World Cup

## Overview

The World Cup is the only trophy that uses international teams rather than clubs. It is at least as prestigious as the Division 1 title or Union Cup, if not more. It is played at the beginning of every ILIH season. It is a young competition in the grand view of the league, but it is the first international tournament.

## Format

The World Cup Finals begins after qualification has decided the 16 teams who will be involved. There is a ranking of the international teams, best to worst, before every World Cup which acts as a seeding procedure to decide who qualifies and who needs to go through the qualification steps. In the finals, the 16 teams play in a traditional single elimination bracket, starting with 1st-16th, 2nd-15th,3rd-14th etc. Higher ranked teams always "host". The bracket is made so a 1st-2nd match-up isn't possible until the final.

## Qualification

**Round 1** of qualification is a single knockout game between rank 20 and 21.

**Round 2** of qualification are single knockout games between rank 13 and winner of 20-21, rank 14 and 19, 15 and 18, and ranks 16 and 17. The winner's of these four games will go into the bracket as seeds 13-16, the spots higher up being decided by pre-tournament rank.

## World Cup I

*NHL 17*

\* Took Place before Season 5

 **-- CZECH REPUBLIC CHAMPIONS --**

MVP: P. Eller

Final:

**Czech Republic 7-5 Denmark**

Semi Finals:

**Sweden 3-5 Czech Republic**

**USA 6-7 Denmark**

Quarter Finals:

**Sweden 7-4 Norway**

**Germany 2-5 Czech Republic**

**USA 8-3 Switzerland**

**Denmark 7-4 Great Britain**

Round of 16:

**Sweden 10-1 Japan**

**Russia 3-7 Norway**

**Germany 5-4 France**

**Czech Republic 8-5 Slovakia**

**USA 4-2 Latvia**

**Canada 3-9 Switzerland**

**Finland 3-4 Denmark**

**Great Britain 10-3 Austria**

**Winner's Lineup**

(C)K. Dopita - S. Roy - (A)S. Mikus

M. Surovy - D. Leonov

B. Bates - M. Kato - C. Grucinciev

J. Glebov - (A)E. Glebov

V. Burian - P. Hlinka - M. Kuba

P. Eller - P. Prindis

J. Marek - N. Simek - M. Heins

H. Zednik - R. Patera

## World Cup II

*NHL 20*

\* Took Place before Season 6

 **-- FINLAND CHAMPIONS --**

MVP: M. Harikkala

Final:

**Finland 5-4 Switzerland**

Semi Finals:

**Czech Republic 1-4 Finland**

**Switzerland 4-3 Russia**

Quarter Finals:

**Czech Republic 2-1 France**

**Finland 4-3 USA**

**Sweden 3-4 Switzerland**

**Belarus 1-3 Russia**

Round of 16:

**Czech Republic 4-3 Italy**

**France 2-1 Canada**

**Finland 2-1 Denmark**

**USA 4-1 Slovakia**

**Sweden 5-2 Ukraine**

**Germany 2-3 Switzerland**

**Norway 1-3 Russia**

**Great Britain 4-5 Belarus**

**Winner's Lineup**

(A)T. Janicki - G. Rydahl - G. Maatta

(A)P. Korpan - (C)M. Kaijomaa

H. Pukka - M. Viitanen - B. Lalande

H. Klimek - M. Jarventie

P. Aberg - L. Nieminen - M. Harikkala

M. Kojo - J. Joensuu

R. Pukkaa - S. Toivonen- S. Uotila

J. Lehtonen - S. Numminen

## World Cup III

*NHL 17*

\* Took Place before Season 7

 **-- SWEDEN CHAMPIONS --**

MVP: H. Nilsson

Final:

**Denmark 2-12 Sweden**

Semi Finals:

**Norway 2-3 Denmark**

**Sweden 7-4 Germany**

Quarter Finals:

**Finland 2-8 Norway**

**Slovakia 3-7 Denmark**

**Sweden 6-5 Russia**

**Germany 3-2 Czech Republic**

Round of 16:

**Finland 12-1 Kazakhstan**

**Norway 3-1 Canada**

**Great Britain 2-3 Denmark**

**USA 3-4 Slovakia**

**Sweden 9-2 Poland**

**Switzerland 3-4 Russia**

**Germany 5-3 France**

**Czech Republic 4-1 Austria**

**Winner's Lineup**

R. Holmberg - (C)M. Akerlund - L. Kukkonen

(A)C. Axelsson - A. Lehtera

H. Erixon - (A)R. Svedberg - R. Sykora

F. Nordqvist - J. Weinhandl

E. Nordqvist - P. Janus - L. Sykora

H. Nilsson - H. Vikingstad

F. Lindstrom - B. Lindstrom - M. Hirvonen

J. Ring - K. Sinitsin