2023 IIHF World Championship

The event was originally planned to be held in Saint Petersburg, Russia, but in February 2022 the International Olympic Committee (IOC) called for Russia and Belarus to be stripped of hosting rights to all international sporting events due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[1] On 26 April 2022, Russia lost their rights to host the World Championship.[2]

After being promoted to the top division, Slovenia and Hungary both bid to co-host the event in Ljubljana and Budapest.[3] The bid was withdrawn due to Hungarian Ice Hockey Federation informing the IIHF that it did not receive the governmental guarantees to host. Finland and Latvia submitted a joint bid, with Nokia Arena in Tampere and Arena Riga in Riga as potential host venues.[4] On 27 May 2022, the IIHF confirmed that Finland and Latvia will host the tournament, with Finland having also hosted the 2022 IIHF World Championship in Tampere (Nokia Arena) and Helsinki (Helsinki Ice Hall).[5]

Qualified as hosts

•  Finland
•  Latvia

Automatic qualifier after a top 14 placement at the 2022 IIHF World Championship

•  Austria
•  Canada
•  Czechia
•  Denmark
•  France
•  Germany
•  Kazakhstan
•  Norway
•  Slovakia
•  Sweden
•  Switzerland
•  United States

Qualified through winning a promotion at the 2022 IIHF World Championship Division I

•  Hungary
•  Slovenia

The seedings in the preliminary round are based on the 2022 IIHF World Ranking, as of the end of the 2022 IIHF World Championship, using the serpentine system while allowing the organizer, "to allocate a maximum of two teams to separate groups".[6][7]

16 referees and linesmen were announced on 6 April 2023.[8]

The groups were announced on 29 May 2022,[9] with the schedule being revealed on 8 September 2022.[10]

Group A

Main article: 2023 IIHF World Championship Group A

Pos	Team	Pld	W	OTW	OTL	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Finland (H)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Quarterfinals
2	United States	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	Sweden	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
4	Germany	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
5	Denmark	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
6	France	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
7	Austria	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
8	Hungary	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Relegation to 2024 Division I A

First match(es) will be played on 12 May 2022. Source:
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) result against closest best-ranked team outside tied teams; 6) result against second-best ranked team outside tied teams; 7) seeding before tournament.
(H) Host

12 May 2023
Finland		v		United States
Sweden		v		Germany
13 May 2023
France		v		Austria
Hungary		v		Denmark
Germany		v		Finland
14 May 2023
United States		v		Hungary
France		v		Denmark
Sweden		v		Austria
15 May 2023
Germany		v		United States
Finland		v		Sweden
16 May 2023
Denmark		v		Austria
France		v		Hungary
17 May 2023
United States		v		Austria
Finland		v		France
18 May 2023
Hungary		v		Sweden
Denmark		v		Germany
19 May 2023
Hungary		v		Finland
Austria		v		Germany
20 May 2023
United States		v		Denmark
Austria		v		Finland
Sweden		v		France
21 May 2023
Germany		v		Hungary
United States		v		France
22 May 2023
Denmark		v		Sweden
Austria		v		Hungary
23 May 2023
Germany		v		France
Sweden		v		United States
Finland		v		Denmark

Group B

Main article: 2023 IIHF World Championship Group B

Pos	Team	Pld	W	OTW	OTL	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Canada	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Quarterfinals
2	Czechia	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	Switzerland	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
4	Slovakia	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
5	Latvia (H)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
6	Norway	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
7	Kazakhstan	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
8	Slovenia	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Relegation to 2024 Division I A

First match(es) will be played on 12 May 2022. Source:
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) result against closest best-ranked team outside tied teams; 6) result against second-best ranked team outside tied teams; 7) seeding before tournament.
(H) Host

12 May 2023
Slovakia		v		Czechia
Latvia		v		Canada
13 May 2023
Switzerland		v		Slovenia
Norway		v		Kazakhstan
Slovakia		v		Latvia
14 May 2023
Slovenia		v		Canada
Norway		v		Switzerland
Czechia		v		Kazakhstan
15 May 2023
Slovakia		v		Canada
Czechia		v		Latvia
16 May 2023
Slovenia		v		Norway
Switzerland		v		Kazakhstan
17 May 2023
Latvia		v		Norway
Canada		v		Kazakhstan
18 May 2023
Czechia		v		Slovenia
Switzerland		v		Slovakia
19 May 2023
Latvia		v		Slovenia
Kazakhstan		v		Slovakia
20 May 2023
Norway		v		Czechia
Canada		v		Switzerland
Kazakhstan		v		Latvia
21 May 2023
Slovenia		v		Slovakia
Czechia		v		Switzerland
22 May 2023
Canada		v		Norway
Kazakhstan		v		Slovenia
23 May 2023
Slovakia		v		Norway
Canada		v		Czechia
Switzerland		v		Latvia

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