Hockey players from Finland and Slovakia were the last teams to complete the quarterfinals of the Elite World Championship held in the Czech Republic. Group A was won by defending champions Canada, who beat the hosts 4-3 after extra time, and Pool B was won by Sweden. The 4-0 victory against Slovakia was their seventh victory.
The question of promotion from fourth place to the tournament’s top eight was decided before the final group matches involving Finland and Slovakia. Austria could have overtaken Scandinavian Olympic champions Beijing in Group A. Their 2-4 defeat to Great Britain, already relegated to Division 1A, ruined those plans. In this situation, the Finns could afford to lose to Switzerland 1:3.
Likewise, in Group B, the defeat of Latvia, bronze medalists of the previous World Championships, by 3:6 against the United States, calmed the Slovak fans, who then lost to the dominant team, the Sweden, 1:6. The Germans’ 6:3 victory over France no longer had a significant impact on the standings.
The quarter-finals are scheduled for Thursday. Canada will play Slovakia, Sweden against Finland, Switzerland against Germany (silver at the 2023 World Cup) and the Czech Republic against the United States.
Results of Tuesday’s match:
Group A (Prague)
Canada – Czech Republic 4:3 after extra time. (0:0, 0:0, 3:3 – 1:0)
Austria – Great Britain 2:4 (0:0, 1:1, 1:3)
Finland – Switzerland 1:3 (0:0, 1:2, 0:1)
GROUP A
1. Canada 7 5 2 0 0 32-18 19 *
2. Switzerland 7 5 1 0 1 29-12 17 *
3. Czech Republic 7 4 1 2 0 26-14 16 *
4. Finland 7 3 0 1 3 21-14 10 *
5. Austria 7 2 0 1 4 21-29 7
6. Norway 7 2 0 0 5 15-25 6
7. Denmark 7 2 0 0 5 15-29 6
8. Great Britain 7 1 0 0 6 12-30 3 – decline
*advancement to quarter-finals
Group B (Ostrava)
France – Germany 3:6 (1:1, 2:3, 0:2)
Latvia – USA 3:6 (0:2, 1:1, 2:3)
Sweden – Slovakia 6:1 (1:0, 3:0, 2:1)
GROUP B
1. Sweden 7 7 0 0 0 35-9 21 *
2. United States 7 5 0 1 1 37:16 16 *
3. Germany 7 5 0 0 2 34-24 15 *
4. Slovakia 7 3 1 1 2 26-23 12 *
5. Latvia 7 1 3 0 3 19-29 9
6. Kazakhstan 7 2 0 0 5 12-31 6
7. France 7 1 0 1 5 13-26 4
8. Poland 7 0 0 1 6 11-29 1 – decline
*advancement to quarter-finals
Quarter-final pairs, Thursday May 23
Canada – Slovakia
Sweden – Finland
Switzerland – Germany
Czech Republic – United States.
Semi-finals, Saturday May 25
Final, Sunday May 26
Three points are awarded for a victory in three periods, two points for a victory after overtime or penalties and one point for a defeat after overtime or penalties.
