The schedule for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey leaked today, confirming the already reported Group structure from earlier this year, along with the full tally of games in Toronto next fall to crown the newest World Cup of Hockey global champion.
Host nation Canada will open up their tournament against the Czechs on 17 September, with the United States formally kicking off the tournament earlier in the day against the “Euro Stars” squad. Group B meets the next day, with Russia facing Sweden and Finland playing the Under-23 “Team North America” squad.
The top two teams in each group will advance to a Semifinal, with the winners playing in a Best-of-Three final reminiscent of early Canada Cup tournaments in 1976, 1984, 1987,ย 1991, as well as the first World Cup final inย 1996. This final willย crown the first champion since 2004, when Canada took the title at the Air Canada Centre, also the host of the 2016 tournament.
The tournament schedule is as follows (with non-IHLC eligible games listed in italics):
Group A:ย ๐จ๐ฆย ๐จ๐ฟ ๐บ๐ธย ๐ช๐บ
Group B: ๐ซ๐ฎย ๐ท๐บย ๐ธ๐ช ๐จ๐ฆ๐บ๐ธ
Saturday, 17 September
๐บ๐ธ United States vs. Team Europe ๐ช๐บ
๐จ๐ฆ Canada vs. Czechia ๐จ๐ฟ
Sunday, 18 September
๐ท๐บ Russia vs. Sweden ๐ธ๐ช
๐ซ๐ฎ Finland vs. Team North America ๐จ๐ฆ๐บ๐ธ
Monday, 19 September
๐จ๐ฟ Czechia vs. Team Europe ๐ช๐บ
๐ท๐บ Russia vs.ย Team North America ๐จ๐ฆ๐บ๐ธ
Tuesday, 20 September
๐ซ๐ฎ Finland vs. Sweden ๐ธ๐ช
๐จ๐ฆ Canada vs. United States ๐บ๐ธ
Wednesday, 21 September
๐ธ๐ช Sweden vs.ย Team North America ๐จ๐ฆ๐บ๐ธ
๐จ๐ฆ Canada vs. Team Europe ๐ช๐บ
Thursday, 22 September
๐ซ๐ฎ Finland vs. Russia ๐ท๐บ
๐จ๐ฟ Czechia vs. United States ๐บ๐ธ
Saturday, 24 September
Semifinal #1
Sunday, 25 September
Semifinal #2
Tuesday, 27 September
Final, Game One
Thursday, 29 September
Final, Game Two
Saturday, 01 October
Final, Game Three (if necessary)
Depending on who leaves Moscow with the IHLC after the 2016 IIHF World Championships, the IHLC may not even make it to Toronto, particularly if a smaller European nation like Slovakia or Switzerland captures Gold. However, if this year’s Prague tournament is any indicator of the dominant nations who will be in competition, the IHLC will surely be back up for grabs at the World Cup for the first time in over a decade…and we can’t wait!
Photo Credit: Olympic.caย – IIHF – HHOF – IOC