Here you can view the current standings in the world championship tables. The world championship starts May 13 and runs until May 29. It is visited by 16 teams divided into two groups of eight teams each. After all teams in each group have played each other, the four teams with the most points go on to the playoffs. Read more about the playoffs in the Ice Hockey World championship here. Do you visit the site on your mobile? Turn the mobile to get a better view of the table.
2022 Ice Hockey World championship groups – this is how the group games work
During the first part of the world championship, which runs from Friday, May 13, to Tuesday, May 24, the teams play their all-important group games. The teams fight during a total of seven matches to collect as many points as possible.
At most a team can collect 21 points during the group-games. How many points are needed in order to land in the top half of the table and thus advance to the playoffs is completely dependent n the performance of other teams in the group. One often needs to score points in at least half of the group games in order to advance.
Relegation to division 1 – world championship
Aside from the teams placement in the groups deciding on their advancement to the playoffs, it also determines which teams will take part in the world championship the coming year. The two teams with the lowest scores in the groups will have to leave the top division of the world championship and are replaced by two new teams in the upcoming year.
Who these will be is decided in the world championship for division 1 group A, where the two top teams will advance to next years top championship. As the lower divisions of the ice hockey world championship 2021 were cancelled, it will be the same teams taking part this year as last. On the other hand, all teams now risk being demoted ahead of the 2023 world championship.
What happens when two teams have the same amount of points?
It’s not unusual that several teams finish with the same amount of points after the seven rounds played. In order to determine which team should be placed above the other, one looks at the match played between those teams.
The nation that scored the most points there, will take the top position. Since a world championship ice hockey-match can not end in a draw, the points are always divided in such a way that one team gets more points than the other.
If three or more teams get the same amount of points, all the points from the various internal matches between the teams are added in a separate table, which then decides the teams placements relative to one another.
If teams receive the same amount of points after this, the goal difference in the internal matches is taken into consideration. After that, the amount of goals scored is the decider.
⭐ Group games in the 2022 Ice Hockey World championship
Group A 2022 Ice Hockey World championship
Group A will be playing their 2022 matches in the Hartwall Arena, also known as Helsinki Arena in Helsinki. This arena has several times earlier hosted world championship matches, the latest being 2012 and 2013, when Finland co-hosted the championship together with Sweden. Apart from matches during the group games, two of the quarter finals will be played hereer spelas här.
Group A looks at an initial glance to be the weaker of the groups, as only two of the really great hockey-nations are included here. Here is a quick rundown of the group A teams in the 2022 Ice Hockey World championship .
Canada
Canada had a shaky start in the 2021 championship, where they, among other things, lost to Latvia in the premier. Canadas fate in the tournament was decided in the last match of the group games, and Canada advanced as the last nation to the quarter finals. But once there, Canada proved themselves as the victory machine we are used to seeing in a championship. The result was that they went all the way to the gold in 2021, after defeating Finland in the final. Canada enters the 2022 world championship as one of the favorites, and it is quite possible that they will be able to defend their championship gold
Russia
Russia arrived to the 2021 world championship as the big favorite. Russia had managed to get several NHL-stars released to their team, and much pointed to Russia going very far in the tournament, even if not all the way to the gold. They won group A and thus met Canada in the quarte finals of the championship. A giant of a match, where Russia stepped on the ice as great favorites due to Canadas initial poor performance in the championship. However, Russia ended up losing and had to leave the championship in the quarter final, which was considered a huge fiasco back home in Russia. So in the 2022 world championship , we will see a Russian team hellbent on revenge stepping out on the ice in Finland.
Germany
Ice hockey is a fast growing sport in Germany, and the Germans have begun developing NHL-talents at a faster pace than ever. They are establishing themselves among the top-nations in ice hockey, and may very well one day beat even the best teams. Germany has shown during the latest championships that they have what it takes to go far in the tournament. In 2019, they left in the quarter finals, and in 2021 they lost the semi final against Finland 2-1, before the USA proved too strong in the bronze match, leaving Germany in fourth place. How well Germany will do in 2022 is hard to say, and is very much dependent on which players they will be able to have released from the NHL. But if Germany can gather their greatest players, they may go far in 2022
Switzerland
A nation of mixed abilities that gives a lot. In some games, Switzerland plays fun and action-packed ice hockey, while in the next they appear as a completely different team that can basically lose against any and all nations in the world championship . Far too uneven to be considered real contenders. It feels as though the Swiss players are somehow complacent and their star players don’t take the responsibility one can demand from them.
Slovakia
Slovakia is not what it once was, now being a nation that is always hanging by a thread to move on from the group games. In the 2021 world championship they did precisely that however, at a cost to the Swedish team. However, in the playoffs their adventure ended in the quarter finals. They probably won’t get much better than that in the next few years.
Denmark
Denmark had a surprisingly good world championship in 2021. It wasn’t enough to take them to the playoffs, but they did emerge victorious against nations that ostensibly are stronger. The most remarkable victory was against Sweden, as this was the first time Denmark had ever beaten Sweden. It clearly showed that ice hockey in Denmark is headed in the right direction, and that there is something exciting there to build on. The question is how far that will take them in the 2022 world championship .
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan were newcomers in division A in the 2021 world championship , and even ranked as the bottom team in their group. But Kazakhstan disproved many critics by winning several matches against Finland and Germany among others. These victories were not enough to take them to the playoffs, however, but Kazakhstan did prove that they definitely do belong in the A division of the world championship.
Italy
Italy was the punching bag of the 2021 world championship. They can count themselves lucky that no nation fell out of the top division in the world championship, as they would have been at risk of being sent off. Italy will also have a tough time in the 2022 world championship, and will probably have to fight hard to stay in the A division.
Group B 2022 Ice Hockey World championship
Group B, which includes Sweden, will play their matches in the Tampere Deck Arena in Tampere, also considered the main arena during the tournament. The arena is brand new, and this will be the first major championship to be held there. This is where the majority of the playoff games will take place. Two quarte finals as well as both semi finals the matches for the medals will be held here.
Group B appears to be the tougher of the two groups, and it’s difficult to say what the table will look like at the end of the group games. Here is a quick rundown of the group B teams in the 2022 Ice Hockey World championship.
Finland
Swedens neghbour in the east arrived at the 2021 world championship as reigning champions and very nearly defended their title. Instead however, they lost the final against Canada in extra time, and Finland had to go home with a silver medal. Finland will arrive at the 2022 world championship as one of the big favorites to win the whole championship. Particularly as they have the added advantage of the 2022 world championship being played in Finland.
USA
The USA sent an apparently relatively weak team to the 2021 world championship. Despite that, the USA went all the way to the semi final, where they lost to archenemy Canada. They then won the match for the bronze and were able to take that medal home. The USA will definitely be sending a much stronger team to the 2022 world championship, and will in all likelihood be in the fight for the top positions.
The Czech Republic
The Czech Republic are somewhat in the same seat as Switzerland. One never really knows with the Czech Republic, and dazzling efforts can be followed by lousy ones from them. A nation that often qualifies for the playoffs, but are usually booted in the quarte finals. It remains to be seen if the Czech Republic can beat their way forward in the 2022 world championship, or if this championship will be another mediocre one for them.
Sweden
Sweden were, quite frankly, lousy in the 2021 world championship. They didn’t even move on from the group games, which in itself is quite an accomplishment that has almost never happened to a Swedish national team. Considering their performance in the 2021 world championship, the pressure will be on the Swedish team to perform well during the 2022 world championship. Particularly as the world championship is held in neighboring Finland, and many Swedish supporters will be there watching in person.
Latvia
Ice hockey is continuously moving forward in Latvia, but they have a ways to go before they can measure up to the biggest nations. However, if Latvia can gather their top players and get a good team together for the 2022 world championship, they can absolutely be contenders for the playoffs.
Norway
Norway made good efforts in the 2021 world championship. But in the 2022 world championship , when the bigger nations will arrive with considerably stronger teams, Norway will have a hard time measuring up. They will probably have to aim just to avoid bottom placement in the group.
Belarus
Belarus beat Sweden in a huge victory in the 2021 world championship , but apart from that, not much went well for Belarus. On paper they have a decent team that is supposed to be better than many other nations in division A. It is rare however, that Belarus are able to get their team organized when push comes to shove, and, in order to have a good 2022 world championship , all the pieces of the team puzzle must fit completely.
Great Britain
Great Britain took their first victory in division A in 2021 when they beat Belarus 4-3. They also pushed Denmark into overtime, and overall had a good championship for Great Britain. The question is how that nation will measure up in the 2022 world championship , when the bigger nations will arrive with stronger teams. Can Great Britain continue to hit some points here and there, or will they have to aim just to defend their A-division position?
How the groups for the ice hockey world championship are formed
Before the world championship , the teams are placed in the two groups. This is not done through a draw, only through the placement of the teams in the world rankings, that are presented at the end of the previous season. The points in the world rankings are based on the performance of the teams during the last world championships, as well as the latest Olympic games.
The last tournament played has the biggest impact on the rankings, and ahead of this years world championship it is the results of the world championships of 2021, 2019, 2018, 2017 as well as the 2018 Olympics that decide their rankings.
Sweden landed in seventh place on the list this time, which is three places lower than the year before. A lot of this was dependent on the result of the 2021 championship, where they, for the first time ever, missed out on the playoffs. This means the team has been placed in a somewhat more difficult group than before.
This is what the top 20 looked like in the 2021 world rankings:
1. Canada 2. Finland 3. Russia 4. USA 5. Germany 6. The Czech Republic 7. Sweden 8. Switzerland 9. Slovakia 10. Latvia 11. Norway 12. Denmark 13. Kazakhstan 14. Belarus 15. France* 16. Great Britain 17. Italy 18. Austria* 19. South Korea* 20. Slovenia*
* France, Austria, South Korea and Slovenia all play in the lower division of the world championship and thus have the chance to climb to the highest division.
How is the Ice Hockey World championship played?
The world championship in ice hockey begins with the 16 teams taking part in the group games, where the teams are divided into two groups with eight teams in each. All teams within each group play each other, and when these games are finished the four top teams from each group advance to the playoffs. This is where it’s go big or go home in every match on the road to the world championship grand finale.
Which teams will reach the World championship playoffs?
When all the group games are finished, it is the four top teams in each group that move on the final part of the tournament.