IIHF moves ice hockey world cup to Finland and Latvia

The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has officially announced new hosts for the World Cup after Russia was stripped of its 2023 hosting rights.

The 2023 iteration of the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, originally scheduled to take place in St Petersburg, will now take place between the Finnish city of Tampere and Latvian capital Riga.

The tournament will take place on May 12-28, with Tampere’s newly opened Nokia Arena serving as the main venue of the tournament.

Finnish Ice Hockey Association president Harri Nummela, said: “It is a privilege and we are grateful to jointly host the 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship.”

Latvian Ice Hockey Federation president Aigars Kalvitis, added: “We are happy for your trust and are ready to host the World Championship with the best conditions for the teams and the best atmosphere for the fans.”

The IIHF has also announced that Switzerland will host the 2026 Ice Hockey World Championship in Zurich and Friboug from May 15-31. The Swiss were originally slated to host in 2020 but the tournament was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.