Got questions about the 2016 World Cup of Hockey? We’ve got your answers.
What is the 2016 World Cup of Hockey?
The 2016 World Cup of Hockey will feature eight teams competing for a best-on-best international hockey championship: The eight teams participating in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey are: Team Canada, Team Czech Republic, Team Finland, Team Russia, Team Sweden, Team USA, Team Europe and Team North America. It is expected that more than 150 of the best players in the NHL will participate in this tournament.
Who is organizing the tournament?
The tournament is a joint effort of the National Hockey League Players’ Association and National Hockey League, in cooperation with the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF).
Under whose rules will the tournament be staged?
The 2016 World Cup of Hockey will be played on NHL-sized rinks using NHL rules and officiated by NHL officials. Other competition matters – such as the anti-doping policy governing the tournament, the framework and procedure for supplementary discipline, the medical protocols, media and broadcasting policies and access, etc. – will be the responsibility of the NHL and NHLPA in consultation with third parties, including the IIHF, where appropriate.
When and where will the tournament be staged?
The tournament will take place over a two-week period, from Sept. 17 – Oct. 1, 2016. All games will be played at Air Canada Centre in Toronto, home of the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs.
When do tickets go on sale to the general public?
A select number of tickets for the event will go on sale to the public Wednesday, Oct. 14 at Ticketmaster.ca.
How many players will each team have?
Each of the eight teams will have a roster of 23 players: 20 skaters and three goaltenders.
What is the tournament format?
The eight teams will be divided into two Groups of four, and each will compete in three tournament games within their assigned Group in a round-robin format.
The top two finishers in Group A and Group B will advance to a single-game semi-final, where the first-place team from each
group will face an elimination game against the second-place team from the other group. Winners of the semi-final games will advance to a best-of-three final series.
Group A:
Team Canada
Team Czech Republic
Team Europe
Team USA
Group B:
Team Finland
Team North America
Team Russia
Team Sweden
Who is eligible to be selected for Team North America?
The players for Team North America will be selected from a pool of the best young hockey players from Canada and the United States. Those players must be 23 or under as of Oct. 1, 2016 (i.e., must have a date of birth on or after Oct. 2, 1992) and will be available for selection exclusively by Team North America.
Who is eligible to be selected for Team Canada and Team USA?
As North American players 23-and-under will be available for selection exclusively by Team North America (see above), each player for Team Canada and Team USA must be 24 or older by no later than Oct. 1, 2016 (i.e., must have a date of birth of Oct. 1, 1992 or earlier).
Who is eligible to be selected for Team Europe?
Team Europe will be comprised of a pan-European roster of players from birth countries outside of the Czech Republic, Finland, Russia and Sweden – in short, all of the other European countries who are developing world-class hockey players in ever-increasing numbers. Countries such as Austria, Belarus, Denmark, France, Germany, Latvia, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland (among others) will all be eligible for representation on Team Europe.
Who will select the rosters for Team Europe and Team North America?
Team Europe and Team North America each will have its own management team, appointed jointly by the NHL and NHLPA. The respective management teams will make roster selections.
The management team for Team North America is Edmonton Oilers President/GM Peter Chiarelli and Chicago Blackhawks Vice President/GM Stan Bowman. The management team for Team Europe is German Ice Hockey Federation President Franz Reindl and former Slovakia team captain Miroslav Satan.
What is the roster announcement timeline?
Each National Association (Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Sweden, United States) and the management teams for Team Europe and Team North America must announce at least 16 members of its roster, including at least two goaltenders, no later than March 1, 2016, with the balance of each team’s roster to be announced no later than June 1, 2016.
Will the tournament have a dedicated website?
Yes. Launching on Sept. 9, 2015, WCH2016.com will serve as the official and most comprehensive and timely source of tournament news and information.
Will teams stage training camps and play exhibition games prior to the 2016 World Cup of Hockey?
Yes. Information on locations and dates for these events will be announced when finalized.
Who will be providing live coverage of the games?
Sportsnet has exclusive English-language media rights and TVA Sports the exclusive French-language media rights in Canada to the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. The deal covers all tournament games and includes television, online and mobile rights. ESPN owns the exclusive U.S. media rights on television and radio, with most games to appear on ESPN and ESPN2. ESPN International has the exclusive rights in over 20 countries served by its Pacific Rim and Latin North networks. Additionally, live access to coverage of the event on ESPN networks will be available through WatchESPN on computers, smartphones, tablets, Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, AppleTV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 and Xbox One via an affiliated video provider.
