Russia to Host 2023 World Ice Hockey Championships

The city of St. Petersburg has been chosen to host the 2023 world ice hockey championships, bringing the tournament back to Russia for the first time since 2016.

The International Ice Hockey Federation said on May 24 that it had also chosen the Czech cities of Prague and Ostrava for the 2024 championships, while the 2025 tournament will be co-hosted by Sweden and Denmark, though the host cities have yet to be determined.

As part of its bid, Russian officials pledged to build a 23,000-seat arena in central St. Petersburg for the tournament.

The city's Ice Palace, built for the 2000 world championships, will also host games in 2023.

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Russia, which combined with the Soviet Union has won gold at the world championships a record 27 times, plays Finland on May 25 in the semifinals of this year's tournament, being held in Slovakia.

Canada plays the Czech Republic in the second semifinal, with the gold medal match to be played on May 26. The Swiss cities of Zurich and Lausanne will host next year's championships, followed by the Belarusian capital, Minsk, and Latvia's Riga in 2021. (RFERL)