Ice Hockey World Championship: Slovakia a dark horse

In 2011, Slovakia is looking forward to a sporting event of a very special kind. The Ice Hockey World Championship will be a real highlight for Slovaks who love winter sports. As with the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, this sporting event could also become a real triumph for the small nation. As hosts of the tournament, Slovakia is already on the winning side. Fans from all nations can expect a warm welcome in the host country. Slovakia has plenty of experience in this area as a winter sports destination. However, the 2011 Ice Hockey World Championship will not take place during the usual winter sports season; instead, its games will be held between April 29 and May 15, 2011. The host cities are Bratislava and Košice.

The Slovaks have been looking forward to hosting the World Championship tournament ever since May 2006. At the event to award the hosting rights in Riga, Latvia, the young nation beat the other bidders, Sweden and Hungary, decisively with 70 votes, after Finland withdrew its bid at short notice. This event is a source of excitement for the country and its people. Czechoslovakia hosted an Ice Hockey World Championship tournament back in 1992, and Slovakia most recently became world champion in 2002. The conditions for the 2011 games could hardly be better, and the enthusiasm mentioned above should fill the stands.

Last year in Germany, we saw how such a tournament can be a defining moment for the host country. The underdogs impressed and even made it unexpectedly to the semifinals. The nation was swept up in a genuine ice hockey craze. Whether Slovakia will have a similar experience remains to be seen. After all, the Eastern Europeans are no strangers to the ice. The former world champions should certainly be considered serious contenders, especially on home ice and in front of their own fans. The group stage already promises excitement. Among the teams are 14 European nations, as well as the two North American ice hockey giants, the USA and Canada.

Group A features Slovakia, Germany, Slovenia and favorites Russia. After the games, at least one nation will have to pack its bags. Experts expect Russia and the host nation to advance comfortably to the next round. Although Germany is ranked ninth in the world, a full 10 places ahead of Slovenia, the matchup between the two will likely determine who advances. All the games in this group will be played in Bratislava.

Group B is similarly clearly divided into favorites and underdogs, with Canada, Belarus, Switzerland and France. The Canadians should have little trouble getting through their games. Both France and Belarus will have to fight for a place in the next round in the Košice group. Preliminary-round Group C will also play there, featuring favorites Sweden and the USA, as well as Austria and Norway, who will likely compete against each other for a place in the next round. Group D will play its games in the capital. Finland, the Czech Republic, Latvia and Denmark will face off there. The Czech neighbors will also enjoy something of a home advantage, and they too have been world champions in the past.

After the preliminary round, the 12 best teams will face off in an intermediate round, divided into two groups of six. The two lowest-ranked teams in each group will be eliminated and will then have to play in a relegation round. The remaining eight qualify for a knockout competition featuring quarterfinals and semifinals. The highlight of the 2011 World Championship in Slovakia will, of course, be the final on May 15 at the Zimný štadión Ondreja Nepelu in
Bratislava.