A Look at the Competition for the 2023 IIHF World Championship
07 Feb 2023 | eurohockey.com
In late Spring, 2023, the International Ice Hockey Federation will host the 86th Men’s Ice Hockey World Championships. The competition is easily global ice hockey’s biggest event, with hundreds of thousands of fans traveling for each world championship finals event.
While the IIHF World Championships are still waiting on the NHL to lend
players from its league, not everyone is focused on the Stanley Cup each
spring. The tournament benefits from a FIFA World Cup and an Olympics-style
form of competition, which pits nation against nation. In other words, even
casual fans are likely to watch games where their home nation is competing.
Plus, there’s always added attention from sportsbooks anytime a global
tournament comes around. For example, a promo offer from
DraftKings sportsbooks might usually focus on daily fantasy sports for
football or basketball. However, if a tournament like the IIHF World
Championship is going on, then bettors are more likely to join in on the action
by backing a favorite.
And speaking of favorites, this year’s tournament will see sixteen teams
compete in a round-robin style in the top division. All eyes
are on Hungary and Slovenia since both teams were promoted from Division I.
However, some fans are instead focused on the other divisions mentioned, where
dozens of countries are scrapping to advance in ice hockey.
Let’s dive into this year’s competition, starting with the Championship tier
and moving down to Division IV.
Championship: Kazakhstan
Hosted in Finland & Latvia
Since joining the IIHF in 1992, the Kazakh national men’s hockey team has
yet to take home an IIHF trophy. However, they’re one of the top tier’s leading
underdogs heading into the tournament. The team’s best result to date in the
IIHF was a 10th-place finish back in 2021.
While the team has bounced between the Championship and the IIHF’s DI
division, they’ve got a winning international record that continues to improve
with each year. Under head coach Yuri Mikhailis, who has been in charge since
2020, some pundits are keeping an eye on the team as a competitive underdog.
DI: Poland
Hosted in Nottingham, UK
Back in the 1980s, the Polish men’s national ice hockey team was revolving
around the most competitive teams of the day, including Canada, Sweden, and the
USSR. Though they never peaked past a 6th place ranking internationally, the
team has plenty of support—and with a recent promotion back into the DI
competition, many are hoping the team will be able to compete at a high level.
Some are also keeping their fingers crossed that Poland will find its way back
into the Championship since being relegated down back in 2002.
DII: Georgia
Hosted in Madrid, Spain
As one of the youngest countries in the IIHF, there’s plenty of excitement
surrounding the Georgian men’s national ice hockey team. As of 2022, Georgia is
ranked 43rd internationally. But the team is exciting to watch considering they
played their first IIHF tournament in 2013. After only five years of play, they
jumped from DIII to DII back in 2018. Considering it’s been another five years,
will Georgia make the jump to DI after this tournament?
DIII: Hong Kong
Hosted in Cape Town, South Africa
Hong Kong easily has one of the IIHF’s most interesting teams. As a unique
nation with plenty of international residents, the Hong Kong team saw plenty of
American and Canadian players moonlight on their roster during the 1980s and
90s—but no teams managed to compete in the championship. Back in 2014, the Hong
Kong team reappeared in the IIHF. Since then, they’ve competed in DIII. But
many fans have their fingers crossed for a promotion this year.
DIV: Indonesia
Hosted in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
The Indonesian men’s national ice hockey team has played for the Challenge
Cup of Asia before—but has never officially appeared in any IIHF tournaments or
the Olympic Games. However, that will change this year as they compete in the
IIHF’s DIV competition.