Tournament details | |
---|---|
Host country | Switzerland |
Venue(s) | 2 (in 2 host cities) |
Dates | 24 April – 10 May |
Opened by | Hans-Rudolf Merz |
Teams | 16 |
Final positions | |
Champions | Russia (3rd title) |
Runner-up | Canada |
Third place | Sweden |
Fourth place | United States |
Tournament statistics | |
Games played | 56 |
Goals scored | 323 (5.77 per game) |
Attendance | 379,044 (6,769 per game) |
Scoring leader(s) | Martin St. Louis (15 points) |
MVP | Ilya Kovalchuk |
The 2009 IIHF World Championship took place in Switzerland from 24 April to 10 May. The games were played in the PostFinance Arena in Bern and Schluefweg in Kloten.
The PostFinance Arena in Bern was renovated and accommodates an attendance of 17,000. The Eishalle Schluefweg in Kloten was expanded for the 2008–09 season to a capacity of 9,000 people. Switzerland gained the right to host the World Championship for the 10th time.
"Live for the Action" by Swiss hard rock veterans Krokus was named the official anthem of the tournament.
Russia won the championship, winning all its matches and defeating Canada in the final 2–1.[1] Ilya Kovalchuk was named the best forward and the most valuable player of the tournament.[2] Over 17 million people watched the televised final around the world.[3]