The IIHF has released the full schedule for the 2018 World Championship in Copenhagen and Herning, Denmark, with defending champions Sweden opening the tournament against Belarus, while hosts Denmark open the tournament against Germany on opening day.
Guessing who will hold the IHLC leading into this tournament will be harder than most years to tell, as not only will the IHLC start the 2017-18 season with Sweden on the Euro Hockey Tour, but February’s PyeongChang Olympics opens up even more possibilities than usual, making guessing the incumbent champion heading into Denmark nearly impossible.
The tournament schedule is as follows:
| GROUP A (Copenhagen) 🇦🇹 🇧🇾 🇨🇿 🇫🇷 🇷🇺 🇨🇭 🇸🇰 🇸🇪 |
GROUP B (Herning) 🇨🇦 🇩🇰 🇫🇮 🇩🇪 🇰🇷 🇱🇻 🇳🇴 🇺🇸 |
| Friday, 04 May |
|
| 🇫🇷 France vs. Russia 🇷🇺 🇧🇾 Belarus vs. Sweden 🇸🇪 |
🇨🇦 Canada vs. United States 🇺🇸 🇩🇰 Denmark vs. Germany 🇩🇪 |
| Saturday, 05 May |
|
| 🇦🇹 Austria vs. Switzerland 🇨🇭 🇧🇾 Belarus vs. France 🇫🇷 🇨🇿 Czechia vs. Slovakia 🇸🇰 |
🇱🇻 Latvia vs. Norway 🇳🇴 🇫🇮 Finland vs. Korea 🇰🇷 🇩🇰 Denmark vs. United States 🇺🇸 |
| Sunday, 06 May |
|
| 🇦🇹 Austria vs. Russia 🇷🇺 🇨🇿 Czechia vs. Sweden 🇸🇪 🇨🇭 Switzerland vs. Slovakia 🇸🇰 |
🇨🇦 Canada vs. Korea 🇰🇷 🇩🇪 Germany vs. Norway 🇳🇴 🇫🇮 Finland vs. Latvia 🇱🇻 |
| Monday, 07 May |
|
| 🇧🇾 Belarus vs. Russia 🇷🇺 🇫🇷 France vs. Sweden 🇸🇪 |
🇩🇪 Germany vs. United States 🇺🇸 🇨🇦 Canada vs. Denmark 🇩🇰 |
| Tuesday, 08 May |
|
| 🇦🇹 Austria vs. Slovakia 🇸🇰 🇨🇿 Czechia vs. Switzerland 🇨🇭 |
🇰🇷 Korea vs. Latvia 🇱🇻 🇫🇮 Finland vs. Norway 🇳🇴 |
| Wednesday, 09 May |
|
| 🇧🇾 Belarus vs. Switzerland 🇨🇭 🇦🇹 Austria vs. Sweden 🇸🇪 |
🇩🇪 Germany vs. Korea 🇰🇷 🇩🇰 Denmark vs. Finland 🇫🇮 |
| Thursday, 10 May | |
| 🇫🇷 France vs. Slovakia 🇸🇰 🇨🇿 Czechia vs. Russia 🇷🇺 |
🇱🇻 Latvia vs. United States 🇺🇸 🇨🇦 Canada vs. Norway 🇳🇴 |
| Friday, 11 May | |
| 🇦🇹 Austria vs. France 🇫🇷 🇧🇾 Belarus vs. Czechia 🇨🇿 |
🇩🇰 Denmark vs. Norway 🇳🇴 🇰🇷 Korea vs. United States 🇺🇸 |
| Saturday, 12 May | |
| 🇸🇰 Slovakia vs. Sweden 🇸🇪 🇦🇹 Austria vs. Belarus 🇧🇾 🇷🇺 Russia vs. Switzerland 🇨🇭 |
🇩🇪 Germany vs. Latvia 🇱🇻 🇩🇰 Denmark vs. Korea 🇰🇷 🇨🇦 Canada vs. Finland 🇫🇮 |
| Sunday, 13 May | |
| 🇨🇿 Czechia vs. France 🇫🇷 🇨🇭 Switzerland vs. Sweden 🇸🇪 |
🇳🇴 Norway vs. United States 🇺🇸 🇫🇮 Finland vs. Germany 🇩🇪 |
| Monday, 14 May | |
| 🇷🇺 Russia vs. Slovakia 🇸🇰 🇦🇹 Austria vs. Czechia 🇨🇿 |
🇰🇷 Korea vs. Norway 🇳🇴 🇨🇦 Canada vs. Latvia 🇱🇻 |
| Tuesday, 15 May | |
| 🇫🇷 France vs. Switzerland 🇨🇭 🇧🇾 Belarus vs. Slovakia 🇸🇰 🇷🇺 Russia vs. Sweden 🇸🇪 |
🇫🇮 Finland vs. United States 🇺🇸 🇨🇦 Canada vs. Germany 🇩🇪 🇩🇰 Denmark vs. Latvia 🇱🇻 |
| Thursday, 17 May | |
| Quarterfinal #1 (A1 vs. B4) Quarterfinal #3 (A2 vs. B3) |
Quarterfinal #2 (B1 vs. A4) Quarterfinal #4 (B2 vs. A3) |
| Saturday, 19 May | |
| Semifinal #1 Semifinal #2 |
|
| Sunday, 20 May | |
| Bronze Medal Game Gold Medal Game |
|
Will Sweden be able to repeat as champions with their native contingent in full support just across the border? Will Canada exact revenge for their failed attempt to three-peat as World Champions? Or can Denmark surprise in front of a raucous home crowd and improve on their less than stellar finish in 2017? Only time will tell leading up to the Worlds next spring!
Photo Credit: IIHF Worlds 2017 – IIHF – HHOF – IOC
International Hockey Lineal Championship 