Schedule and tickets released for Buffalo 2015

Tickets are available for as little as USD 5, with the opening day featuring a replay of the final from Sochi 2014 between the hosts US and Russia. 13 Feb 2015

The HARBORCENTER in Buffalo, New York, USA, will host the 2015 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships.

ⒸIPC

By IPC

The schedule for the 2015 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships, which will take place from 26 April – 3 May 2015, at the HARBORCENTER in Buffalo, New York, USA, was announced today and tickets are on sale now.

Buffalo 2015 will feature eight of the world's best sled hockey teams. Group A will consist of the defending champion Canada, Czech Republic, Norway and Japan. The US will face Italy, Germany and Russia in Group B.

All eight teams begin play on Sunday, 26 April, highlighted by a rematch between the US and Russia, who have met in the Championships game in the last two major international tournaments. The US defeated Russia, 2-1 in overtime to win the 2015 World Sled Hockey Challenge title and 1-0 to claim the gold medal at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games.

On the same day, Canada will face Japan in a replay of the Vancouver 2010 semi-final, where Japan secured a shock defeat over the hosts before going on to win silver.

At the last World Championships A-Pool in Goyang, South Korea, in 2013, Canada posted their own historic victory, beating the USA for their third world title - the most ever for any ice sledge hockey team - finishing the tournament with an undefeated 5-0 record.

In the bronze-medal game, Russia toppled the Czech Republic, 3-0, to make the podium at their first World Championships A-Pool.

Crucially at Buffalo 2015, Thursday’s (30 April) play-offs will also see two teams relegated to the B-Pool for 2016-17.

Each team will play three preliminary-round contests and the tournament will culminate with the bronze and gold-medal games on Sunday, 3 May. For a complete tournament schedule, please visit Buffalo2015.com.

Tickets for the tournament are available at the First Niagara Centre box office and tickets.com or by calling 001 716.855.4444. Individual tickets start at USD 5 and are also available as tournament passes (all-inclusive).