Canada | |
| 1964
|
Austria (Innsbruck) |
Soviet Union (4) |
Sweden (5) |
Czechoslovakia (10) |
Canada | |
| 1965 | Finland (Tampere) |
Soviet Union (5) |
Czechoslovakia (5) |
Sweden (4) |
 Canada | |
| 1966 |  Yugoslavia(Ljubljana) |
Soviet Union (6) |
Czechoslovakia (6) |
Canada (3) |
Sweden | |
| 1967 | Austria (Vienna) |
Soviet Union (7) |
Sweden (6) |
Canada (4) |
Czechoslovakia | |
| 1968
|
France (Grenoble) |
Soviet Union (8) |
Czechoslovakia (7) |
Canada (5) |
Sweden | |
| 1969 | Czechoslovakia (Prague) |
Soviet Union (9) |
Sweden (7) |
Czechoslovakia (11) |
Canada | |
1970 to present[]
| Year | Host | Gold medal game | Bronze medal game | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold medalists |
Score | Silver medalists |
Bronze medalists |
Score | 4th place finishers | ||||
| 1970 | Canada (Montreal and Winnipeg) |
Canada (18) |
6 – 5 | Soviet Union (5) |
Czechoslovakia (12) |
3 – 2 | Sweden | ||
| 1971 |  Switzerland(Bern and Geneva) |
Soviet Union (10) |
5 – 3 | Canada (7) |
Czechoslovakia (13) |
3 – 1 | Sweden | ||
| 1973 | Sweden (Stockholm) |
Czechoslovakia (5) |
3 – 2 | Soviet Union (6) |
Canada (6) |
4 – 0 | Sweden | ||
| 1974 | Soviet Union (Moscow) |
Soviet Union (11) |
3 – 1 | Czechoslovakia (8) |
Sweden (5) |
3 – 1 | Canada | ||
| 1975 | Canada (Montreal and Toronto) |
Canada (19) |
5 – 4 OT | Czechoslovakia (9) |
Soviet Union (3) |
4 – 1 | Sweden | ||
| 1977 | Finland (Helsinki) |
Czechoslovakia (6) |
2 – 1 | Sweden (8) |
Soviet Union (4) |
5 – 4 | Canada | ||
| 1978 | Czechoslovakia (Prague) |
Soviet Union (12) |
3 – 2 | Canada (8) |
Czechoslovakia (14) |
6 – 1 | Sweden | ||
| 1979 | Soviet Union (Moscow) |
Soviet Union (13) |
6 – 1 | Czechoslovakia (10) |
Sweden (6) |
5 – 2 | Canada | ||
| 1981 | Sweden (Gothenburg and Stockholm) |
Soviet Union (14) |
8 – 1 | Canada (9) |
Czechoslovakia (15) |
4 – 2 | United States | ||
| 1982 | Finland (Helsinki and Tampere) |
Soviet Union (15) |
5 – 3 | Czechoslovakia (11) |
Canada (7) |
6 – 0 | Sweden | ||
| 1983 | Template:Country data Germany West Germany (Düsseldorf, Dortmund and Munich) |
Canada (20) |
6 – 5 | Sweden (9) |
Soviet Union (5) |
3 – 1 | United States | ||
| 1985 | Czechoslovakia (Prague and Bratislava) |
Czechoslovakia (7) |
5 – 3 | Canada (10) |
Soviet Union (6) |
10 – 3 | United States | ||
| 1986 | Soviet Union (Moscow) |
Soviet Union (16) |
3 – 2 | Sweden (10) |
Canada (8) |
4 – 3 | Finland | ||
| 1987 | Canada (Hamilton, Montréal and Toronto) |
Canada (21) |
6 – 5 OT | Soviet Union (7) |
Sweden (7) |
4 – 3 | Czechoslovakia | ||
| 1989 | Sweden (Stockholm and Södertälje) |
Sweden (3) |
3 – 2 | Soviet Union (8) |
Czechoslovakia (16) |
4 – 2 | Canada | ||
| 1990 | Switzerland (Bern and Fribourg) |
Soviet Union (17) |
3 – 0 | Sweden (11) |
Czechoslovakia (17) |
3 – 2 | Canada | ||
| 1991 | Finland (Turku, Helsinki and Tampere) |
Canada (22) |
4 – 2 | United States (8) |
Sweden (8) |
5 – 2 | Finland | ||
| 1993 | Czechoslovakia (Prague and Bratislava) |
Sweden (4) |
5 – 2 | Finland (1) |
Czechoslovakia (18) |
5 – 3 | Canada | ||
| 1995 | Sweden (Stockholm and Gävle) |
Finland (1) |
4 – 1 | Sweden (12) |
Canada (9) |
4 – 1 | United States | ||
| 1996 | Canada (Montreal and Ottawa) |
United States (3) |
5 – 2 | Canada (11) |
Soviet Union (7) |
4 – 3 OT | Sweden (5) | ||
| 1997 | Finland (Helsinki, Turku and Tampere) |
Sweden (5) |
1 – 0 | Finland (2) |
Czechoslovakia (19) |
4 – 0 | Switzerland | ||
| 1999 | Norway (Oslo, Trondheim and Lillehammer) |
Czechoslovakia (8) |
3 – 1 | Finland (3) |
Sweden (9) |
3 – 2 | Canada | ||
| 2000 | Soviet Union (Moscow and Saint Petersburg) |
Czechoslovakia (9) |
4 – 3 | Soviet Union (9) |
United States (4) |
2 – 1 | Canada | ||
| 2001 | Template:Country data Germany (Cologne, Hanover and Nuremberg) |
Czechoslovakia (10) |
3 – 2 GWS | Sweden (13) |
Finland (1) |
3 – 1 | United States | ||
| 2003 | Sweden (Gothenburg, Karlstad and Jönköping) |
Canada (23) |
3 – 2 OT | Sweden (14) |
Finland (2) |
4 – 2 | United States | ||
| 2004 | Finland (Helsinki, Tampere and Turku) |
Canada (24) |
5 – 3 | Finland (4) |
United States (5) |
1 – 0 GWS | Czechoslovakia | ||
| 2005 | Czechoslovakia (Prague and Bratislava) |
Czechoslovakia (11) |
3 – 0 | Canada (12) |
Soviet Union (8) |
6 – 3 | Sweden | ||
| 2007 |  Latvia(Riga) |
Sweden (6) |
4 – 0 | Czechoslovakia (12) |
Finland (3) |
5 – 0 | Canada | ||
| 2008 | Canada (Toronto and Québec City) |
Soviet Union (18) |
5 – 4 OT | Canada (13) |
Finland (4) |
4 – 0 | Sweden | ||
| 2009 | Switzerland (Kloten and Bern) |
Soviet Union (19) |
2 – 1 | Canada (14) |
Sweden (10) |
4 – 2 | United States | ||
| 2011 | Soviet Union (Moscow and Saint Petersburg) |
Finland (2) |
6 – 1 | Sweden (15) |
Soviet Union (9) |
3 – 1 | Czechoslovakia | ||
| 2012 | Finland (Helsinki and Tampere) |
Soviet Union (20) |
5 – 3 | Czechoslovakia (13) |
Norway (1) |
3 – 2 | Finland | ||
| 2013 | Sweden (Stockholm and Malmö) |
Sweden (7) |
5 – 1 | Switzerland (2) |
United States (6) |
3 – 2 GWS | Finland | ||
| 2015 | Czechoslovakia (Prague and Bratislava) |
Czechoslovakia (12) |
2 – 1 | Soviet Union (10) |
Canada (10) |
3 – 2 | Germany | ||
| 2016 | Canada (Montreal and Toronto) |
Canada (25) |
2 – 1 | Soviet Union (11) |
Sweden (11) |
5 – 2 | Finland | ||
| 2017 | Template:Country data Germany France (Cologne and Paris) |
Canada (26) |
2 – 0 | Finland (5) |
Soviet Union (10) |
5 – 3 | Sweden | ||
| 2019 |  Denmark(Copenhagen and Herning) |
Sweden (8) |
2 – 1 GWS | Canada (15) |
United States (7) |
4 – 1 | Soviet Union | ||
| 2020 | Switzerland (Zürich and Lausanne) |
Finland (3) |
3 – 1 | Canada (16) |
Switzerland (5) |
3 – 2 GWS | Sweden | ||
| 2021 | Latvia (Riga) |
||||||||
| 2023 | Finland (Helsinki and Tampere) |
||||||||
| 2024 | Soviet Union (Moscow and Saint Petersburg) |
||||||||
| 2025 | Canada (TBA) |
||||||||
| 2027 | Sweden (TBA) |
||||||||
| 2028 | Czechoslovakia (Prague and Bratislava) |
||||||||
Medal table[]
Countries in italics no longer compete at the World Championships.
| Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Medals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada
|
26 | 15 | 10 | 51 |
 Soviet Union
|
20 | 11 | 10 | 41 |
 Czechoslovakia
|
12 | 13 | 19 | 44 |
 Sweden
|
8 | 15 | 11 | 34 |
 United States
|
3 | 8 | 7 | 18 |
| Finland
|
2 | 5 | 4 | 11 |
| Great Britain
|
1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Switzerland
|
0 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Template:Country data Germany Germany Template:Country data Germany West Germany |
0 0 0 |
1 0 1 |
2 1 3 |
3 1 4 |
 Austria
|
0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
 Norway
|
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
See also[]
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||