It will not be played, IIHF cancelled January tournaments
Following a recommendation by the IIHF Medical Committee due to recent developments in the global COVID-19 epidemiological situation and the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, the IIHF Council has decided to cancel all IIHF tournaments that were scheduled to begin in January 2022.
The following tournaments have been cancelled
2022 IIHF Ice Hockey U20 Men’s World Championship Division II Group B
10-15 January 2022, Belgrade, Serbia
2022 IIHF Ice Hockey U20 Men’s World Championship Division II
8-15 January 2022 – Queretaro, Mexico
2022 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship
8-15 January 2022 – Linkoping & Mjolby, Sweden
2022 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship Division I Group A
9-15 January 2022 – Gyor, Hungary
2022 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship Division I Group B
10-15 January 2022 – Radenthein, Austria
2022 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship Division II
21-27 January 2022 – Istanbul, Turkey
IIHF President Luc Tardif
Due to league commitments within Sweden during possible postponement dates, it was determined that it will not be possible to move the women’s U18s to a later date. All other tournaments mentioned above will not be postponed.
“These are hard facts to have to face, and as with last year we must take the difficult decision to cancel men’s and women’s IIHF events, including the women’s U18 top division now for the second year in a row,” said IIHF President Luc Tardif.
“It is the consensus of the IIHF Medical Committee that the organizers would not have the capability to manage an outbreak of the virus, especially with the rapid transfer of the Omicron variant that we have seen in the NHL and other leagues.”
Anders Larsson, chairperson of the Swedish Ice Hockey Association
“The Swedish Ice Hockey Association, together with the organizing cities Linköping and Mjölby and Östergötland’s ice hockey association, have looked forward to arranging the championship at home,” says Anders Larsson, chairperson of the Swedish Ice Hockey Association and chairperson of the executive committee for the 2022 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship.
“The U18 Women’s World Championship is an important part of strengthening and building ice hockey on the girls’ and women’s side, but with that said, we have great respect and understanding for the decision based on the pandemic situation in the world.”
Niente mondiali per l’Italia Under 18
La International Ice Hockey Federation, alla luce dell’andamento della pandemia da Covid-19, in maniera particolare per quanto riguarda la diffusione della variante Omicron, ha deciso di seguire la raccomandazione della propria Commissione medica annullando tutti i tornei IIHF previsti per il mese di gennaio.
Tra questi vi sono anche i Mondiali under 18 femminili, compresa la Prima Divisione gruppo A torneo al quale avrebbe dovuto partecipare l’Italia. Le azzurrine di coach Max Fedrizzi erano attese dalla rassegna iridata di Györ, in Ungheria, dove avrebbero dovuto affrontare le magiare padrone di casa, la Slovacchia, il Giappone, la Francia e la Norvegia.
Il presidente della IIHF, Luc Tardif, ha parlato di una “decisione inevitabile ma molto difficile, soprattutto tenendo conto che i Mondiali under 18 femminili non si disputeranno per il secondo anno consecutivo”.
