Cologne & Paris to Host 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship

Cologne (Germany) and Paris (France) have been announced as the hosts of the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship.

The German-French bid received 63 votes from the delegates. The other bid with Copenhagen (Denmark) and Riga (Latvia) got 45 votes.

“It was quite a battle but the Danish and Latvian delegation always offered a fair competition. It was a nice experience to work together, sick ” said Franz Reindl, the General Secretary of the German Ice Hockey Association, who is set to assume the same role in the Organizing Committee as he did in 2010.

“We are really proud about the work done and we left a great bid behind us and hope they will bid next year,” said Luc Tardif, President of the French Ice Hockey Federation and an IIHF Council member.

The committee of the Danish-Latvian bid congratulated the winners as it now refocuses to the future.

“Germany and France were strong opponents. Sometimes 100 per cent is not enough. The team behind our bid did an incredible job. We will continue and look forward,” said Henrik Bach Nielsen, President of the Danish Ice Hockey Association and an IIHF Council member.

“We were very close to winning. I wish Germany and France good luck and success,” said Kirovs Lipmans, President of the Latvian Ice Hockey Federation. “We will meet again in Riga. I’m sure about that.”

Germany and France bid together under the slogan “together for 2017”.

Cologne is a well-known venue for international hockey fans. The Lanxess Arena played host to the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships in 2001 and 2010. The 1998-opened arena is the largest venue for indoor sports by capacity in Europe offering 18,500 seats for hockey.

The gold medal game in 2010 took place there in a highly successful World Championship for Germany. Currently placed tenth in the most recent World Ranking, the Germans finished in fourth place with the support of the home crowd. Something the Germans wouldn’t mind to repeat in the city of one million inhabitants.

“Both countries have a long hockey history and the federations are working closely together. A World Championship in Paris and Cologne offers a great chance to develop our sport in France, Germany and Europe,” said Uwe Harnos, President of the German Ice Hockey Association. “We are looking forward to create an outstanding event for all teams and their fans with a unique atmosphere.”