On top of the world

Thanks to its worlds gold, Canada tops the world ranking for the first time since 2010.

Jason La Rose

Canada’s gold medal at the 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship has moved it back atop the IIHF Men’s World Ranking for the first time since it won Olympic gold on home ice in Vancouver in 2010.

Since the IIHF World Ranking was created in September 2003, it is the sixth time Canada has been No. 1 following a world championship or Olympic Winter Games (2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2010 Olympics, 2015).

In addition, Canada also tops the IIHF Women’s World Ranking, a position it has held since winning its fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal just over a year ago in Sochi, Russia.

With its golden finish in Prague, Canada earned enough points to overtake Sweden, Finland and Russia, which is now ranked second after reaching the gold medal game at the world championship.

The 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship also locked in the top eight teams for the 2018 Olympic hockey tournament, and set the groups in place, outside of the Final Olympic Qualification tournaments.

2018 MEN’S OLYMPIC HOCKEY TOURNAMENT

The final three teams will be determined through a four-stage qualification event. Belarus (9th), Latvia (10th) and Norway (11th) earned the right to host the three Final Olympic Qualification tournaments on home ice from Sept. 1-4, 2016.

The 2015 IIHF Men’s World Ranking also determined the groups for the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia. Canada will play in Group A, based in St. Petersburg.

2016 IIHF ICE HOCKEY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP