Gangneung to host 2017 World Para Ice Hockey Champs

World Para Ice Hockey has announced that Gangneung, South Korea, will host the 2017 World Championships A-Pool between 11-20 April, which will also act as the Test Event for the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games.

The competition will see the top five teams qualify for PyeongChang 2018, with the rest going on to the Qualification Tournament later in 2017.

World and Paralympic champions the USA, Worlds silver medallists Canada, Norway, Italy, Germany, South Korea and Sweden are amongst the teams expected to compete. Russia, who finished with bronze at the 2015 Worlds, is not eligible to compete due to the suspension of the Russian Paralympic Committee.

“We are confident that the athletes will relish the opportunity to play in Gangneung in advance of the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games.”

Barbora Kohoutova, Interim World Para Ice Hockey Manager, said: “The World Championships A-Pool are the jewel in the crown of the sport’s calendar outside of the Paralympic Winter Games.

“Gangneung 2017 will have added significance as teams bid to return to the same venue just under one year later for PyeongChang 2018. We can expect the competition to be fierce and for all players to arrive determined to challenge for the podium.

“I am looking forward to working with the PyeongChang 2018 Organising Committee on this unique dress rehearsal and would like to thank them for hosting us on this important occasion.

“Although we only publically announcing this event now, competing teams have known about it for quite a while and therefore we expect them to be on the top of their game.”

Inkyu Park, Director of Sport at the PyeongChang Organising Committee for the 2018 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games, said: “We are delighted to be hosting such a high-level event to promote the Paralympic Movement and showcase the best athletes in the world. It is also a great opportunity to test the operations of the Para ice hockey venue and provide valuable experience to the staff.

“We are confident that the athletes will relish the opportunity to play in Gangneung in advance of the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games.”

All games will be played at the 10,000 capacity Gangneung Hockey Centre, newly refurbished for the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

The competition will allow the venue to be fully tested, including facilities and media services.

The top five finishers from the World Championships A-Pool will directly qualify for PyeongChang 2018 whilst the bottom two teams will compete at the Qualification Tournament.

At the 2015 World Championships A-Pool in Buffalo, hosts USA beat Canada 3-0 to claim a record third world title. Josh Pauls was named Best Defenceman as the USA recorded four shut-outs, their most ever at a Worlds A-Pool.

Russia took a 2-1 win over Norway in the bronze medal game.