The organizing committee announced the final ticket prices for 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship less than two months before its beginning. Day packages for the preliminary round are available for €7 while prices for single-game tickets start at €4. The cities of Poprad and Spisska Nova Ves are hosting the best under-18 hockey players in April.

From 13th April the two Slovak hockey cities will become home for major talents from the hockey world. For the top hockey prospects the U18 Worlds will be the first World Championship experience of their careers. Not only fans will see them play soon, many hockey scouts will be present too.

“The U18 World Championship will be held in our country, so for us it is even better. The boys are already eager. It will be absolutely indescribable, I look forward to it,” said Martin Fehervary, one of the star players for the Slovak team.

The first day of the final preparation camp for the U18 Worlds will start on 20^th March for the Slovak juniors. “We will practise weekdays in Piestany with weekend breaks. We plan the final stage of our preparation as of 3^rd April in Poprad where we will invite 25 players and 3 goaltenders to come. Of course, we are still checking dozen of players abroad while overseas there is just one forward, Adam Ruzicka,” said Norbert Javorcík, the coach of Slovak team. Until the beginning of the U18 Worlds there will be some exhibition games. The first game against the Czech Republic is planned on 8th April in Zilina, while the second one against Sweden will be held in Poprad two days later. Both games will be available live on Sport TV 213.

Fan zone and mascot Gooly

The organizing committee is now working on visual changes for both arenas. “During the U18 World Championship in Poprad there will be an official fan zone with a cultural program and refreshments available. Fans can buy official merchandise. And our hockey mascot Goooly will entertain the audience,” said Igor Nemecek, President of the Organizing Committee.

Final ticket prices

On 1st March the organizing committee started the tickets sale with the final prices. “We had some offers for our fans where they were able to buy tickets in discount before that. Starting from the 1^st March the prices are final. Besides day packages we have also started to sell single-game tickets,” explains tournament director Roman Stambersky.

The prices of day tickets start from €7 for the preliminary round, €8 for the quarter-finals and semi-finals. For the final day with the bronze and gold medal games fans will pay €10 for a day ticket. Single-game tickets start at €4 EUR. All tickets are available online on www.predpredaj.sk or it is also possible to buy them at 78 stores around Slovakia.

10 teams will fight for medals

The tournament will start with first games of the preliminary round on Thursday, 13th April. In Poprad fans will see the Slovak national team play against defending champion Finland, Canada, Switzerland and Latvia. “I believe in a great support of our fans. Especially the home environment can always make teams reach their best performances. I would be happy to see the Slovak team getting further in the tournament,” said Martin Kohut, President of the Slovak Ice Hockey Federation.

Group B in Spisska Nova Ves includes Sweden, USA, Russia, Czech Republic and Belarus. The best four teams from each group will make the quarter-finals, which are scheduled for 20th April. The final games are set on the weekend of 22nd and 23rd April.

Ticket prices 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship