2026 Ice Hockey World Championship in Switzerland: standings, schedule, results

2026 Ice Hockey World Championship in Switzerland (2026 World Championship): standings, match schedule, live updates from the group stage, and playoff results.

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#WorldCup2026 #IIHF2026 #Switzerland2026

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Standings

Transcript of abbreviations: Pl – place; GP – number of games played; PTS – points scored by the team; W – number of wins; OTW – number of wins in overtime; SOW — number of shootout wins; L – number of losses; OTL — number of losses in overtime; SOL — number of shootout losses; Goal – scored and missed goals; 1-4 places — qualification to the playoffs (1/4 finals); 8th place — relegation to the First Division of the World Cup-2027.

Recommended: Hockey World Championship highlights

Calendar and match results

Date and time	Match	Score
31.05, 16:30	Canada – Norway	2 : 3 ОТ
31.05, 21:20	Switzerland – Finland	0 : 1 ОТ

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The 2026 Ice Hockey World Championship in Switzerland will be the 89th Ice Hockey World Championship organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). After a 17-year hiatus (since the 2009 tournament in Bern and Kloten), the year’s premier hockey event will return to the Alps.

The championship will take place from May 15 to 31, 2026, and for the first time in a long while, the tournament will be as compact as possible. Only two cities, located less than an hour and a half’s drive from each other, will host the matches:

• Zurich (Group A and playoffs): Here, the games will be held at the state-of-the-art Swiss Life Arena, which seats 12,000 spectators. It is in Zurich that both semifinals (May 30), the bronze medal match, and the final (May 31) will take place.
• Fribourg (Group B): The charming BCF Arena will host 8,934 spectators. Fribourg will be the smallest group capital this century, adding an intimate feel and an incredible atmosphere.

The organizers didn’t try to reinvent the wheel; instead, they brought back the character fans had already grown to love. Cooly is once again the championship’s mascot. He first appeared at the 2009 World Championships in Bern, and now, 17 years later, this charming character is making a comeback.

Cooly embodies Swiss values: friendliness, a love of nature, and a spirit of sportsmanship. According to his official profile, his favorite colors are red and white, his hobbies are dancing and photography, and his favorite foods are Swiss chocolate and fondue.

Although the official slogan “Time to Shine” accompanies the tournament’s visual style, the true motto of Switzerland 2026 is compactness and energy. The organizers promise an “emotionally charged championship.” The visual concept is built around recognizable silhouettes of mountains and lakes, and the colors of the flag (red and white) dominate the design of the arena walls and facades.

Rules and Format

The tournament format remains the standard IIHF format, but with some important rule changes.

• Group stage: The 16 teams are divided into two groups of eight. From May 15 to 25, the teams will play a round-robin format.
  • Points: 3 points for a win in regulation, 2 for a win in overtime or a shootout, 1 for a loss in overtime, 0 for a loss in regulation.
• Playoffs (starting May 28): The top 4 teams from each group advance to the quarterfinals. The bracket is played in a cross-bracket format: 1A vs. 4B, 2A vs. 3B, 1B vs. 4A, 2B vs. 3A.
• Overtime rules:
  • Group stage: 5 minutes, 3-on-3.
  • Quarterfinals and third-place game: 10 minutes, 3-on-3.
  • Final: 20 minutes, 3-on-3 (periods are repeated until the first goal is scored). This makes the decisive match particularly unpredictable.
• Relegation (division): The two lowest-ranked teams based on the final standings leave the elite division. However, Germany, as next year’s host, is protected from relegation.

Prediction: It’s hard to go against the odds, but playing at home and the support of 12,000 fans at the Swiss Life Arena make Team Switzerland the top contender for a medal. Given their silver-medal finishes in the last two years (2024 and 2025), Switzerland is ready for gold. Canada and the U.S. also remain the main favorites. Slovakia, with its roster of NHL stars, could be a dark horse if they can reach agreements with their clubs.

The Russian and Belarusian national teams will once again be unable to participate in the tournament due to the suspension of their IIHF membership. Their spots in the elite division are currently being filled by Hungary and Slovenia.

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