Following the system changes announced at the IIHF Annual Congress in Zurich for the 2026-2027 season, the International Ice Hockey Federation is implementing a major structural overhaul for the 2027-2028 season in the lower divisions.

The most significant change is the merger of Division I/A and Division I/B. Division I will now function as a single, unified tier. The tournament will be organized into four groups (A, B, C, and D), hosted across two cities.

IIHF restructures world Championship lower divisions

Competition Structure

  • Unique Cross-Group Play: Teams will not face opponents from their own group. Instead, teams in Group A will play the three teams in Group B, while teams in Group C will play the three teams in Group D.

  • Standings: Despite playing opponents from a different group, rankings will be calculated based on the results within each specific group (A, B, C, and D).

  • Playoffs: The top two teams from each group will advance to semifinals (A1 vs. A2, B1 vs. B2, C1 vs. C2, and D1 vs. D2).

  • Promotion: The winners of the two gold-medal finals will earn promotion to the elite tier.

  • Relegation: The third-placed teams will face off in a double-leg format (A3 vs. B3 and C3 vs. D3). The results will be combined into a four-team general ranking, with the bottom-ranked team relegated to Division II/A.

How the New Format Works: An Example

To visualize this, imagine Group A (Team 1, Team 2, Team 3) and Group B (Team 4, Team 5, Team 6).

  1. The Matches:

    • Team 1 plays Team 4, Team 5, and Team 6.

    • Team 2 plays Team 4, Team 5, and Team 6.

    • Team 3 plays Team 4, Team 5, and Team 6.

    • Note: Team 1 never plays Team 2 or Team 3 during the group stage.

  2. The Standings:

    • Group A standings are calculated solely based on how Teams 1, 2, and 3 performed in their matches against Teams 4, 5, and 6.

    • If Team 1 earns 7 points and Team 2 earns 6 points, Team 1 takes the top spot in Group A, and Team 2 takes second.

  3. Advancing:

    • Team 1 (A1) would then face the second-place team from Group A (A2/Team 2) in the semifinal.

    • The winners of these semifinals move to the gold-medal games to fight for promotion to the elite tier.

  4. Relegation Battle:

    • If Team 3 (A3) finishes last in Group A, they will play a two-game series against the third-place team from Group B (B3). This series helps determine who ends up in the “bottom four” ranking that decides which nation is relegated to Division II/A.