GOLD MEDAL DEFENSE BEGINS: CZECH ICE HOCKEY TEAM HEADS TO HERNING WITH NHL STARS

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May 9, 2025

Ice Hockey World Championship 2025 

Herning, Denmark and Stockholm, Sweden

On Thursday, May 9, 2025, the hockey celebration begins in Sweden and Denmark with the Ice Hockey World Championship. The Czech national team enters the tournament as the defending gold medalist from last year's home championship in Prague and heads to Herning with an offensively loaded roster including NHL stars David Pastrňák and Martin Nečas.

The tournament will take place in two countries – some games will be hosted in Stockholm, Sweden (Avicii Arena) and others in Herning, Denmark (Jyske Bank Boxen). The Czech Republic has been placed in Group B in Herning, where they will face Switzerland, USA, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Kazakhstan, and Hungary.

Stockholm's Avicii Arena will host Group A with the home team Sweden, Finland, Canada, Slovakia, Latvia, Austria, France, and Slovenia. The tournament format remains the same as in previous years – the top four teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals, where they will face opponents from the other group in a cross-match format.

After last year's golden triumph in Prague, the Czech team heads to the championship with a clear goal – to defend the title. Coach Radim Rulík has assembled an offensively oriented selection, with NHL stars expected to be the main driving force. "Having players of Pastrňák's and Nečas's caliber in the team is a huge advantage," says coach Rulík. "Both are among the best hockey players in the world, and their presence gives the entire team confidence."

According to available information, the Czech national team is in high spirits during training, and it seems that the chemistry in the locker room works perfectly. This was one of the key factors during last year's golden journey when the national team stood at the top of world hockey again after a 19-year wait.

The organizers have introduced the mascot for the 2025 World Championship, named Beaty. It's a character with a heart-shaped face and pink cheeks, whose fur combines the colors of the Swedish and Danish flags, symbolizing the cooperation between the two host countries.

The Czech ice hockey team builds on a rich history that includes a total of twelve gold medals - six from the Czechoslovak era (1947, 1949, 1972, 1976, 1977, 1985) and six since the establishment of the independent Czech Republic (1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2024).

Herning is not an unfamiliar place for Czech hockey. The World Championship was already held here in 2018, though the gold medals were taken by the home Swedes at that time. Jyske Bank Boxen is a modern arena with a capacity of over 11,000 spectators, and a vibrant atmosphere can be expected, especially during games of the home Danish team.

The Czech team starts its tournament campaign on Friday, May 9, when they face Switzerland. Czech Television will broadcast all national team games live.

Photo: source XYZ 

We thank the IIHF for providing tournament information.