Playoff Round Schedule -
Sunday, May 15
Semifinals, Saturday, May 14 -
Quarterfinals, Thursday, May 12 -
Qualification Groups Final Standings:
(determines playoff schedule)
Group E -
1) Russia
2) Czech Republic
3) Slovakia
4) Switzerland
4) Belarus
5) Kazakhstan
Group F -
1) Sweden
2) Canada
3) United States
4) Finland
5) Latvia
6) Ukraine
Qualification Round Results:
Tuesday, May 10
Monday, May 9
Sunday, May 8
Saturday, May 7
Friday, May 6
Preliminary Round Results
Thursday, May 5
Wednesday, May 4
Tuesday, May 3
Monday, May 2
Sunday, May 1
Saturday, April 30
Relegation Round
Friday, May 6
Sunday, May 8
Monday, May 9
Tuesday, May 10
Wednesday, May 11
(As a result of the relegation round, Germany and Austria drop down to the World Championship "B" pool for 2006.)
Tournament Format:
Preliminary Round -
The 16 teams are divided into four groups, and play each opponent within the group. The top three teams from each group advance to the Qualification Round while fourth-place teams move to the Relegation Round.
Qualification Round -
The 12 teams are divided into two groups. Each teams plays three games within the group, without facing any of the same opponents from the preliminary round. Points gained in the Preliminary Round are carried forward, minus points earned against relegation teams. The top four teams in each group advance to the Quarter Finals.
Relegation Round -
The four teams play each other. The top two teams qualify for the 2006 World Championship. The bottom two are relegated to the Division I World Championship.
Playoff Round -
Quarter-final match-ups are based on the standings after the Qualification Round. The first-place team in each group will cross over top play the fourth-place team in the other group. Second and third-place teams also cross over to play quarter-finals. The winners advance to the semifinals. The semifinal winners play for the Gold Medal, while the semifinal losers play for the Bronze Medal.
See also:
Tournament Preview: Canada and the Czech Republic are the early favourites
What is the World Hockey Championship?
