August 6, 2026
Germany Confirms 2027 IIHF Worlds Opener Against Switzerland at 61,000-Seat Veltins-Arena
Ahead of hosting the 2027 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in Düsseldorf and Mannheim, the German federation confirmed an outdoor-style opening game at Gelsenkirchen's football stadium.
The Deutscher Eishockey-Bund (German Ice Hockey Federation) confirmed that host nation Germany opens the 2027 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship against reigning runner-up Switzerland on May 13, 2027 — a day ahead of the tournament's official start — at the Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Schalke 04's 61,574-capacity football stadium temporarily converted for hockey.
The main tournament, May 14–30, splits between Düsseldorf's PSD Bank Dome (hosting the final four) and Mannheim's SAP Arena, Team Germany's base through the group stage. Sixteen nations will compete for the title.
Source: Deutscher Eishockey-Bund
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