The structure of the tournament comprises 16 teams. This time, Group B will contain; the U.S. Men’s National Team as well as Finland, Canada, Latvia, Germany, Kazakhstan, Italy, and Norway. On the opposite side, Group A comprises; Russia, Sweden, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Slovakia, Denmark, Belarus, and Great Britain. 16-team group play will run from May 21st to June 1st, after which eight teams will advance to the knockouts that start on June 3rd. Finally, the gold medal game is set for June 6th. Now, with the regular season over and the rink in Riga prepared, several Chicago Blackhawk players like Beaudin, Reichel, Kurashev, and Hagel (among others) are looking to come in, as smooth as ice of course, and push their limits in the Championship. The Kazakhs are also back after a long gap, and teams like Sweden, Latvia, and Great Britain are looking to show out this time. As for the dominant ice hockey trio that are Canada, Russia, and the United States, time will tell us which of these favorites will take the win.
Where to Watch The 2021 IIHF World Ice Hockey Championship
Below is a list of services and channels (which may be subject to change) where the 2021 IIHF World Ice Hockey Championships will be broadcast. For the full official broadcast partners list, click here;
Ceske Televize (Czech Republic) CCTV (China) Arena Sport (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia) ORF TV (Austria) SBS Korea (Korea Republic) Singtel (Singapore) DIRECTV (Caribbean Zone) ESPN+ (Cayman Islands, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Island) BTRC (Belarus) MySports (Switzerland) RTVS (Slovakia) SVT (Sweden) TV4 (Sweden) Sveriges Radio (Sweden) Match TV (Russia) NHL.tv (USA)
Among the options in the above list that include both streams and TV broadcasts, we have found that subscribing to NHL Network ($19.99 via credit card or PayPal, live games in maximum quality) with a VPN is optimal. With the help of a VPN, you can also access your NHL Network pass once you sign up even if you are outside of the United States (we cover how you can do this in the next sections) Tip: Follow the NHL Network schedule here for live games.
Watch Via a Free Live Stream
We have also found a way to watch the championship for free (if you don’t mind Russian commentary and an ad here and there) via the Match TV Russian stream. For this stream to work, you have to use a VPN. A VPN app can bypass regional blocks by changing the physical location details your device sends out to the internet, also known as your IP address. In the next section, we will show you how to access this stream with a VPN come match day, as well as how to use a VPN to unblock your existing subscription for the broadcasts in the above list, if you find yourself abroad.
Watch on The IIHF’s YouTube Livestream
The official IIHF website also notes the following: “If games are not broadcast in your country, you may follow them on the live stream“. It seems that there will be a live stream on the IIHF’s YouTube channel.
Step-by-Step Guide to Watch The IIHF 2021 Ice Hockey World Championship Free With a VPN With Match TV
We have tested Match TV’s free stream service successfully with SurfShark VPN. Please note that you may need to translate the website below from Russian to English (some browsers have this built-in) in order to follow the schedule, found here. If you want to watch the 2021 Ice Hockey World Championships starting on the 21st of May (15:45 Moscow time) for free via the free live stream method below, then follow these steps: Tip: We can also show you how to get a free trial with Surfshark!
If You Have an Existing Streaming Subscription
For those that already have an existing subscription to NHL.tv or any of the broadcasts listed at the beginning of the article, a VPN can help you watch from abroad and in case you run into NHL blackouts. Now that you have your VPN setup, all you need to do is point your VPN to a server where the local broadcast is located to bypass any transmission blockage.
2021 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Timings And Schedule
Below is the official world pools and scheduled games for the 2021 IIHF Ice Hockey Championship. This is the schedule for the first five days of the Championship. You can find the full schedule here.
