(ATR) The 2007 IIHF Men’s World Championships are underway in Moscow and Mystichi, Russia, with two new arenas being introduced for the event.
The worlds will be the first major sporting event for the two host venues. Arena Khodynka in Moscow holds 14,000, and became the largest ice arena in the country upon completion. Mystichi Arena, the event’s secondary site, holds 7,000.
Another outside storyline is the involvement of Sochi 2014. The bid is planning several special promotions for the more than 500 accredited media members who will be in attendance.
On the ice, Sweden looks to repeat as champions after winning gold in 2006. Last year’s victory was the first time that a country won gold at the Olympics and the IIHF World Championships in the same year. Russia and the Czech Republic have been named by analysts as favorites to dethrone the Swedes.
Unlike last year’s competition when several top NHL players joining the clubs of their respective countries, few of the league’s big names will be playing at this year’s worlds. Sweden will only have one of the NHL players it had from 2006, while Canada’s top player Sidney Crosby will be out with a broken foot, an injury he played through during the Stanley Cup playoffs.
"It has been a really hard season in the NHL for me,” said Peter Forsberg of the Nashville Predators, and member of last year’s Swedish team. “No use going if you can't add anything."
Not every team is without top players. The Czech Republic will have 10 players with NHL experience, and Russia will have two of the league’s best young players, Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin.
This year’s worlds will also feature new ways to watch the event. All of the games can be seen online at wcsn.com, which signed a three-year rights agreement. The event's web site, ihwc.net, will also offer live onlive game coverage. In addition, all games will air in the United States through Dish Network on pay-per-view.
The 2007 IIHF World Championships continue through May 13.
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