Tuesday, July 5, 2011

World U20 schedule official

Press Release

ZURICH-CALGARY: The IIHF, along with Hockey Canada, announced Tuesday the final schedule for the 2012 IIHF Ice Hockey World U20 Championship in Calgary and Edmonton, Canada, December 26, 2011 – January 5, 2012.

Scroll down for schedule.

The two Preliminary Round groups were set based on the 2011 World U20 Championship in Buffalo/Niagara, USA.

Group A, hosted in Calgary, features the defending gold medallists from Russia along with Latvia, Slovakia, Sweden and Switzerland.

Group B, hosted in Edmonton, will feature Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland and the United States.

Host Canada will open its Group B schedule against Finland on Monday, December 26 at the 16,839-seat Rexall Place in Edmonton, while defending World U20 champion Russia begins its quest for a repeat against Switzerland at the 19,289-seat Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary on the same day.

All Playoff and Relegation games will be played in Calgary.

It will be the first time the prime international event for junior hockey in the world will be played in two NHL arenas. The tournament attendance record from 2009 in Ottawa, Canada with 453,282 spectators (per game average 14,622) is expected to be beaten.

The championship started in 1977. This will be the 36th edition.

The Preliminary Round schedule includes these highlights:

A Canada - United States New Year’s Eve match-up in Edmonton on December 31, 2011
A rematch of the Russia - Sweden semifinal from the 2011 World U20 Championship in Buffalo, on December 31 in Calgary (Russia came from behind to tie the game and then won the game in overtime to advance to the gold medal game against Canada)
A rivalry game between Russia and Latvia on December 29 in Calgary.

The 2012 IIHF Ice Hockey World U20 Championship will mark the tenth time that Canada has hosted the event. Past Canadian host cities include Regina/Saskatoon (2010), Ottawa (2009), Vancouver/Kamloops/Kelowna (2006), Halifax/Sydney (2003), Winnipeg (1999), Red Deer (1995), Saskatoon (1991), Hamilton (1986) and Montreal (1978).

Canada leads the all-time standings with 15 gold medals, while Soviet Union/Russia has 13. Canada has been to ten consecutive gold medal games, winning five-in-a-row 2005-2009. They lost the 2010 and 2011 finals to the United States and Russia respectively.

Go to www.hockeycanada.ca for ticket and host organizer information.

Number in bracket denotes ranking, i.e. placing in the 2011 championship.

Group A, Calgary
RUS(1), SWE(4), SUI(5), SVK(8), LAT(9, newly promoted)

Group B, Edmonton
Can(2), USA(3), FIN(4), CZE (7), DEN(10, newly promoted)

Preliminary Round *All times listed are local Mountain Time (-8 CET)

December 26
FIN – CAN -- Edmonton -- 13:30
LAT – SWE -- Calgary -- 15:30
DEN – USA -- Edmonton -- 18:00
SUI – RUS -- Calgary -- 20:00

December 27
CZE – DEN -- Edmonton -- 18:00
SVK – LAT -- Calgary -- 20:00

December 28
USA – FIN -- Edmonton -- 13:30
SWE – SUI -- Calgary -- 15:30
CAN – CZE -- Edmonton -- 18:00
RUS – SVK -- Calgary -- 20:00

December 29
DEN – CAN -- Edmonton -- 18:00
LAT – RUS -- Calgary -- 20:00

December 30
USA – CZE -- Edmonton -- 13:30
SWE - SVK -- Calgary -- 15:30
FIN – DEN -- Edmonton -- 18:00
SUI – LAT -- Calgary -- 20:00

December 31
CZE – FIN -- Edmonton -- 14:00
SVK - SUI -- Calgary -- 16:00
CAN – USA -- Edmonton -- 18:00
RUS – SWE -- Calgary -- 20:00

January 1
Day Off: Teams Transfer to Calgary

January 2
Relegation: A4–B5 -- Calgary -- 11:00
QF1: A2-B3 -- Calgary -- 15:00
QF2: B2–A3 -- Calgary -- 19:00

January 3
Relegation: B4–A5 -- Calgary -- 11:00
SF1: B1–W(A2-B3) -- Calgary -- 15:00
SF2: A1–W(B2-A3) -- Calgary -- 19:00

January 4
Relegation: B5–A5 -- Calgary -- 11:00
Relegation: A4–B4 -- Calgary -- 15:00
5th Place: L(A2-B3)-L(B2-A3) -- Calgary -- 19:00

January 5
Bronze: L(G25)–L(G26) -- Calgary -- 13:30
Gold: W(G25)–W(G26) -- Calgary -- 18:00


Notes to Schedule
1. With qualification for a Quarter Final (position B2 or B3), Canada shall play at the 19:00 (QF#2 – Game#23)
2. With qualification for a Semi Final (B1 or winner of game #23), Canada shall play at 19:00 (SF2 – Game #26)
3. If Canada receives a bye (as position B1) to SF2 (Game #26), then A2-B3 will remain as QF1 (Game #22) to allow for equal rest for teams prior to the Semi Final Round
4. All TV games shall commence 8 minutes after the published times (i.e 18:00 =18:08 puck drop)


(Nathan can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)

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