Sweden's Henrik Lundqvist raises his arms in triumph after a 2-1 shootout win over Canada in the gold medal game of the 2017 IIHF World Championship in Cologne, Germany.
Hockey fans are feeling the proverbial itch as the start of the 2026-27 season gets closer. Good news: it’s never too early to start making plans to attend the 2027 IIHF World Championship in Germany.
Taking place from 14 to 30 May, this will mark the first time the Men’s Worlds have been staged in Dusseldorf since 1983 and in Mannheim since 2010. Register here for updates on ticket sales.
Can Finland defend its gold medal from 2026? Will the Swiss finally end their streak of silver disappointments? Is it Canada’s time to get back on top? These are just a handful of the exciting storylines we’ll be following.
To provide some extra inspiration, let’s take a look back at a few unforgettable highlights from past tournaments on German ice.
1936: Britain’s Golden Glory
Team GB has appeared at five of the last seven World Championships dating back to 2019. But the current team has got a long way to go to rival what their forebears achieved at the 1936 Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
Led by Canadian-trained goalie Jimmy Foster, who shone with four shutouts in seven games, the British dealt the Canadians their first loss ever in Olympic hockey (2-1) en route to the first and only gold medal in UK history. Foster was inducted posthumously into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2023.
1955: Penticton Vees Take Revenge
In 1954, the Soviet Union stunned the pundits by winning the World Championship as a first-time participant. A 7-2 rout of Canada’s amateur East York Lyndhursts in Stockholm signaled the dawn of a new era in international hockey.
Taking place from 14 to 30 May, this will mark the first time the Men’s Worlds have been staged in Dusseldorf since 1983 and in Mannheim since 2010. Register here for updates on ticket sales.
Can Finland defend its gold medal from 2026? Will the Swiss finally end their streak of silver disappointments? Is it Canada’s time to get back on top? These are just a handful of the exciting storylines we’ll be following.
To provide some extra inspiration, let’s take a look back at a few unforgettable highlights from past tournaments on German ice.
1936: Britain’s Golden Glory
Team GB has appeared at five of the last seven World Championships dating back to 2019. But the current team has got a long way to go to rival what their forebears achieved at the 1936 Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
Led by Canadian-trained goalie Jimmy Foster, who shone with four shutouts in seven games, the British dealt the Canadians their first loss ever in Olympic hockey (2-1) en route to the first and only gold medal in UK history. Foster was inducted posthumously into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2023.
1955: Penticton Vees Take Revenge
In 1954, the Soviet Union stunned the pundits by winning the World Championship as a first-time participant. A 7-2 rout of Canada’s amateur East York Lyndhursts in Stockholm signaled the dawn of a new era in international hockey.
Canadian captain George McAvoy (R) shakes hands with Soviet captain Vsevolod Bobrov (L) after the Penticton Vees' 5-0 win to earn the 1955 title.
photo: IIHF Archive
Canada sent the Penticton Vees to the 1955 tournament in Germany, and the robust squad from British Columbia went undefeated heading into its final game versus the also-perfect Soviets. In a 5-0 gold-medal victory in Krefeld, the Vees got two goals from Bill Warwick (named Best Forward) and neutralized Soviet aces like Vsevolod Bobrov with traditional Canadian physicality.
1983: A One-Team All-Star Team
The “Big Red Machine” was still in full force in 1983. The Soviet Union won nine games and had one tie (1-1 with Czechoslovakia) as it captured its fifth straight gold medal at a World Championship tournament. After the clinching 8-2 romp over Canada in Munich, an all-USSR tournament all-star team was announced: goalie Vladislav Tretiak, defenders Vyacheslav Fetisov and Alexei Kasatonov, and forwards Vladimir Krutov, Igor Larionov, and Sergei Makarov.
It remains the only time in history that one nation has claimed all six all-star berths.
Three of those players (Tretiak, Fetisov, Makarov) also cracked the IIHF’s Centennial All-Star Team, announced at the 2008 IIHF World Championship in Quebec City. They joined fellow Soviet Valeri Kharlamov, Sweden’s Borje Salming, and Canada’s Wayne Gretzky.
2001: Czechia Pulls Off Three-Peat
Never before or since has Czech hockey hit such heights. After winning gold at the historic first “NHL Olympics” in 1998 (Nagano) and the Men’s Worlds in 1999 (Lillehammer) and 2000 (St. Petersburg), the Czechs were eager to keep their dynasty going.
A surprise 2-2 tie with underdog host Germany during group play in Hanover created some questions about coach Josef Augusta’s squad. But they went undefeated the rest of the way, rallying for a 3-2 overtime win over Finland in the gold medal game. Tournament MVP David Moravec scored the winner, while national team stalwarts Robert Reichel, Martin Rucinsky, and Milan Hnilicka made the all-star team.
2010: Against the Odds, Another Czech Gold
Czechia entered the 2010 Worlds with a gold-medal drought dating back to 2005. Losses to Norway and Switzerland made it seem like this wouldn’t be their year. Headlined by superstar Jaromir Jagr and goaltender Tomas Vokoun, the roster still wasn’t as glitzy as in previous years.
However, coach Vladimir Ruzicka’s troops hit their stride with three dramatic one-goal victories in the medal round. For gold, the Czech faced a powerhouse Russian side with 14 returning players from their 2010 Olympic team. Captain Tomas Rolinek scored the deciding goal in a 2-1 upset in Cologne.
2010: Germany’s Endras Named MVP
Goaltending is a traditional strength of the German national team. But although Olaf Kolzig, Thomas Greiss, and Philipp Grubauer have superior NHL credentials, none of them was ever named a Worlds MVP like Dennis Endras in 2010.
1983: A One-Team All-Star Team
The “Big Red Machine” was still in full force in 1983. The Soviet Union won nine games and had one tie (1-1 with Czechoslovakia) as it captured its fifth straight gold medal at a World Championship tournament. After the clinching 8-2 romp over Canada in Munich, an all-USSR tournament all-star team was announced: goalie Vladislav Tretiak, defenders Vyacheslav Fetisov and Alexei Kasatonov, and forwards Vladimir Krutov, Igor Larionov, and Sergei Makarov.
It remains the only time in history that one nation has claimed all six all-star berths.
Three of those players (Tretiak, Fetisov, Makarov) also cracked the IIHF’s Centennial All-Star Team, announced at the 2008 IIHF World Championship in Quebec City. They joined fellow Soviet Valeri Kharlamov, Sweden’s Borje Salming, and Canada’s Wayne Gretzky.
2001: Czechia Pulls Off Three-Peat
Never before or since has Czech hockey hit such heights. After winning gold at the historic first “NHL Olympics” in 1998 (Nagano) and the Men’s Worlds in 1999 (Lillehammer) and 2000 (St. Petersburg), the Czechs were eager to keep their dynasty going.
A surprise 2-2 tie with underdog host Germany during group play in Hanover created some questions about coach Josef Augusta’s squad. But they went undefeated the rest of the way, rallying for a 3-2 overtime win over Finland in the gold medal game. Tournament MVP David Moravec scored the winner, while national team stalwarts Robert Reichel, Martin Rucinsky, and Milan Hnilicka made the all-star team.
2010: Against the Odds, Another Czech Gold
Czechia entered the 2010 Worlds with a gold-medal drought dating back to 2005. Losses to Norway and Switzerland made it seem like this wouldn’t be their year. Headlined by superstar Jaromir Jagr and goaltender Tomas Vokoun, the roster still wasn’t as glitzy as in previous years.
However, coach Vladimir Ruzicka’s troops hit their stride with three dramatic one-goal victories in the medal round. For gold, the Czech faced a powerhouse Russian side with 14 returning players from their 2010 Olympic team. Captain Tomas Rolinek scored the deciding goal in a 2-1 upset in Cologne.
2010: Germany’s Endras Named MVP
Goaltending is a traditional strength of the German national team. But although Olaf Kolzig, Thomas Greiss, and Philipp Grubauer have superior NHL credentials, none of them was ever named a Worlds MVP like Dennis Endras in 2010.
German goalie Dennis Endras (R) accepts kudos after shutting out Switzerland 1-0 in the 2010 quarter-finals.
photo: © INTERNATIONAL ICE HOCKEY FEDERATION / MATTHEW MANOR
At age 24, the Augsburger Panther netminder dazzled with a tournament-leading 1.15 GAA and 96.1 save percentage in six games. His 41-save shutout in a 1-0 quarter-final win over archrival Switzerland was critical as Germany marched to a surprise fourth-place finish.
2017: Sweden’s Sweet Shootout Triumph
A dazzling collection of talent squared off for the 2017 gold medal game between Canada and Sweden.
In front of 17,363 fans in Cologne, future Norris Trophy winner Victor Hedman opened the scoring for Tre Kronor on a weird unassisted shorthanded goal late in the second period. Ryan O’Reilly – a future Selke and Conn Smythe Trophy winner – tied it up early in the third, set up by Nathan MacKinnon and Mitch Marner.
This epic final went to the shootout, where Sweden’s Nicklas Backstrom and Oliver Ekman-Larsson each scored. Legendary Swedish goalie Henrik Lundqvist capped off the 2-1 win by foiling Marner. “King Henrik” was promptly toppled in a celebratory embrace from MVP William Nylander.
2017: Sweden’s Sweet Shootout Triumph
A dazzling collection of talent squared off for the 2017 gold medal game between Canada and Sweden.
In front of 17,363 fans in Cologne, future Norris Trophy winner Victor Hedman opened the scoring for Tre Kronor on a weird unassisted shorthanded goal late in the second period. Ryan O’Reilly – a future Selke and Conn Smythe Trophy winner – tied it up early in the third, set up by Nathan MacKinnon and Mitch Marner.
This epic final went to the shootout, where Sweden’s Nicklas Backstrom and Oliver Ekman-Larsson each scored. Legendary Swedish goalie Henrik Lundqvist capped off the 2-1 win by foiling Marner. “King Henrik” was promptly toppled in a celebratory embrace from MVP William Nylander.