Following the IIHF Annual Congress, held this week in Bratislava, the venues for the 2012 IIHF tournaments have now been announced. 2012 will feature the Olympic Pre-Qualification tournament for the Sochi Winter Olympics (2014) aswell as the World Championship tournaments.

Ice Hockey UK had bid to host the Mens Senior Tournament which see's the men playing in Division 1A. Two teams will be promoted from this division to Pool A, and two teams will drop from Pool A into this division under the new structure announced on 12th May. The Great Britain bid lost out to Slovenia by 15 votes to 10. The men will travel to Ljubljana for the tournament which will either be held at the Hala Tivoli (same as 2007 & 2010) or the newly built Arena Stozice. Hala Tivoli will be expanded and upgraded if it is chosen as the venue.

The GB Mens U20's who won Bronze at the 2011 World Championships travel to Germany for the 2012 Tournament. No venue has been announced for the tournament yet. This will need to be chosen prior to the Semi-Annual Congress in September.

The GB Men U18's will play in Division II A and travel to Heerenveenin Holland.

The GB Women will be hosting the 2012 tournament in Hull.

The GB Women U18 will have to wait until September to see if the Qualification tournament will be going ahead.

The 2014 Olympic Pre-Qualification Tournaments for Men and Women will take place on the 8-11 November 2012. Venues are yet to be announced for these tournaments. The winners of these tournaments will progresses to the Qualification Tournament in February 2013.

2012 IIHF World Championship Program

IIHF World Championship (Men)

2012 IIHF World Championship (POOL A)
Venues: Helsinki (Finland) & Stockholm (Sweden)
Dates: 4-20 May 2012
Groups to be determined on May 15 after the gold medal game.
Participants: Russia, Canada, Sweden, Czech Republic, Finland, USA, Switzerland, Slovakia, Germany, Belarus, Norway, Latvia, Denmark, France, Italy, Kazakhstan.

2012 IIHF World Championship Division I Group A
Venue: Ljubljana, Slovenia
Dates: 15-21 April 2012
Participants: Austria, Slovenia, Hungary, Great Britain, Japan, Ukraine

2012 IIHF World Championship Division I Group B
Venue: Krynica, Poland
Dates: 15-21 April 2012
Participants: Korea, Poland, Netherlands, Lithuania, Romania, Australia

2012 IIHF World Championship Division II Group A
Venue: Reykjavik, Iceland
Dates: 12-18 April 2012
Participants: Spain, Estonia, Croatia, New Zealand, Serbia, Iceland

2012 IIHF World Championship Division II Group B
Venue: Sofia, Bulgaria
Dates: 2-8 April 2012
Participants: Belgium, China, Mexico, Bulgaria, Israel, South Africa

2012 IIHF World Championship Division III
Venue: Erzurum, Turkey
Dates: 15-21 April 2012
Participants: DPR Korea, Ireland, Turkey, Luxembourg, Greece*, Mongolia*

* Note: Bosnia & Herzegovina and Chinese Taipei applied to enter the Division III. The fulfillment of the minimum standards for participation will be reviewed until the IIHF Semi-Annual Congress, 22-24 September, in Istanbul, Turkey. The admission of additional teams would make a Division III Qualification tournament with the two last-ranked teams seeded in Division III (Greece, Mongolia) necessary.

IIHF World U20 Championship

2012 IIHF World U20 Championship
Venue: Calgary & Edmonton, Canada
Dates: 26 December 2011 – 5 January 2012
Group A: Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Slovakia, Latvia
Group B: Canada, USA, Finland, Czech Republic, Denmark

2012 IIHF World U20 Championship Division I Group A
Venue: Germany (city TBA)
Dates: 11-17 December 2011
Participants: Norway, Germany, Slovenia, Belarus, Austria, Great Britain

2012 IIHF World U20 Championship Division I Group B
Venue: Tychy, Poland
Dates: 12-18 December 2011
Participants: Italy, Kazakhstan, Croatia, Japan, Poland, France

2012 IIHF World U20 Championship Division II Group A
Venue: Donetsk, Ukraine
Dates: 12-18 December 2011
Participants: Lithuania, Ukraine, Hungary, Netherlands, Korea, Spain

2012 IIHF World U20 Championship Division II Group B
Venue: Tallinn, Estonia
Dates: 10-16 December 2011
Participants: Romania, Belgium, Estonia, Australia, Mexico, Serbia

2012 IIHF World U20 Championship Division III
Venue: Dunedin, New Zealand
Dates: 29 December 2011 – 4 January 2012
Participants: Iceland, China, DPR Korea, Turkey, New Zealand*, Bulgaria*

* Note: Chinese Taipei applied to enter the U20 Division III. The fulfillment of the minimum standards for participation will be reviewed until the IIHF Semi-Annual Congress, 22-24 September, in Istanbul, Turkey. The admission of additional teams would make a Division III Qualification tournament with the two last-ranked teams seeded in Division III (New Zealand, Bulgaria) necessary.

IIHF World U18 Championship

2012 IIHF World U18 Championship
Venue: Switzerland or Denmark (TBC)
Dates: 12-22 April 2012 (if in Switzerland, TBC)
Group A: USA, Canada, Finland, Czech Republic, Denmark
Group B: Sweden, Russia, Germany, Switzerland, Latvia

2012 IIHF World U18 Championship Division I Group A
Venue: Piestany, Slovakia
Dates: 11-17 April 2012
Participants: Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia, Italy, Japan, France

2012 IIHF World U18 Championship Division I Group B
Venue: Hungary (city TBA)
Dates: 15-21 April 2012
Participants: Kazakhstan, Belarus, Hungary, Poland, Austria, Ukraine

2012 IIHF World U18 Championship Division II Group A
Venue: Heerenveen, Netherlands
Dates: 31 March - 6th April 2012
Participants: Great Britain, Korea, Romania, Netherlands, Croatia, Lithuania

2012 IIHF World U18 Championship Division II Group B
Venue: Novi Sad, Serbia
Dates: 17-23 March 2012
Participants: Spain, Estonia, China, Serbia, Australia, Iceland

2012 IIHF World U18 Championship Division III Group A
Venue: Sofia, Bulgaria
Dates: 12-18 March 2012
Participants: Belgium, New Zealand, Mexico, Chinese Taipei, Bulgaria, South Africa

2012 IIHF World U18 Championship Division III Group B
Venue: Erzurum, Turkey
Dates: 11-17 March 2012
Participants: Israel, Turkey, Ireland, Mongolia, Bosnia & Herzegovina*, Hong Kong*

* Note: Bosnia & Herzegovina and Hong Kong applied to enter the U18 Division IIIB. The fulfillment of the minimum standards for participation will be reviewed until the IIHF Semi-Annual Congress, 22-24 September, in Istanbul, Turkey.

IIHF World Women’s Championship

2012 IIHF World Women’s Championship
Venue: Burlington (Vermont), USA
Dates: 7-14 April 2012 (TBC)
Group A: USA, Canada, Finland, Russia
Group B: Sweden, Switzerland, Slovakia, Germany

2012 IIHF World Women’s Championship Division I Group A
Venue: no applicant, TBD at the Semi-Annual Congress
Dates: TBA
Participants: Japan, Kazakhstan, Norway, Latvia, Austria, Czech Republic

2012 IIHF World Women’s Championship Division I Group B
Venue: Great Britain (Hull)
Dates: 7-14 April 2012
Participants: China, France, Denmark, Italy, Great Britain, Netherlands

2012 IIHF World Women’s Championship Division II Group A
Venue: Slovenia (city TBA)
Dates: 24-30 March 2012
Participants: DPR Korea, Australia, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, New Zealand

2012 IIHF World Women’s Championship Division II Group B
Venue: Seoul, Korea
Dates: 10-16 March 2012
Participants: Belgium, Korea, Iceland, Poland, Qualifier 1, Qualifier 2

2012 IIHF World Women’s Championship Division II Group B Qualification
Venue: Spain (city TBA)
Dates: TBA
Participants: South Africa, Spain, Bulgaria, Turkey, Ireland, Mexico*

* Note: Mexico applied to enter the Women’s Division IIB Qualification. The fulfillment of the minimum standards for participation will be reviewed until the IIHF Semi-Annual Congress, 22-24 September, in Istanbul, Turkey.

IIHF World Women’s U18 Championship

2012 IIHF World Women’s U18 Championship
Venue: Czech Republic (city TBA)
Dates: TBA
Group A: USA, Czech Republic, Sweden, Russia
Group B: Canada, Finland, Germany, Switzerland

2012 IIHF World Women’s U18 Championship Division I
Venue: France applied, TBD at the Semi-Annual Congress
Dates: TBA
Participants: Japan, Slovakia, Austria, Norway, France*, Kazakhstan*

2012 IIHF World Women’s U18 Championship Division I Qualification
Venue: no applicant, TBD at the Semi-Annual Congress
Dates: TBA
Participants: Hungary*, China*, Great Britain*, Italy*

* Note: Hungary, China, Great Britain and Italy applied to enter the Women’s U18 Division I Qualification. The fulfillment of the minimum standards for participation will be reviewed until the IIHF Semi-Annual Congress, 22-24 September, in Istanbul, Turkey, and a decision about the qualification tournament will be taken then. The admission of additional teams would make a Women’s U18 Division I Qualification tournament with the two last-ranked teams seeded in Division I (France, Kazakhstan) necessary.