Bolzano, Italy will be where six teams battle for two spots to be promoted to the 2025 IIHF World Championships. This preview looks at three contenders in Hungary, Slovenia, and Italy as well as three who may struggle in South Korea, Romania, and Japan.
Wednesday, 19 May 2021
Italy has sent a team heavily depleted by COVID-19 positive tests and injuries to the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championship that are due to start in the Latvian capital of Riga on Friday (May 21).
But all those who left for Latvia had been recently vaccinated against COVID-19, becoming one of the first sports teams in Italy to receive immunisation.
Many of the team’s key players, and also its head coach Greg Ireland, are currently isolating after 15 COVID-19 positives showed up within the group, although none are believed to be seriously affected.
Goalkeeper Andreas Barnard and forwards Tommaso Traversa, Michele Marchetti and Matthia are definitely out of the Championships, which are scheduled to finish on June 6.