Slovakia submitted a bid to host 2029 IHWC

Miroslav Šatan, president of the Slovak Ice Hockey Association, recently discussed Slovakia’s bid to host the 2029 Ice Hockey World Championship, expressing confidence based on the country’s previous successes in 2011 and 2019. "Slovakia has proven twice that it can organize the tournament at a high level, both in terms of sporting performances and logistical execution. The championships in Bratislava and Košice were not only well-received by fans but also financially and organizationally successful." said Satan
This strong track record has helped build Slovakia’s reputation as a reliable partner for the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), which is one of the main reasons why the country has again applied to host the event in 2029. "Sunday was the deadline for submitting initial applications to host the World Cup in 2029, and I can confirm that we have officially expressed interest," Šatan added.

While the primary venues for the tournament would be Bratislava’s Ondrej Nepela Arena and Košice’s Steel Arena, Šatan also mentioned the possibility of co-hosting with the Czech city of Brno, where a new modern arena is planned. "Currently, this option has not been decided, because the stadium in Brno is not yet standing. However, we do not rule out that we could consider this possibility in the future, if Brno decides to build a new stadium," he explained. Although this collaboration won’t be possible for 2029, it could be revisited in the future once the Brno arena is constructed.

In Slovakia, while the traditional arenas remain key venues, concerns have been raised about their capacities. Bratislava’s TIPOS Arena meets the IIHF’s minimum requirement of 10,000 seats, but Košice’s Steel Arena, with only 8,000 seats, falls short. This discrepancy has been highlighted by IIHF Vice-President Petr Bříza, who noted that the increasing demands on infrastructure might present challenges. Slovakia has five years to address these issues and improve its facilities to meet IIHF standards.

Despite these concerns, Slovakia remains a strong contender, with two other countries—Hungary and the United Kingdom—also vying to host the 2029 championship. Šatan expressed surprise at these competitors, particularly Hungary, which has never hosted a Group A World Championship, despite multiple attempts.

The final decision will be made during the IIHF Congress in May 2024 in Stockholm. Other upcoming hosts include Sweden and Denmark in 2025, Switzerland in 2026, Germany in 2027, and France in 2028.

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