Complex sentence: As part of the centennial celebrations of the IIHF's founding, the 2008 IIHF World Championship were awarded to Canada, the birthplace of hockey, the first time the championships were hosted in Canada.
Split into simpler sentences: As part of the centennial celebrations of the IIHF's founding, the 2008 IIHF World Championship were held in Canada, the birthplace of hockey. This was the first time the championships were hosted in Canada.