2023 IIHF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SET TO BEGIN

May 12, 2023 Nick Hart
IIHF World Championship

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – The puck drops on the 2023 IIHF World Championship tomorrow, with numerous current and former Penguins aiming to claim one of the game’s most historic titles.

The 16-country tournament has become an annual tradition, but because many hockey fans have their attention fixated on the ongoing Stanley Cup Playoffs, it can be overlooked sometimes here in North America. With all the Penguins representation headed overseas, we want to make sure that doesn’t happen this year.

For those who are unfamiliar with the event, here’s a quick history lesson…

The World Championship has been a sanctioned International Ice Hockey Federation event since the 1920 Summer Olympics. (That’s right, Olympic ice hockey used to be held during the summer.) Up until 1968, the Olympics doubled as the World Championship crown with the IIHF organizing its own tournaments scattered in between Olympic years.

HISTORY OF THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Over time, the sport’s greatest icons have won World Championships, whether it be legendary players or behemoth teams. Even though many (rightfully) consider the Stanley Cup to be hockey’s ultimate prize and see the Olympics as the pinnacle of international hockey, the IIHF’s now-annual tournament still carries a great deal of prestige.

There’s even an exclusive group recognized for those who win a Stanley Cup, Olympic Gold and a World Championship during their careers: the Triple Gold Club. Only 30 players in history have captured all three championships to enter the Triple Gold Club, many of which are further immortalized in the Hockey Hall of Fame. In the case of active Triple Gold winners such as Patrice Bergeron, Pavel Datsyuk, Jonathan Toews, Jaromír Jágr and Sidney Crosby, Hall of Fame induction certainly awaits them later.

Finland is defending its 2022 championship on home ice after defeating Canada in last year’s final. Canada leads the pack with 27 gold medals and 52 medal total. The United States has only captured gold twice, but the Red, White and Blue have medaled in five of the last nine tournaments.

Round robin play begins tomorrow, Friday, May 12, with games starting at 9:20 a.m. ET. The United States and host country Finland kick off the action at that time. Many U.S. games will be broadcast live on NHL Network. The full Team USA schedule, as well as all other games, can be found on the IIHF website.

CURRENT PENGUINS AT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Justin Addamo – France
Nick Bonino – USA
Casey DeSmith – USA
Drew O’Connor – USA
Pierre-Olivier Joseph – Canada
Alex Nylander – Sweden

FORMER WBS PENGUINS AT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Lukas Bengtsson – Sweden
Jan Drozg – Slovenia
Kasperi Kapanen – Finland
Olli Määttä – Finland
Emil Larmi – Finland

 

DON’T MISS OUT ON THE NEXT PENGUINS SEASON

Season-ticket packages for the upcoming 2023-24 season are on sale now. Full-Season, 22-game, 12-game, Flexbook and Premium Seating plans are available by reaching out to the Penguins directly at (570) 208-7367.

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