"VAN" (Sports Desk - 05.05.2026) :: The World Para Ice Hockey Championships A-Pool will return to Ostrava next year, with the Czech city set to host the tournament for a record fourth time from 1 to 8 May 2027 at Ostravar Arena.
The venue staged the most successful World Championships to date, drawing 64,748 spectators during the 2019 edition – including a sold-out semifinal between hosts Czechia and the USA, which held the attendance record for a Para ice hockey game until this year’s Milano Cortina Paralympic Winter Games.
All eight teams that competed in the 2026 Winter Games will be in action at the next A-Pool Worlds. The United States will defend their Buffalo 2025 world title against Canada, Czechia, China, Germany, Slovakia, Italy and Japan.
Team USA has also won all three editions previously held in Ostrava – in 2009, 2019 and 2021. Hosts Czechia have reached the podium at the last three World Championships, taking bronze each time, adding even more anticipation ahead of upcoming tournament.
“Very few places can call Para ice hockey home the way Ostrava can. We are really excited to bring the World Para Ice Hockey Championships A-Pool back to the city. Czech fans have always been passionate, and we can only imagine how it will be this time after their team has finished in the top three in the last three editions,” said World Para Ice Hockey Senior Manager Michelle Laflamme.
“Para ice hockey reached record audience numbers during this year’s Paralympic Winter Games. We look forward to continuing this growth, attracting new fans and partners, and reaching new regions.”
Jiri Sindler, Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), said:
“The Ostrava 2027 LOC is really looking forward to organising another World Para Ice Hockey Championship and continuing the legacy of previous events held in Ostrava – especially the incredible World Championships in 2019, which broke attendance records. The 2027 event will not only feature top-level sports competition, but we are also planning entertainment programmes connected with the games, educational activities for schools and the general public, as well as a fan zone full of entertainment. Special travel packages will be available for fans coming to support their teams, including visits to interesting places across Czechia.”
With nearly 300,000 inhabitants, Ostrava is the third-largest city in Czechia and the capital of the Moravian-Silesian region. Once known as the steel heart of the country, it has evolved into a centre of sport and culture.
Ostravar Arena – formerly known as the Culture and Sports Palace – first opened in 1986. The venue was modernised in 2003 and co-hosted the IIHF World Championships with Prague in both 2015 and 2024, breaking the attendance record for stand-up hockey Worlds on both occasions.
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