It’s eleven months away but the groups have already been set for the 2020 IIHF World Championships.

Great Britain has been rewarded for their heroic comeback victory against France, which ensured they staved off relegation, with a trip to Switzerland to face the world’s best hockey nations once more next year.

It shall be the tenth occasion that Switzerland has hosted the World Championships since 1935.

GB has been placed in Group A which will have it’s games hosted in Lausanne.
A brand-new 9,500-seat arena is currently being built in Lausanne to replace the old Malley rink.

Group A (seeding in brackets)

(01) Canada
(04) Sweden
(05) Czech Republic
(07) Germany
(09) Slovakia
(12) Denmark
(14) Belarus
(20) Great Britain

*The seeding is based on the IIHF Sport Regulations and the 2019 IIHF Men’s World Ranking, which was established following Sunday’s gold medal game and takes into consideration the results in World Championships and Olympics during the last four years, with one horizontal swap to accommodate special organizational needs.*

Great Britain will face Canada, Germany, Slovakia and Denmark as they did in this years championship but face new opposition in Sweden, Czech Republic and lastly Belarus, with whom they shall be likely fighting against in the battle to avoid relegation.

Due to their lowly seeding, which is due to rise next year as it has this (from 22 to 20) Great Britain once again find themselves in the tougher of the two groups. I’m certain GB would fancy their chances of gaining a victory against Italy and/or Kazakhstan had they been set to face those nations.

Either way there is much to look forward to and to play for in the Elite League next season with a possible seat on the plane to Switzerland for the home grown talent who enjoy a successful 2019/20 season.