01.09.202027.05.2017

The 83rd World Hockey Championship 2019 will start very soon, where fans will be able to watch their favorite teams that will fight for the title best country. The latest competitions of the strongest teams have become unpredictable, and that’s because the level of play in each squad is almost the same. As a result, the final outcome of the confrontations is impossible to predict, and the audience receives large number exciting fights on ice.

2019 Ice Hockey World Championship: where it will be held

The 2019 World Hockey Championship will be held from May 3 to 19 in Slovakia in the cities of Kasice and Bratislava. Initially, the main contender for hosting was beautiful Switzerland, but for some reason officials withdrew the official application at the last moment. However, they decided to hold the World Hockey Championship in 2020. As a result, Slovakia was chosen thanks to a non-alternative system.

So, the games of the 2019 World Hockey Championship will be held at the following stadiums:

Slovnaft Arena with a capacity of 10,060 people;
Steele Arena with a capacity of 8,050 people.

The final match and fights for bronze places will be played at the Slovnaft Arena. The stadium is equipped with the best infrastructure, which can accommodate more than 10 thousand people and hold large-scale events. hockey matches. We encourage all fans to come and support their favorites.

Participants of the 2019 World Hockey Championship

Only the Slovakian national ice hockey team qualified to participate in the tournament. We will find out the final list of squads that will continue to fight for the trophy at the championship in 2018. We can safely assume that due to the high level of play, the following teams will qualify for the tournament:

Russia;
Finland;
Canada;
Czech Republic;
Sweden;
Switzerland;
Canada.

Other hockey teams most likely they will not get such a chance to play in a grand tournament. The rest of the squads better take care of their current position and not fall into a lower division. It is better to bypass the last line in the table so as not to fall to weak teams.

IIHF World Championship 2019 regulations

The format of the tournament, which will be played in two cities in Slovakia, will not undergo fundamental changes. As usual, 16 countries will be divided into two subgroups, where each team will play one match with the enemy. The first four countries enter the 1/4 stage (play-offs). All squad games will be played crosswise. This means that the first team from subgroup “A” needs to meet with squad number 4 from subgroup “B”.

Interestingly, knockout games allow ten minutes of overtime. Why did we note this, but because in group stage 5-minute is provided. If the teams tied in the final game, then they need to play a 20-minute match or overtime.

It is noteworthy that Switzerland automatically remains even if it takes eighth place in standings. And all because the 2020 World Hockey Championship will be held in Switzerland. If the Swiss still take eighth place, then the seventh team from the subgroup will go to the lower league.

Now the question of where the 2019 World Hockey Championship will be held is completely settled. There is only one nuance left for the audience: which participants will make it to the championship. The first official statements and tournament match schedules will appear very soon.

Championship dates: May 10 - 26, 2019
Venue: Slovakia, cities of Bratislava and Kosice
Number of participating teams: 16

In 2019, the 83rd world championship among national hockey teams will take place. The championship is hosted by Slovakia from May 10 to 26, 2019. The Slovaks already hosted the tournament in 2011 and have experience in organizing competitions of this level. Matches of the 2019 IIHF World Championship will be held in sports complexes Slonaft Arena (Bratislava) and Steel Arena (Kosice).

Slovnaft Arena (Bratislava)
This is the central SC of the championship. The Slonaft Arena will host the final of the 2019 Ice Hockey World Championship. One of the oldest sports complexes in Slovenia. It was opened back in 1940 and since then it has been reconstructed several times. The latest renovation has increased the arena's capacity to almost 14,000 seats.
In this arena, the following teams will play in the group stage: Russia, Czech Republic, Sweden, Switzerland, Slovakia, Latvia, Austria, Italy. The quarter-final, semi-final, 3rd place and final matches will also take place here.

Steel Arena (Kosice)
A multifunctional sports and entertainment complex that can accommodate up to 9,000 spectators. Unlike the arena in Bratislava, the Steel Aréna is relatively new. It was opened in 2006.
In this arena, the following teams will play in the group stage: USA, Canada, Finland, Germany, Norway, Denmark, France, Great Britain.

Guaranteed blocks of hotel accommodation during the matches of the 2019 Ice Hockey World Championship in Bratislava

Type of accommodation and food, affordable hotels	Estimated cost of accommodation (room/night in euros)
Apartment, 2 people, no meals Melrose, Viktor, Circle Apartments Ipelská	70-100
Apartments, 4-5 people (2-3 rooms), no meals Viktor, Boutique Apartments Possonium	120-150
Apartment, 8 people (4 rooms), no meals Victor	250
*Double room 3 without meals or with breakfast** Viktor, Color, Vienna House Easy, Gaudio, Baronka, Chopin, Matysak, etc.	150-230
*Double room 4 without meals or with breakfast** Danubia Gate, Antares, Aston, Set, Hotel No.16, etc.	230-400
*Double room 5 with breakfast** Marrol's Boutique, Roset Boutique	400-500

We can offer current accommodation options (names of hotels, exact prices, types of rooms and meals, terms of payment and cancellations) within 2 hours during business hours upon receipt of a request by email.

Costs
1Rates are in euros, per room/night.
2The price includes an agency commission of 10%

Booking conditions:
1Option (blocking the sale) is possible for up to 5 days
2Final confirmation of the reservation is upon payment of an advance payment (25-50%, depending on the specific option).
3Full payment is required from 01/15/2019 to 04/15/2019 (depending on the specific option).
4Voucher for accommodation is issued after full payment

Payment terms:
1Payment in rubles at the rate of the Central Bank of Russia +3%
2Payment is made no later than the day following the day the invoice is issued
3

Conditions for making changes and cancellations
1Changes to customer data are made subject to availability, with payment of administrative costs - 2500 rubles. for every change
2Ordered, confirmed and paid services cannot be cancelled.
3By agreement, and if there are similar requests, repeated sales are possible, with a refund of up to 70% of the cost.

Tickets for the 2019 Ice Hockey World Championship matches

Our company has long-term cooperation with reliable ticket suppliers sporting events, and, if necessary, can provide services for purchasing tickets. At the same time, our main services are tourism. Therefore, we offer you the opportunity to purchase the required tickets yourself.

If you or your clients cannot or do not want to purchase tickets for matches on their own, then we can assist in purchasing them. The price is valid when purchasing hotel accommodation services from our company. When purchasing tickets without accommodation services, the cost increases by 5%.
The cost of tickets purchased with our help may differ from the nominal value, as it is formed from the cost from suppliers and includes the cost of the purchase service and possible forwarding.
Payment is 100% made within 2 days from confirmation. Receipt of tickets 2-3 days after payment (if they are in Moscow), or in April (if they are not in Russia).

Ticket package, approximate cost EUR current price - on request	quantity matches	VIP* C29	1 premium category A3, A4, A5, A9, A10, A11 B3,B4,B9,B10	1 category A1,A2,A6, A7,A8,A12	2nd category B1,B2,B5,B6,B7 В8,В11,В12
Ticket package for six final games (Final, Third Place Match, Semi-Finals, 2 Quarter-Finals)	6	request	2400-3200	1950	1350
Ticket package for the four final games (Final, Third Place Match, Semi-Finals)	4	request	2200-3050	1700	1100
Ticket package "My team - Russia" (7 matches preliminary stage)	7	2950	1250-1650	1050	790
Package of tickets for the match for 3rd place and the final	2	request	2000	1300	1050
Ticket package for the quarter-finals (Two matches on May 23, 2019)	2	1150	-	-	-

The cost is indicated in euros.
*Price includes: one ticket in sector C29 VIP, VIP Open Bar (Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks), Hot and cold snacks in the arena restaurant, VIP hospitality, Separate VIP entrance.

Applying for visas to Slovakia for a trip to the 2019 Ice Hockey World Championship

Our company is accredited at the Slovak Consulate in Moscow and has the right to submit visa requests for its clients directly to the consulate.
If biometrics were submitted earlier, the client’s participation in the registration procedure is not required.
If biometrics have not been submitted previously, then we will organize the submission of documents and take the biometrics in Moscow or provide a package of documents for self-submission to the Slovakia visa center nearest to you.
Multiple-entry visas will be issued for fans of the 2019 Ice Hockey World Championship.

Cost of visa application:
- when ordering and paying for a hotel in our company - 70 euros/person.
- upon provision of your own hotel booking confirmation - 120 euros/person.

Services for fans

We offer the following services for groups and individual fans of the IIHF World Championship:
- accommodation in hotels in Slovakia
- transfers for arrival and departure, for matches
- transport services
- transport tickets to Slovakia
- registration of health insurance
- additional excursions and organization of events

We organize comprehensive services for groups according to the customer’s plan.

2019 IIHF World Championship match schedule

Group stage 05/10-05/21/2019 (Russian national team plays in Bratislava)

Date and day of the week	Local time	Match number	Match participants
05/10/2019, Friday	16.15	№2	Russia	Norway
05/10/2019, Friday	20.15	№4	Czech Republic	Sweden
05/11/2019, Saturday	12.15	№6	Switzerland	Italy
05/11/2019, Saturday	16.15	№8	Latvia	Austria
05/11/2019, Saturday	20.15	№10	Norway	Czech Republic
05/12/2019, Sunday	12.15	№12	Russia	Austria
05/12/2019, Sunday	16.15	№14	Italy	Sweden
05/12/2019, Sunday	20.15	№16	Latvia	Switzerland
05/13/2019, Monday	16.15	№18	Russia	Czech Republic
05/13/2018, Monday	20.15	№20	Norway	Sweden
05/14/2019, Tuesday	16.15	№22	Italy	Latvia
05/14/2019, Tuesday	20.15	№24	Switzerland	Austria
05/15/2019, Wednesday	16.15	№26	Switzerland	Norway
05/15/2019, Wednesday	20.15	№28	Russia	Italy
05/16/2019, Thursday	16.15	№30	Sweden	Austria
05/16/2019, Thursday	20.15	№32	Czech Republic	Latvia
05/17/2019, Friday	16.15	№34	Austria	Norway
05/17/2019, Friday	20.15	№36	Czech Republic	Italy
05/18/2019, Saturday	12.05	№38	Latvia	Russia
05/18/2019, Saturday	16.15	№40	Italy	Norway
05/18/2019, Saturday	20.15	№42	Sweden	Switzerland
05/19/2019, Sunday	16.15	№44	Austria	Czech Republic
05/19/2019, Sunday	20.15	№46	Switzerland	Russia
05/20/2019, Monday	16.15	№48	Sweden	Latvia
05/20/2019, Monday	20.15	№50	Austria	Italy
05/21/2019, Tuesday	12.15	№52	Czech Republic	Switzerland
05/21/2019, Tuesday	16.15	№54	Norway	Latvia
05/21/2019, Tuesday	20.15	№56	Sweden	Russia

Final stage, 23.05-26.05.2019, Bratislava

Championship participating teams

16 teams will compete for the title. Full list participants are not yet known. But with almost 100% probability, World Cup fans will see hockey players from the following countries: Slovakia; Russia; Sweden; Czech Republic; Switzerland; Canada; Finland; USA; Germany; Norway.

The teams will be divided into groups A and B. Eight of them, including the Russian team, will play group stage matches in Bratislava, and the second group in Kosice.

Standings for the 2019 Ice Hockey World Cup

From year to year, hockey players from Canada, Russia, Sweden, the Czech Republic, and Finland claim first place in the final standings. The highest chances are for Russians, Canadians and Swedes.
The Russian national team is one of the favorites of the 2019 Hockey World Cup. The strength of the squad and the results of performances at the 2018 Winter Olympics and the past World Championships speak in favor of the Russians.

Championship dates: May 10 – 26, 2019
Venue: Slovakia, cities of Bratislava and Kosice
Number of participating teams: 16

In 2019, the 83rd world championship among national hockey teams will take place. The championship is hosted by Slovakia from May 3 to May 19, 2019. The Slovaks already hosted the tournament in 2011 and have experience in organizing competitions of this level. The 2019 IIHF World Championship matches will be held at the Slonaft Arena (Bratislava) and Steel Arena (Kosice).

Steel Arena (Kosice)
A multifunctional sports and entertainment complex that can accommodate up to 9,000 spectators. Unlike the arena in Bratislava, the Steel Aréna is relatively new. It was opened in 2006.
The following teams will play in the group stage at this arena: USA, Canada, Finland, Germany, Norway, Denmark, France, Great Britain

2019 IIHF World Championship match schedule

The official match calendar has not yet been published. But it is very likely that the schedule of the main stages will look like this:
05/10–21/2019 – group stage (Russian national team plays in Bratislava);
05/23/2019 – quarterfinals;
05/25/2019 – semi-final (Bratislava/Kosice)
05/26/2019 – final and match for 3rd place (Bratislava)

Championship participating teams

16 teams will compete for the title. The full list of participants is not yet known. But with almost 100% probability, World Cup fans will see hockey players from the following countries: Slovakia; Russia; Sweden; Czech Republic; Switzerland; Canada; Finland; USA; Germany; Norway.

The teams will be divided into groups A and B. Eight of them, including the Russian team, will play group stage matches in Bratislava, and the second group in Kosice.

Standings for the 2019 Ice Hockey World Cup

Ice Hockey World Championship 2019: hotels, tickets, visas
Ice Hockey World Championship 2019: hotels, tickets, visas. Championship dates: May 10 – 26, 2019 Venue: Slovakia, Bratislava and Kosice Number of participating teams: 16 In 2019

Source: www.svoyage.ru

How to buy tickets for the 2019 Ice Hockey World Cup

The International Hockey Federation (IIHF) entrusts the sale of tickets to the organizing committee of the championship (except for tickets reserved by the IIHF).

1.Event Ticket– for all games in one arena.
2. Group Round Ticket– all games of the preliminary stage of a certain group in one of the arenas.
3 . Tickets for all qualifying games in a specific arena.
4. Final Round Ticket– tickets to all games of the final round (four 1/4 games, two 1/2 games, a game for Bronze and Gold).
5. Day-Ticket– tickets for individual game days, which go on sale only immediately before the Championship. 6. Single Game Ticket– ticket for one match.

Tickets for hockey matches will be available at all retail outlets of the competition organizing committee, as well as through dealer networks.

Also, the sale of tickets for hockey matches will be organized through the organizing committee’s website, where you can select seats, order and pay for tickets online.

You will be able to choose a delivery method:
1. E-Ticket is a delivery method that allows you to print a ticket at home or anywhere where there is a printer. You receive an electronic ticket with a unique barcode that will be checked upon entry to the event.
2. Receive tickets by registered mail.
3. Pick up tickets from the company office yourself.
4. Delivery of tickets by courier throughout the city.
6. Delivery of tickets by international express mail EMS.

You can also pay for tickets ordered on the website:
iPay, plastic card (Visa, MasterCard), electronic money (WebMoney, EasyPay, QIWI).

You can purchase tickets and view accommodation options on the IIHF website.

IIHF World Championship 2019, IIHF worlds 2019
2019 Ice Hockey World Championship. Tickets.

Source: champions.name

IIHF World Championship 2018

The 2018 Ice Hockey World Championship will be held from May 5 to 20, 2018 in the Danish cities of Copenhagen and Herning, which for two weeks will become a place of pilgrimage for stick and puck fans. Russia, Canada, Sweden, Finland - the main ice squads of the planet will gather in one country! The current world champion is the Swedish team. Tre Krunur are eager to repeat last year's success. However, the Scandinavian rivals have completely different plans for the trophy...

Ice Hockey World Championship 2018 Schedule

The hockey world championship starts on May 4, 2018, and ends on the 20th of the same month. The approximate game calendar looks like this:

May 4 – 15 – group stage matches;
May 17 – quarterfinals;
May 19 – semi-final;
May 20 – final game.

The fights will be hosted by the Danish cities of Copenhagen and Herning. The final match of the 82nd edition of the tournament is likely to take place in Copenhagen.

Participants in the 2018 Ice Hockey World Cup

16 national teams will take part in the competition. The organizers have already divided them into two octets.

Group A:

Group B:

Teams from the Republic of Korea and Austria became newcomers to the tournament. They received the right to compete at the 2017 World Cup among 1st division teams.

Planet Championship standings

According to the rules of the competition, 4 teams from each group advance to the playoffs.

From Pot A, the “Big Three” will almost certainly qualify for the next round of the competition: Russia, the Czech Republic, and Sweden. But for the 4th place a serious fight could break out. The Swiss, Belarusians and Slovaks have every opportunity to make it to the playoffs. But the hockey players of the Swiss team look more convincing in this dispute.

In octet B everything is clear. Canada, Finland, the USA and Germany go further. The rest of the teams are almost certainly out of luck.

Teams that take 8th place will be relegated to the first division. Only Slovaks have a kind of immunity. Because their country will be the host of the 2019 World Cup. If Slovakia finishes last in the pot, the team with the 7th best result will be demoted instead.

Russian national team at the 2018 Ice Hockey World Cup

Our guys are in Group A. Domestic hockey players will play group round matches within the walls of the Copenhagen Royal Arena sports complex. If the Russians show the proper agility, they will be able to return to the ice of this SK. Important matches of the playoff round, including the final, will take place on its territory.

We don’t know who will come to the World Cup in May 2018. Much will depend on the results of the Olympics. If the team returns from Pyeongchang “on the shield”, then the Russian squad will part with Oleg Znarok, and a number of players from the previous core may fall under the “broom” of the new mentor. In general, we must be patient.

Who will win the championship

Denmark, where the 2018 Ice Hockey World Cup will be held, will become a place where the ambitions of several famous hockey teams from Europe and North America. Let's look at the main contenders for the awards.

Canada

The Maple Leafs made it to the finals last year. North American fans were already opening champagne, celebrating their triumph ahead of schedule. However, the Swedes stood in the way of the founders of hockey with an impenetrable wall. The main and extra time ended with zeros on the scoreboard. In the end, everything was decided by shootouts, where Tre Krunur turned out to be luckier.

Finland

This talented, skilled squad, replete with star players, has only won gold medals at the world championship twice. At the same time, the Suomi national team has played in the World Cup finals 8 times over the past 25 years, receiving silver awards... The Finns are passionate about triumph!

Russia

The Russian team is the main reason for domestic fans to watch the 2018 Ice Hockey World Cup. Our guys have not been left without tournament medals for several years in a row. But here’s the problem: in the last two rounds, the Russians invariably ended up with bronze. Last time Our guys won gold in 2014. It's time to take a swing at something heavier!

Sweden

“Tri Krunur” is a hockey boa constrictor capable of strangling even such a super team as Canada. The Swedes won the championship gold in the dramatic final match of the 2017 World Cup. Will the Scandinavians be able to repeat last year's success?

IIHF World Championship 2018
The 2018 Ice Hockey World Championship is the 82nd edition of the world’s main hockey tournament, in which the best national teams will take part. Our squad is among them. Last year, the scenario of the 2016 World Cup repeated itself again - the Russians lost in the semi-finals, but won bronze medals... The fans were waiting for gold medals!

Source: sport-2018.su

Latvia has identified its opponents at the 2019 IIHF World Championship

No sooner had this year’s World Cup ended than the composition of the groups for the next championship had already become known

RIGA, May 22 - Sputnik. At the Ice Hockey World Championship next year, Latvia will play in the same group with Sweden and Switzerland - the winners and silver medalists current world championship, reports the International Hockey Federation (IIHF).

The groups of the 2019 #IIHFWorlds are known! Slovakia will welcome the world in Bratislava and Kosice, 10-26 May 2019. Find out more here: https://t.co/9jBQwbkUC1

Latvia is in Group B, which will play its matches in the capital of Slovakia, Bratislava. Also in this group, in addition to Sweden and Switzerland, will play the Czech Republic, Austria, Russia, Norway and Italy, which made it to the elite division.

Slovakia will host the World Cup for the second time, the matches will be held in two cities - Bratislava and Kosice. The republic hosted the world championship for the first time in 2011, but matches were played in Bratislava in 1959 and 1992 - during the times of Czechoslovakia.

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The 2019 World Hockey Championship will be the 83rd tournament, which will bring together the world's leading teams in the fight for the prestigious trophy. Recently, the competition presented has become extremely unpredictable, since the level of play of many squads is approximately the same. This means that the outcome of the confrontation is impossible to predict, and fans are in for exciting ice battles.

Where will it take place?

World Cup 2019 hockey will take place in Slovakia (the cities of Bratislava and Kosice). The date of the tournament is from May 3 to May 19. Initially, Switzerland also applied to host the championship, but sports officials from this country withdrew their application and decided to bid to host the 2020 World Championship. As a result, Slovakia was chosen as the host of the competition on an uncontested basis.

All matches of the Men's World Hockey Championship will take place at the following arenas:

Slovnaft Arena (capacity 10,055);
Steel Arena (8,045).

Meetings for bronze medals, as well as the final game, will take place at the Slovnaft Arena in Bratislava. Now the local Slovan, which plays in the KHL, plays home games here. The stadium has all the necessary infrastructure to host large-scale hockey events, so spectators who came to the 2019 World Championship to cheer on their favorites will certainly be satisfied.

Tournament participants

On at the moment Only the Slovak team guaranteed itself the right to take part in the competition. The final list of lucky winners who will compete for the trophy in Kosice and Bratislava will be determined at the 2018 championship. Considering high level certain teams, let’s assume that the following will perform at the tournament:

Canada;
Russia;
Czech Republic;
Sweden;
Finland;
Switzerland.

The rest of the hockey teams that are now part of the world elite are unlikely to seriously lay claim to victory in the competition. The main task for them will be not to be relegated to the lower division, and for this it is necessary not to fall to the last line in the standings.

World Cup regulations

The format of the 2019 World Hockey Championship, which will be held in Slovakia, will not change. All 16 teams will be divided into two subgroups, after which each team will play one game with the opponent. The first four teams advance to the playoff stage (1/4 finals). The distribution of teams occurs crosswise, that is, the first team of subgroup “A” will meet with the fourth team of subgroup “B”, the second – with the third, etc.

It is noteworthy that in knockout matches there is a 10-minute overtime (instead of 5 minutes as in the group stage). In the final match, if there is a draw, there will be a 20-minute overtime. A shootout to determine the winner is only scheduled if the score is tied after extra time has elapsed.

Interesting fact: the Swiss team will not be relegated from the elite, even if it ends up in 8th place in its subgroup. It is this country that will host the 2020 World Cup, so it automatically remains in the main division for another year. In case of unsuccessful performance of the Swiss, the seventh team of the subgroup will drop to the lower division.

For many fans the question is where the Championship will be held World Hockey 2019 is no longer relevant. The only thing that occupies fans of the game on ice is determining the participants in the championship. There is not much time left until the tournament schedule and the final list of subgroups appear.

See the best goals of the Russian national team in the following video:

Denis Bakunin

2019 World Hockey Championship: strong Russian team – stronger opponents

Illustration pixabay.com

The 2019 World Cup in Slovakia will begin on May 10 - this is the latest start in the last ten years. Usually even May 5-6 was considered a late start.

- The late start of the World Cup will allow our team to prepare more thoroughly for the tournament , says Vladislav Tretyak, President of the Russian Hockey Federation (RHF). - The players will have time to recover from the KHL playoffs. Many guys will have time to be released from the NHL, where there will be about forty of our players in the new season.

Actually, this is the key difference between the upcoming World Cup and the previous ones. If previously, by the time the playoffs started at the NHL World Championship, the second round of the Stanley Cup had ended and not everyone had any reason to rush to the national team, now two rounds in the overseas playoffs will finish by the time the 2019 World Cup begins. And as the tournament progresses, hockey players whose NHL teams were eliminated in the semifinals of the Stanley Cup will have time to join him. So, only the finalists of the overseas playoffs will be left out of the World Cup.

This situation promises fans a scattering of hockey stars. Ilya Vorobyov can get at his disposal one of the best selections of hockey players in his career with Evgeni Malkin, Artemy Panarin, Alexander Ovechkin, Nikita Kucherov, Sergei Bobrovsky, etc. However, the competitors will also become stronger, so for the first time in many years the level of the tournament will live up to the name “World Championship”.

Moreover, it could become the main tournament for national teams, since the Olympic future of hockey is in question. IIHF President Rene Fasel said that the NHL may again not allow its players to go to the Olympics, as was the case in Pyeongchang. Moreover, according to Fasel, more severe scenarios cannot be ruled out: the Beijing 2022 hockey tournament could become a youth tournament (up to 23 years old, as in football) or hockey in Olympic China won't happen at all.

- This is, of course, a last resort option. , explains Fasel. - First of all, we expect to find common ground with the NHL and hope to fill the hockey tournament in Beijing with the strongest players in the world - to make it the same as in the period from 1998 to 2014.

Against the backdrop of this uncertainty, the world championships will become the most significant international championships hockey tournaments. The Russian national team will open the closest of them on May 10 with a game against the Norwegian team, and this meeting, by the way, will be Ilya Vorobyov’s first at the World Cup as a full-fledged head coach of the Russian national team.

It is curious that most of the Russians’ opponents in the group stage of the 2019 World Cup are the same as a year ago: the Austrians and Czechs in the first half, the Swiss and Swedes at the finish. The national teams of Latvia, Italy and Norway added variety, replacing Slovakia, France and Belarus in the list of opponents.

But Vorobyov’s squad is unlikely to clash with the outlandish British team. Representatives of the United Kingdom, who will return to the elite of world hockey after 25 years, were sent by the IIHF to Group A. And there are Canada, the USA, Finland and experienced Slovakia and Germany. In such a company, the British are unlikely to get a 1/4 share.

Oddly enough, Group A with the hosts of the tournament will be based not in the capital of Slovakia, but five hundred kilometers away - the city of Kosice at the Steel Arena, which seats 8,340 spectators. While the Russians and other groups of Group B are waiting for Bratislava and its 10,000-seat Ondrej Nepela Arena.

The Russian youth team, which qualified for the 2019 World Cup in Canada, will also play in the larger Vancouver, in Group A. The country of the maple leaf is hosting the World Cup for the sixth time in the last ten years. The Russians will open the tournament on December 27 with a meeting with the Danes, on December 29 the Czechs await them, on New Year's Eve, on December 31, the Swiss, and in New Year They will enter a super battle with the hosts of the tournament, Canada, which will begin at 1.00 Moscow time.