2016 IIHF World Championship

There were three official bids to host these championships. The decision on who hosts the tournament was decided during the final weekend of the 2011 IIHF World Championship in Bratislava, Slovakia.[6]

• Denmark
  • Copenhagen/Herning

Denmark has never hosted these championships. The tournament was proposed to run from May 6–22, 2016 in Parken Stadium (Copenhagen, 15,000 seats) and Jyske Bank Boxen (Herning, 12,000 seats).[6]

• Russia
  • Moscow/Saint Petersburg

Russia was the only bidder to ever have hosted these championships, with the most recent being in 2007. The tournament was proposed to run from April 29 – May 15, 2016 in Megasport Arena (Moscow, 13,577 seats) and Ice Palace (Saint Petersburg, 12,300 seats).[6]

• Ukraine
  • Kyiv

Ukraine, like Denmark, has never hosted these championships. The tournament was proposed to run from May 6–22, 2016 in Palace of Sports (Kyiv, 7,000 seats) and a new 12,000 seat arena to be built by 2015 in Kyiv.[6]

The 16 teams were split into two groups of eight teams. After playing a round-robin, the top four teams advance to the knockout stage, to play out the winner. The last team of each group will be relegated to Division I the following year.[7]

The seeding in the preliminary round was based on the 2015 IIHF World Ranking, which ended at the conclusion of the 2015 IIHF World Championship.[8]

Each team's roster consisted of at least 15 skaters (forwards and defencemen) and two goaltenders, and at most 22 skaters and three goaltenders. All 16 participating nations, through the confirmation of their respective national associations, had to submit a roster by the first IIHF directorate meeting.

The IIHF selected 16 referees and 16 linesmen to work the tournament.[9]

Henrik Pihlblad, Tobias Wehrli, Stefan Fonselius and Peter Šefčík during Norway vs. Denmark match

The schedule was released on 15 July 2015.[10]

Group A

Main article: 2016 IIHF World Championship Group A

Pos	Team	Pld	W	OTW	OTL	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Czech Republic	7	5	1	1	0	27	12	+15	18[lower-alpha 1]	Playoff round
2	Russia (H)	7	6	0	0	1	32	10	+22	18[lower-alpha 1]
3	Sweden	7	3	2	0	2	23	18	+5	13
4	Denmark	7	2	2	1	2	17	22	−5	11
5	Norway	7	2	1	0	4	13	22	−9	8[lower-alpha 2]
6	Switzerland	7	1	1	3	2	20	26	−6	8[lower-alpha 2]
7	Latvia	7	1	0	3	3	13	22	−9	6
8	Kazakhstan (R)	7	0	1	0	6	15	28	−13	2	Relegation to Division I A[lower-alpha 3]

Source: IIHF
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) result against closest best-ranked team outside tied teams; 6) result against second-best ranked team outside tied teams; 7) seeding before tournament.
(H) Host; (R) Relegated
Notes:

1. Czech Republic 3–0 Russia
2. Norway 4–3 Switzerland
3. The rules state that "the bottom ranked two teams will be relegated" and the 2017 hosts (France and Germany) cannot be relegated by rule.[11]

6 May 2016
Sweden		2–1 (OT)		Latvia
Czech Republic		3–0		Russia
7 May 2016
Switzerland		2–3 (GWS)		Kazakhstan
Norway		0–3		Denmark
Latvia		3–4 (GWS)		Czech Republic
8 May 2016
Kazakhstan		4–6		Russia
Norway		4–3 (OT)		Switzerland
Sweden		5–2		Denmark
9 May 2016
Latvia		0–4		Russia
Sweden		2–4		Czech Republic
10 May 2016
Switzerland		3–2 (OT)		Denmark
Kazakhstan		2–4		Norway
11 May 2016
Switzerland		5–4		Latvia
Sweden		7–3		Kazakhstan
12 May 2016
Czech Republic		7–0		Norway
Russia		10–1		Denmark
13 May 2016
Czech Republic		3–1		Kazakhstan
Denmark		3–2 (GWS)		Latvia
14 May 2016
Norway		2–3		Sweden
Russia		5–1		Switzerland
Kazakhstan		1–2		Latvia
15 May 2016
Denmark		2–1 (GWS)		Czech Republic
Switzerland		2–3 (GWS)		Sweden
16 May 2016
Russia		3–0		Norway
Denmark		4–1		Kazakhstan
17 May 2016
Czech Republic		5–4		Switzerland
Latvia		1–3		Norway
Russia		4–1		Sweden

Group B

Main article: 2016 IIHF World Championship Group B

Pos	Team	Pld	W	OTW	OTL	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Finland	7	7	0	0	0	29	6	+23	21	Playoff round
2	Canada	7	6	0	0	1	34	8	+26	18
3	Germany	7	4	0	1	2	22	20	+2	13
4	United States	7	3	0	1	3	22	18	+4	10
5	Slovakia	7	2	1	0	4	15	23	−8	8
6	Belarus	7	2	0	0	5	16	32	−16	6
7	France	7	1	1	0	5	11	23	−12	5
8	Hungary (R)	7	1	0	0	6	12	31	−19	3	Relegation to Division I A[lower-alpha 1]

Source: IIHF
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) result against closest best-ranked team outside tied teams; 6) result against second-best ranked team outside tied teams; 7) seeding before tournament.
(R) Relegated
Notes:

1. The rules state that "the bottom ranked two teams will be relegated" and the 2017 hosts (France and Germany) cannot be relegated by rule.[12][13]

6 May 2016
United States		1–5		Canada
Finland		6–2		Belarus
7 May 2016
Slovakia		4–1		Hungary
France		3–2 (GWS)		Germany
Belarus		3–6		United States
8 May 2016
Hungary		1–7		Canada
Finland		5–1		Germany
France		1–5		Slovakia
9 May 2016
Belarus		0–8		Canada
Finland		3–2		United States
10 May 2016
Slovakia		1–5		Germany
Hungary		2–6		France
11 May 2016
Slovakia		2–4		Belarus
Finland		3–0		Hungary
12 May 2016
United States		4–0		France
Canada		5–2		Germany
13 May 2016
United States		5–1		Hungary
Germany		5–2		Belarus
14 May 2016
France		1–3		Finland
Hungary		5–2		Belarus
Canada		5–0		Slovakia
15 May 2016
Germany		3–2		United States
Slovakia		0–5		Finland
16 May 2016
Canada		4–0		France
Germany		4–2		Hungary
17 May 2016
United States		2–3 (OT)		Slovakia
Belarus		3–0		France
Canada		0–4		Finland

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2016 IIHF World Championship.

• Official website