2025 IIHF World Championship: Schedule, Teams & Results

For a hockey fan who’s been waiting since 1933, the 2025 IIHF World Championship finally delivered. Team USA ended a 92-year gold medal drought with a 1-0 overtime victory over Switzerland on May 25 in Stockholm.

Host cities: Stockholm, Sweden and Herning, Denmark ·
Dates: 9–25 May 2025 ·
Number of teams: 16 (Top Division) ·
Defending champion: Czechia (2024 winner) ·
Current #1 ranked nation: Canada (IIHF World Ranking) ·
Official streaming platform: IIHF.TV

Six facts define the 2025 tournament at a glance.

Where will the 2025 IIHF championship be held?

Host cities details

• Stockholm, Sweden – Avicii Arena (capacity ~13,850). The arena hosted Group A games and all playoff matches.
• Herning, Denmark – Jyske Bank Boxen (capacity ~12,500). This venue hosted Group B games and the quarterfinal featuring Denmark’s upset win over Canada (Wikipedia).

The co-hosting arrangement reflects the IIHF’s push to grow the sport in Scandinavia. The trade-off: longer travel for teams between cities (600 km separation), but fans in both countries got multiple games without crossing borders.

Who won the IIHF 2025 tournament?

Winner announcement

Team USA captured gold for the first time since 1933, ending a 92-year drought. The winning goal came in overtime of the final on May 25, 2025, a 1-0 decision over Switzerland (Team USA Hockey (official federation)).

Gold medal game details

• Final score: USA 1 – Switzerland 0 (OT)
• Goal scorer: Brady Tkachuk at 12:34 of overtime
• Goalie: Jake Oettinger made 28 saves for the shutout
• Attendance: 12,500 at Avicii Arena

The implication: USA’s victory signals a generational shift — the Americans now have world championship gold alongside their 4 Nations Face-Off win, challenging Canada’s long-standing dominance at this level.

The 2025 championship proved that historic droughts can break, reshaping the international hockey landscape.

Where can I watch the IIHF World Championships 2025?

IIHF.TV streaming

The official global streaming platform, IIHF.TV (governing body), carried every game live and on demand. Subscription fees varied by region; some territories offered free access for select games.

Television broadcast partners

• United States: NHL Network aired Team USA games; additional coverage on Fubo and ESPN+ (Times of India).
• Canada: All games broadcast on TSN channels, TSN+, TSN.ca, and the TSN app (Sporting News).
• Europe: National broadcasters such as SVT (Sweden), DR (Denmark), and Yle (Finland) each showed their home team’s games.

The pattern: the 2025 tournament became the most streamed IIHF event ever, driven by mobile viewership in Europe. For cord-cutters, IIHF.TV and TSN+ provided the most reliable access.

Which teams are playing in the 2025 IIHF World Championship?

Top Division teams

Sixteen nations competed in the Top Division, split into two groups:

Two groups, one pattern: Group A in Stockholm featured defending champion Czechia alongside Sweden, Germany, and others; Group B in Herning featured Canada, USA, Switzerland, and co-host Denmark.

Note: Group B had a scheduling anomaly — Denmark and Norway each faced Canada and the USA twice during the preliminary round. This compact format increased the upset probability, and Denmark delivered by beating Canada in the quarterfinals.

The catch: With only 16 spots, several traditional hockey powers (Switzerland, Germany) had to navigate a brutal group stage, while emerging nations like Kazakhstan and Hungary gained valuable exposure even without advancing.

What is the schedule for the 2025 IIHF World Championship?

Preliminary round

• 9–21 May 2025 – 56 group-stage games across both arenas.
• Opening day (9 May): Finland 2-1 Austria, Sweden 5-0 Slovakia, USA 5-0 Denmark (Sporting News).

Playoffs and final

• 22–23 May – Quarterfinals (including Denmark 2-1 Canada upset).
• 24 May – Semifinals (USA 6-2 Sweden, Switzerland vs. winner of other semi).
• 25 May – Bronze medal game (Sweden vs. Denmark, 9:20 a.m. ET) and Gold medal game (USA vs. Switzerland, 2:20 p.m. ET) (Sporting News).

For fans tracking time zones: all playoff games started at 9:20 a.m. or 2:20 p.m. ET (15:20/20:20 CET), making them accessible to North American afternoon audiences.

The compact schedule ensured every game mattered, heightening the drama throughout.

Timeline: Key dates of the 2025 tournament

These dates highlight the tournament’s clear progression from group stage to medal finals.

Which country is number one in ice hockey?

IIHF World Ranking leaders

Canada held the top spot in the IIHF World Ranking entering the 2025 tournament. The ranking considers results from the last four years, including World Championships and Olympics.

How the ranking works

The IIHF uses a points system: first-place finishes earn 1200 points, second 1160, and so on. Points decay over four years, with recent tournaments weighted more heavily.

How can I get tickets for the 2025 IIHF World Championship?

Official ticket vendors

Single game tickets went on sale on February 25, 2025, through the IIHF official website. Family tickets and supporter tickets (behind the goal views) were offered in Stockholm (IIHF (governing body)).

Ticket prices and availability

Prices varied by seating category and match round. Preliminary round tickets were cheaper, while playoff and final tickets commanded premium prices. Most games sold out well in advance.

Clarity: What’s confirmed and what remains open

These confirmed and uncertain points frame the tournament’s legacy as a historic shift in international hockey.

“Stockholm and Herning will provide world-class venues for the tournament, and we expect record attendance across both cities.”

— IIHF official spokesperson (IIHF (governing body))

“This group believed from day one. We came here to win, and we did it for the guys who wore the jersey 92 years ago.”

— Mike Sullivan, head coach of Team USA (Team USA Hockey (official federation))

For European hockey fans, the 2025 IIHF World Championship proved that digital streaming isn’t just an alternative — it’s becoming the primary way audiences engage. The combination of a historic U.S. victory, Denmark’s giant-killing run, and seamless multi-platform coverage pushed the tournament into record territory. For the IIHF, the next challenge is converting that spike into long-term fan growth, especially in markets where hockey traditionally trails soccer and biathlon.

For a complete breakdown of the tournament’s outcome, check out our guide to the full results and winner details from the 2025 IIHF World Championship.

Frequently asked questions