Ostrava 2019: Schedule announced
World Championships to feature quarter finals for first time 25 Mar 2019The competition schedule has been revealed for April’s 2019 World Para Ice Hockey Championships in Ostrava, Czech Republic.
Ostrava 2019 will take place from 27 April – 4 May and will feature the top eight teams from around the world. Under a format that follows the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) advisor-recommended and the Women’s Under-18 World Championships, the schedule places the top four teams in Group A; and the next world ranked teams in Group B.
Reigning world champions Canada head Group A, and they will battle with PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic champions USA; PyeongChang 2018 bronze medallists South Korea; and Norway in the preliminary rounds.
Group B will see PyeongChang 2018 fourth-place finishers Italy leading the way; along with Sweden, hosts Czech Republic and Japan.
The top two finishers from Group A head directly to the semi-finals.
Also new in 2019 will be the addition of a quarter final match; the third place finisher from Group A will face the second-place finisher from Group B, while the other quarter final game will pit Group A’s fourth-place team against Group B’s top finisher.
The new format gives the best six teams an equal chance to compete in the quarter finals; and it also groups teams by strength to lessen the discrepancy in goals scored.
The 2019 World Para Ice Hockey Championships schedule is as follows:
Saturday, 27 April
ITA vs. SWE
KOR vs. NOR
CZE vs. JPN
CAN vs. USA
Sunday, 28 April
JPN vs. ITA
NOR vs. CAN
USA vs. KOR
SWE vs. CZE
Monday, 29 April
OFF
Tuesday, 30 April (Last day of preliminaries)
SWE vs. JPN
CAN vs. KOR
USA vs. NOR
ITA vs. CZE
Wednesday, 1 May (7th/8th place, and quarter finals)
Group B 3rd place vs. Group B 4th place
Group A 3rd place vs. Group B 2nd place
Group A 4th place vs. Group B 1st place
Thursday, 2 May
OFF
Friday, 3 May (5th/6th place, and semi-finals)
Loser (A3 vs B2) vs. Loser (A4 vs. B1)
Group A 2nd place vs. Winner (A3 vs. B2)
Group A 1st place vs. Winner (A4 vs. B1)
Saturday, 4 May
Gold and bronze medal games