Tampere, Finland and Riga, Latvia will share hosting duties for the 2023 men’s World Hockey Championship after Russia was previously stripped of the honor.
Both cities are familiar with hosting the event, with Riga being the main city in 2021 and Tampere currently holding the tournament that is set to complete on Sunday.
The tournament will run from May 12-28. Arena Riga will welcome fans after COVID-19 protocols resulted in a nearly empty stadium throughout the tournament. Tampere’s arena holds up to 11,695 fans, while Riga is a bit smaller at 9,550.Â
The two cities are just over 500 KM apart, but a flight can get teams between the two cities in just over an hour.Â
A second bid was made by Hungary and Slovenia, but Hungary withdrew due to what the IIHF described as a lack of government guarantees. The pair did offer up the potential to host the 2028 tournament, assuming they can continue to be mainstays with the top tournament.
