Hello and welcome to the S59 IIHF Hockey Tournament! This year the tournament will be held in beautiful Tallinn, Estonia against the stunning backdrop of the Baltic Sea. Please be sure to visit the sights of Tallinn during your free time, such as the Old Town, which is the best preserved medieval town in Europe, and the Open Air Estonian Museum which showcases rural Estonian life. Thank you to all the graphic artists who participated in the IIHF Wallpaper Contest (Link Here) which have provided some extremely inspiring wallpapers to suit your country of choice (please go vote if you haven't!), and we hope that the excitement level continues to go up during the tournament.

This year, the two Groups will have some exciting matchups between some powerhouse countries, and some nations that look to surprise whomever underestimates them.

In Group A, we have:

Team Canada - the previous tournament’s gold medal winner, and the perennial favourite. 

Team Germany - this team has had some ups and downs, but can still surprise you if you take them lightly! 

Team Sweden - young and packed full of rising stars, Team Sweden looks to show off their talent this tournament!

Team Japan - under new management, this team is in the process of revitalizing themselves after a medal round appearance a couple of seasons ago.

Team Norway - another Nordic country that has young talent, they are small but active!

Team Ireland  - boasting a world-class netminder in Elizabeth Doyle, Ireland is a feisty team that'll kick your ass but then hand you a beer!

Team Finland - Not to be outdone by Elizabeth Doyle, Harry Carpet is the backstop of the Finnish squad, and he is one tough guy to get the puck past!

In Group B, we have:

Team Great Britain - the only Queen they need is the song We Are the Champions. 

Team USA - USA! USA! USA! Do I need to say more?

Team Switzerland - usually scrupulously neutral, this team definitely isn’t.

Team Czechia - is Bestia, as they say. With an unbroken elimination round streak, Czechia is a serious contender. 

Team Russia - honestly one of my favourite anthems, and a rising team that seeks to prove itself. 

Team Austria - after a couple of down seasons, Team Austria has stocked up on new young talent and is going to be scary in a few more seasons!

Team Latvia - a super tight-knit group, Team Latvia has the capacity to play spoiler to any other team that might need that extra point. Watch out!