If Canada does not finish among the top three at the 2025 World Championships, the IIHF rankings could see the Russian national team rise to the pinnacle of the sport’s standings.
Russian hockey players have not appeared in the world championships since 2022, yet the national squad climbed from third to second in the rankings due to the longevity of its rating despite the hiatus.
In the latest IIHF table, Russians hold 4065 points. Canada leads with 4100, while Finland remains firmly in the top three with 3955 points, reflecting a tightly contested elite tier in international men’s hockey.
The Czech Republic edged Switzerland in the final of the 2024 World Cup, a game staged at the O2 Arena in Prague. The venue drew a crowd of 17,413, and the home side secured a 2-0 victory in a tightly fought contest. In the 50th minute, David Pastrnak of the Boston Bruins found the back of the net with assists from Tomas Kundratek and Libor Hajek. In the closing seconds, Toronto’s David Kempf added an insurance goal into an empty net, sealing the win.
Looking ahead, the next World Cup is scheduled to take place in Sweden and Denmark in 2025, promising expansive venues and a renewed international spotlight on top national programs.
In February 2024, the IIHF extended the suspension of the Russian and Belarus national teams, causing both programs to miss the Czech World Championship. The council announced ongoing surveillance of the situation and indicated that a decision on reintegration for the 2025/26 season would be considered at the May 2025 session, with potential implications for regional participation, competition format, and future scheduling.
Previously in Finland it was reported that the Russian team sitting in second place on the IIHF rankings was viewed with skepticism by some observers, highlighting the broader debate about ranking methodology and competitive balance in international hockey.