The SIHF Executive Committe approved today the preliminary group allocation during the 2011 IIHF World Championship in Slovakia. Put simply, it is clear which countries will fight their way to qualification in Bratislava and Košice. The decision was made after negotiations of the Slovak Ice Hockey Federation with IIHF representatives, the IIHF marketing partner Infront Sports & Media and the TV companies. Following these negotiations, Group A and Group D will play in Bratislava (Ondrej Nepela Arena), while the Group B and Group C will play their preliminary group games in Košice (Steel Arena).
Czech Republic – current world champion – as well as Russia and Slovakia – the home team – will show their hockey magic in the Bratislava’s Ondrej Nepela Arena. Steel Arena in Košice will host the top world hockey teams of Canada and USA, as well as 2010 bronze medalists from Sweden.
Bratislava Preliminary Groups
| Group A | Group B |
| Russia | Finland |
| Slovakia | Czech Republic |
| Germany | Latvia |
| Slovenia | Denmark |
Košice Preliminary Groups
| Group C | Group D |
| Canada | Sweden |
| Switzerland | USA |
| Belarus | Norway |
| France | Austria |
The grouping of the 2011 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship was decided on the basis of the IIHF World Ranking after the recently finished 2010 World Championship in Germany.
Zdroj: IIHF
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