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Only three games separate a country from a gold medal at the 2024 IIHF World Championship. 

The playoff portion of the international hockey tournament is here. After each nation played seven games in the preliminary round, the field was cut in half. What started with 16 teams eyeing gold in Czechia is now at eight, with those left taking part in the knockout round. 

Canada still has a chance to defend its championship at the IIHF event. The maple leaf finished first in its group, securing 19 of a possible 21 points. The team did not lose a single contest in group play, securing five wins in regulation and two in overtime. Also coming out of Group A is Switzerland, Czechia and Finland. 

On the other side, Sweden emerged atop Group B, grabbing all 21 points available with seven regulation wins in as many games. In addition to the Swedes, the United States, Germany and Slovakia advanced to the knockout stage. 

Who will come out on top of the podium in 2024? Hockey fans will soon find out. 

Here is everything you need to know about the playoffs for the 2024 IIHF World Championship. 

MORE: Watch the 2024 IIHF World Championship live with Fubo

You can see the latest 2024 IIHF World Championship odds at BetMGM.

Here is everything you need to know for the 2024 IIHF World Championship. 

IIHF World Championship playoffs 2024 schedule, TV channels

Thursday, May 23: Quarterfinals

Scores
Canada 6, Slovakia 3
Switzerland 3, Germany 1
Czechia 1, USA 0
Sweden 2, Finland 1 (OT)

Saturday, May 25: Semifinals

Matchup
Czechia 7, Sweden 3
Switzerland 3, Canada 2 (SO)

Sunday, May 26

Matchup
Sweden 4, Canada 2 (Bronze medal game)
Czechia 2, Switzerland 0 (Gold medal game)

IIHF World Championship playoff bracket 2024

Quarterfinals

  • A1 Canada vs. B4 Slovakia
  • A2 Switzerland vs. B3 Germany
  • B1 Sweden vs. A4 Finland
  • B2 USA vs. A3 Czechia

Semifinals

  • Canada vs. Czechia
  • Sweden vs. Switzerland

Medal Games

  • Bronze: Sweden vs. Canada
  • Gold: Czechia vs. Switzerland

The top four teams from each pool advance to the quarterfinals. The winners of quarterfinal games advance to the semis, while the losers will play in a 5th-place game for seeding purposes. 

The victors of the semifinals will face off in the gold medal game, and the semis losers will play for bronze. 

Here is how the standings finish from the preliminary round. 

Group A

TeamGamesWinsOT WinsOT LossesLossesPoints
Canada*7520019
Switzerland*7510117
Czechia*7412016
Finland*7301310
Austria720147
Denmark720056
Norway720056
Great Britain710063

Group B

TeamGamesWinsOT WinsOT LossesLossesPoints
Sweden*7700021
USA*7501116
Germany*7500215
Slovakia*7311212
Latvia713039
Kazakhstan720056
France710154
Poland700161

* advanced to quarterfinals

How to watch 2024 IIHF World Championship on TV, live stream

  • TV channel (U.S.): NHL Network
  • Live stream (U.S.): Fubo, ESPN+
  • ​TV channel (Canada): TSN, RDS
  • Live stream (Canada): TSN.ca, TSN app

TSN and the NHL Network are the homes in North America for the 2024 IIHF World Championship

In the United States, all games involving Team USA and other select pool play games will be broadcast on NHL Network. The network will have both semifinal games and medal games.

Cord cutters can stream NHL Network through Fubo, which offers a free trial. ESPN+ will carry games that are not available on NHL Network. 

Canadians can view games on TSN (English language) or RDS (French language). The networks will carry every game with Canada involved at the tournament and select other games, including all of the playoff contests.

TSN can be streamed on TSN.ca, through the TSN App and TSN+.

If the game is not available to watch live in your location or if you're traveling abroad, you can use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). VPNs provide a secure and private online connection, allowing you to bypass geographical restrictions to access your favorite streaming services from any device anywhere in the world.

Where is the IIHF World Championship in 2024?

  • Location: Ostrava, Czechia & Prague, Czechia
  • Venue: Ostrava Arena / O2 Arena

The 2024 IIHF World Championship is being held in Czechia. The country is hosting the tournament in two cities — Ostrava and Prague. 

Games held in Ostrava will be played at the Ostrava Arena, the home rink for HC Vítkovice of the Czech Extraliga. Contests in Prague will be played at O2 Arena, home of HC Sparta Prague of the Czech Extraliga. 

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Author(s)
Bryan Murphy Photo

Bryan Murphy joined The Sporting News in 2022 as the NHL/Canada content producer. Previously he worked for NBC Sports on their national news desk reporting on breaking news for the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL, in addition to covering the 2020 and 2022 Olympic Games. A graduate of Quinnipiac University, he spent time in college as a beat reporter covering the men’s ice hockey team.