The IIHF has released the full schedule for the 2019 World Championship in Bratislava and Koลกice, Slovakia, with defending champions Sweden opening the tournament against the Czechs, while hosts Slovakia open the tournament against the United States.
With the IHLC currently on the Euro Hockey Tour, it will at the very least be carried up to the Euro Hockey Challenge, where the title could theoretically go to any contending nation heading into Slovakia, including even Canada or the U.S. in pre-tournament exhibition games. Last year’s tournament saw France carry the title straight from the Euro Hockey Challenge into the Worlds, dropping the title in their opener to Russia.
The tournament schedule is as follows:
| GROUP A (Koลกice) ๐จ๐ฆย ๐ฉ๐ฐย ๐ซ๐ฎย ๐ซ๐ทย ๐ฉ๐ชย ๐ฌ๐งย ๐ธ๐ฐย ๐บ๐ธ |
GROUP B (Bratislava) ๐ฆ๐นย ๐จ๐ฟย ๐ฎ๐นย ๐ฑ๐ปย ๐ณ๐ดย ๐ท๐บย ๐จ๐ญย ๐ธ๐ช |
| Friday, 10 May |
|
| ๐จ๐ฆย Canada vs. Finland ๐ซ๐ฎ ๐ธ๐ฐย Slovakia vs. United States ๐บ๐ธ |
๐ณ๐ดย Norway vs. Russia ๐ท๐บ ๐จ๐ฟย Czechia vs. Sweden ๐ธ๐ช |
| Saturday, 11 May |
|
| ๐ฉ๐ฐย Denmark vs. France ๐ซ๐ท ๐ฉ๐ชย Germany vs. Great Britain ๐ฌ๐ง ๐ซ๐ฎ Finland vs. Slovakia ๐ธ๐ฐ |
๐ฎ๐นย Italy vs. Switzerland ๐จ๐ญ ๐ฆ๐นย Austria vs. Latvia ๐ฑ๐ป ๐จ๐ฟ Czechia vs. Norway ๐ณ๐ด |
| Sunday, 12 May | |
| ๐ซ๐ท France vs. United States ๐บ๐ธ ๐ฉ๐ฐ Denmark vs. Germany ๐ฉ๐ช ๐จ๐ฆ Canada vs. Great Britain ๐ฌ๐ง |
๐ฆ๐น Austria vs. Russia ๐ท๐บ ๐ฎ๐น Italy vs. Sweden ๐ธ๐ช ๐ฑ๐ป Latvia vs. Switzerland ๐จ๐ญ |
| Monday, 13 May |
|
| ๐ซ๐ฎ Finland vs. United States ๐บ๐ธ ๐จ๐ฆ Canada vs. Slovakia ๐ธ๐ฐ |
๐จ๐ฟ Czechia vs. Russia ๐ท๐บ ๐ณ๐ด Norway vs. Sweden ๐ธ๐ช |
| Tuesday, 14 May |
|
| ๐ฉ๐ฐ Denmark vs. Great Britain ๐ฌ๐ง ๐ซ๐ท France vs. Germany ๐ฉ๐ช |
๐ฎ๐น Italy vs. Latvia ๐ฑ๐ป ๐ฆ๐น Austria vs. Switzerland ๐จ๐ญ |
| Wednesday, 15 May |
|
| ๐ฌ๐ง Great Britain vs. United States ๐บ๐ธ ๐ฉ๐ช Germany vs. Slovakia ๐ธ๐ฐ |
๐ณ๐ด Norway vs. Switzerland ๐จ๐ญ ๐ฎ๐น Italy vs. Russia ๐ท๐บ |
| Thursday, 16 May | |
| ๐จ๐ฆ Canada vs. France ๐ซ๐ท ๐ฉ๐ฐ Denmark vs. Finland ๐ซ๐ฎ |
๐ฆ๐น Austria vs. Sweden ๐ธ๐ช ๐จ๐ฟ Czechia vs. Latvia ๐ฑ๐ป |
| Friday, 17 May | |
| ๐ซ๐ท France vs. Slovakia ๐ธ๐ฐ ๐ซ๐ฎ Finland vs. Great Britain ๐ฌ๐ง |
๐ฆ๐น Austria vs. Norway ๐ณ๐ด ๐จ๐ฟ Czechia vs. Italy ๐ฎ๐น |
| Saturday, 18 May | |
| ๐ฉ๐ฐ Denmark vs. United States ๐บ๐ธ ๐จ๐ฆ Canada vs. Germany ๐ฉ๐ช ๐ฌ๐ง Great Britain vs. Slovakia ๐ธ๐ฐ |
๐ฑ๐ป Latvia vs. Russia ๐ท๐บ ๐ฎ๐น Italy vs. Norway ๐ณ๐ด ๐จ๐ญ Switzerland vs. Sweden ๐ธ๐ช |
| Sunday, 19 May | |
| ๐ฉ๐ช Germany vs. United States ๐บ๐ธ ๐ซ๐ฎ Finland vs. France ๐ซ๐ท |
๐ฆ๐น Austria vs. Czechia ๐จ๐ฟ ๐ท๐บ Russia vs. Switzerland ๐จ๐ญ |
| Monday, 20 May | |
| ๐ซ๐ท France vs. Great Britain ๐ฌ๐ง ๐จ๐ฆ Canada vs. Denmark ๐ฉ๐ฐ |
๐ฑ๐ป Latvia vs. Sweden ๐ธ๐ช ๐ฆ๐น Austria vs. Italyย ๐ฎ๐น |
| Tuesday, 21 May | |
| ๐ซ๐ฎ Finland vs. Germany ๐ฉ๐ช ๐ฉ๐ฐ Denmark vs. Slovakia ๐ธ๐ฐ ๐จ๐ฆ Canada vs. United States ๐บ๐ธ |
๐จ๐ฟ Czechia vs. Switzerland ๐จ๐ญ ๐ฑ๐ป Latvia vs. Norway ๐ณ๐ด ๐ท๐บ Russia vs. Sweden ๐ธ๐ช |
| Thursday, 23 May | |
| Quarterfinal #1 (A1 vs. B4) Quarterfinal #3 (A2 vs. B3) |
Quarterfinal #2 (B1 vs. A4) Quarterfinal #4 (B2ย vs.ย A3) |
| Saturday, 25 May | |
| Semifinal #1 Semifinal #2 |
|
| Sunday, 26 May | |
| Bronze Medal Game Goldย Medal Game |
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Sweden will look to become the first “three-peat” champion since the Czechs (1999-2001), while Russia (27 Golds) and Canada (26) will look to fight for position atop the all-time standings. Slovakia will look to return to the medal rounds on home ice for the first time since 2012, while the Czechs will look to make a splash and spoil the party to return to the podium for the first time since 2010. The countdown to Slovakia is on!
Photo Credit: IIHF Worlds 2018ย – IIHF – HHOF – IOC
International Hockey Lineal Championship 