Tag: IIHF Worlds

Trailblazer Retires: Pierre-Édouard Bellemare Hangs Up Skates After Historic Career

June 21, 2026 /

Pierre-Édouard Bellemare, the trailblazing French forward whose decade-long NHL career helped pave the way for future generations of French hockey players, has officially announced his retirement at age 41.

Over the course of 10 seasons in the NHL, Bellemare became a fixture of defensive consistency and versatility. He appeared in 700 regular-season games—the most by any French-born player in NHL history—registering 138 points (64 goals, 74 assists). Known for his relentless work ethic and value as a bottom-six forward, he played for five different franchises: the Philadelphia Flyers, Vegas Golden Knights, Colorado Avalanche, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Seattle Kraken.

700 NHL games. A pioneer Pierre-Édouard Bellemare retires has a Kraken and French Icon.

Beyond his NHL contributions, Bellemare remained a fiercely loyal leader for the French national team. His international resume is distinguished by his longevity and commitment, having represented France in 12 IIHF World Championships. He capped off his storied career in early 2026 by serving as captain for Team France during his first and only appearance at the Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina.

Bellemare’s legacy extends far beyond the stat sheet. As a pioneer for French hockey, he proved that a player from a non-traditional hockey market could not only reach the highest level of the sport but thrive there for a decade. He concludes his playing days having left an indelible mark on both the North American professional landscape and the program of his home nation.

Restructuring the IIHF World Championship: The 2027-2028 Format

June 2, 2026 /

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.

2026 IIHF Men’s World Championship: Medal Round Report

May 31, 2026 /

The 2026 IIHF Men’s World Championship concluded on May 31, 2026, in Zurich, Switzerland, culminating in a historic final day of competition. Below is the comprehensive game report for the medal rounds.

Gold Medal Game:

Finland 🇫🇮 vs. Switzerland 🇨🇭

In a high-stakes, defensive showdown at the Swiss Life Arena, Finland defeated host nation Switzerland 1–0 in overtime to claim their fifth gold medal in tournament history.

  • Game Summary: Regulation play was an intense goaltending battle, with neither side able to break the deadlock through 60 minutes. The tie was finally shattered at 10:42 of the first overtime period when Konsta Helenius scored the championship-clinching goal.

  • Star Performers: Finnish goaltender Justus Annunen delivered a shutout performance, stopping all 22 shots faced. Switzerland’s Leonardo Genoni was equally impressive, turning aside 26 of 27 shots in a hard-fought defeat.

Bronze Medal Game:

Norway 🇳🇴 vs. Canada 🇨🇦

In one of the most significant upsets in international hockey, Norway secured a 3–2 overtime victory against Canada, earning the first medal in their nation’s tournament history.

  • Game Summary: Canada struggled offensively until the final minutes of regulation, when Robert Thomas ignited a comeback by scoring twice with the extra attacker. His second goal, coming with only seven seconds remaining, forced overtime.

  • The Deciding Goal: Despite the momentum shift, Norway regrouped in the extra frame, securing the win at 3:32 of overtime courtesy of Noah Steen.

2026 Media All-Star Team

PositionPlayerTeam
GoalkeeperLeonardo GenoniSwitzerland 🇨🇭
DefenderRoman JosiSwitzerland 🇨🇭
DefenderHenri JokiharjuFinland 🇫🇮
ForwardMacklin CelebriniCanada 🇨🇦
ForwardSven AndrighettoSwitzerland 🇨🇭
ForwardAleksander BarkovFinland 🇫🇮

Tournament Directorate Awards

In addition to the Media All-Star selections, the IIHF tournament directorate named their own picks for the best players by position:

  • Best Goalkeeper: Henrik Haukeland (Norway)

  • Best Defender: Roman Josi (Switzerland)

  • Best Forward: Macklin Celebrini (Canada)

  • Tournament MVP: Roman Josi (Switzerland)

It is worth noting that Macklin Celebrini was the only player selected for the Media All-Star Team who did not participate in the gold medal game, as Canada competed in and lost the bronze medal match.

Final Podium Summary

MedalNation
GoldFinland 🇫🇮
SilverSwitzerland 🇨🇭
BronzeNorway 🇳🇴

Quick Note

Growing up in Canada I was a huge hockey fan, but it wasn't until the 1972 summit series and the 1976 Canada Cup that I became a big fan of international hockey. The best players in world all playing on a sheet of ice. over the years Ice Hockey as grown and is still growing all over the world. On this website you find Video Hi-lites of International Games, Ice hockey News, National Team Records, All Time Results, Scores, Schedule to upcoming games and all International Tournaments from around the world.

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