On the final day of group round action at the 2025 World Championship, both relegation spots to Division IA in 2025 were confirmed, with France and Kazakhstan, set to head back down to Division IA next season, missing out on the 2026 Worlds in Switzerland.

In Stockholm, the de facto relegation game came down to France against Slovenia on 19 May, each with a single point from post-regulation losses. With the stakes perfectly clear, the Risi executed perfectly, with Lukáš Horák pitching a 28-save victory against Les Bleus, despite Slovenia’s poorer goal differential in the tournament, and 29-25 shot differential in the game. Two tallies in the opening period held Slovenia in the lead for the first 58 minutes of the game, and a late extra-attacker goal from Tim Bozon was swiftly answered with an empty netter from Matic Török, sealing the 3-1 win and ensuring their first stay in the Top Division for the first time since 2005-06. France, on the other hand, is relegated to Division IA for the first time since 2019, where they were only saved from ever playing in the lower division by virtue of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, and then being re-promoted to the Top Division by virtue of Russia and Belarus’ suspension from the IIHF in 2022. Assuming there is not another global catastrophe, France, who is on the cusp of a potential 2026 Olympic spot if Russia is withheld from the games, will play in Division IA for the first time since 2007.

In Herning, Hungary and Norway entered into their 19 May tilt with Hungary and Kazakhstan tied at three points each, and Norway sitting at just a single point, meaning a regulation loss would send the Isbjørnene back to Division IA for the first time since 2005. Norway avoided catastrophe with a solid 1-0 victory over Hungary, meaning that the onus then fell to Kazakhstan, who by virtue of a head-to-head tiebreaker against Hungary, needed at least a point over Switzerland on the final game day to avoid relegation. Fighting an uphill battle against a Swiss squad looking to clinch top spot in Group B, Kazakhstan’s effort at a heroic upset fell apart after holding a lead for the first 39 minutes of the match, falling in a 4-1 loss to the Eisgenossen. The loss marks Kazakhstan’s return to Division IA for the first time since 2019, ending their record five straight seasons in the Top Division, while Hungary made history by avoiding relegation, staying in the Top Division for consecutive years for the first time since 1938-39, the final World Championship held before the outbreak of World War II, and over a decade before the advent of a lower World Championship division.

In France and Kazakhstan’s place next year will be Italy and Great Britain, returning to the Top Division for the first time since 2022 and 2024, respectively. Next year’s Division IA will be made up of France and Kazakhstan, newly-promoted Lithuania, Ukraine, Japan and Poland, in a host nation to be named at the upcoming IIHF Congress in Stockholm. With France and Kazakhstan now locked in for 2025, and a new unique group in Division IA fighting for those two coveted spots in the shadow of the 2026 Milan Olympics, next year’s tournaments should provide some exciting surprises!

Photo Credit: IIHF Worlds 2025 – IIHF Worlds 2025 – IIHF – HHOF – IOC