# 2016 IIHF World Championship
The 2016 IIHF World Championship was the 80th edition of the IIHF's top-level men's international ice hockey tournament, played in Moscow and [Saint Petersburg](https://www.edgepedia.org/saint-petersburg), Russia, from 6 to 22 May 2016. Canada won the tournament, defeating Finland 2-0 in the gold medal game to claim its 26th World Championship title, while host Russia took the bronze medal.[1](https://www.internationalhockeywiki.com/ihw/index.php/2016_IIHF_World_Championship)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Edition and dates | 80th IIHF World Championship, 6-22 May 2016[1](https://www.internationalhockeywiki.com/ihw/index.php/2016_IIHF_World_Championship) |
| Host cities | Moscow (Ice Palace) and Saint Petersburg (Yubileiny arena)[2](https://www.swehockey.se/media/sealt1pg/schedule-release-2016wm-en.pdf) |
| Medalists | Gold: Canada; Silver: Finland; Bronze: Russia[3](https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2016/wm/standings/final) |
| Gold medal game | Canada 2, Finland 0, on 22 May in Moscow[1](https://www.internationalhockeywiki.com/ihw/index.php/2016_IIHF_World_Championship) |
| Most valuable player | Patrik Laine, Finland (7 games, 7 goals, 5 assists, 12 points)[3](https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2016/wm/standings/final) |
| Bronze medal game | Russia 7, United States 2[4](https://iihfworlds2016.com/en/news/rus-usa/) |
| Relegated team | Hungary, after a 4-2 final-round loss to Germany[5](https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2016/wm/news/52952/2016-worlds-takeaway) |
## Organization and venues
The right to host the tournament was decided during the final weekend of the 2011 IIHF World Championship in [Bratislava](https://www.edgepedia.org/bratislava), Slovakia.[1](https://www.internationalhockeywiki.com/ihw/index.php/2016_IIHF_World_Championship) Games were split between two arenas: the new 12,000-seat Ice Palace in Moscow and the Yubileiny arena in central Saint Petersburg.[2](https://www.swehockey.se/media/sealt1pg/schedule-release-2016wm-en.pdf)
The schedule placed 28 preliminary-round games and two quarter-final games in each city. The semi-finals on 21 May and the medal games on 22 May were all played in Moscow.[2](https://www.swehockey.se/media/sealt1pg/schedule-release-2016wm-en.pdf) The tournament opened on 6 May with Sweden against Latvia in Moscow, followed by host Russia facing the Czech Republic that evening; in Saint Petersburg, defending champion Canada played the United States before Finland met Belarus.[2](https://www.swehockey.se/media/sealt1pg/schedule-release-2016wm-en.pdf)
## Teams and format
Sixteen teams took part, divided into two groups, with the final ranking covering all participants from Canada in first place to [Kazakhstan](https://www.edgepedia.org/kazakhstan) in sixteenth.[3](https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2016/wm/standings/final) Hungary returned to the top division for the first time in seven years.[2](https://www.swehockey.se/media/sealt1pg/schedule-release-2016wm-en.pdf)
## Playoff round
**Semifinals.** Finland beat Russia 3-1 in the semi-finals, a result the IIHF's own tournament review described as one nobody called an upset given Finland's form.[5](https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2016/wm/news/52952/2016-worlds-takeaway) Canada reached the final by defeating the United States, setting up a Canada-Finland gold medal game between two teams that had met in the preliminary round.[6](https://iihfworlds2016.com/en/games/2016-05-22/FIN-vs-CAN/)
**Gold medal game.** Canada defeated Finland 2-0 on 22 May in Moscow, with [Connor McDavid](https://www.edgepedia.org/connor-mcdavid) scoring a first-period goal past Finnish goaltender Mikko Koskinen.[6](https://iihfworlds2016.com/en/games/2016-05-22/FIN-vs-CAN/) The title was Canada's 26th World Championship gold medal.[1](https://www.internationalhockeywiki.com/ihw/index.php/2016_IIHF_World_Championship) Canadian captain [Corey Perry](https://www.edgepedia.org/corey-perry)'s gold medal made him a member of the [Triple Gold Club](https://www.edgepedia.org/triple-gold-club), the group of players who have won Olympic gold, World Championship gold, and the Stanley Cup.[7](https://iihfworlds2016.com/en/news/awards/)
**Bronze medal game.** Russia took a 2-0 first-period lead over the United States and won 7-2, with Sergei Mozyakin among the scorers, in the host's last game of the tournament.[4](https://iihfworlds2016.com/en/news/rus-usa/)
## Awards and leading players
Finnish forward [Patrik Laine](https://www.edgepedia.org/patrik-laine), then 18 years old, was named most valuable player and top forward after recording 7 goals and 5 assists for 12 points in 7 games.[3](https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2016/wm/standings/final) The directorate's other individual awards went to Mikko Koskinen as top goalkeeper, with a 94.67 save percentage, a 1.13 goals-against average, and one shutout, and to Michael Matheson as top defender, with 2 goals and 4 assists for 6 points and a plus-11 rating.[3](https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2016/wm/standings/final)
The Media All-Star Team consisted of Koskinen in goal; defenders Nikita Zaitsev of Russia (1 goal, 3 assists, plus-12) and Matheson; and forwards Laine, Vadim Shipachyov of Russia (6 goals, 12 assists, 18 points, the highest point total among the honorees), and Mikael Granlund of Finland (4 goals, 8 assists, 12 points).[3](https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2016/wm/standings/final) Finland's defensive record was a tournament hallmark: the team conceded just 10 goals over the entire event, with Koskinen as its backstop.[7](https://iihfworlds2016.com/en/news/awards/)
## Relegation
Hungary finished fifteenth and was relegated after losing its final game against Germany 4-2.[5](https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2016/wm/news/52952/2016-worlds-takeaway) Kazakhstan, also a newly promoted side in its opening game against Switzerland, finished sixteenth in the final ranking.[2](https://www.swehockey.se/media/sealt1pg/schedule-release-2016wm-en.pdf) • [3](https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2016/wm/standings/final)
## References
1. [2016 IIHF World Championship, International Hockey Wiki](https://www.internationalhockeywiki.com/ihw/index.php/2016_IIHF_World_Championship)
2. [2016 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Moscow & St. Petersburg, schedule release (Swiss Ice Hockey Federation)](https://www.swehockey.se/media/sealt1pg/schedule-release-2016wm-en.pdf)
3. [IIHF - Standings, 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship](https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2016/wm/standings/final)
4. [RUS-USA, 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, IIHF](https://iihfworlds2016.com/en/news/rus-usa/)
5. [IIHF - 2016 Worlds takeaway](https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2016/wm/news/52952/2016-worlds-takeaway)
6. [FIN vs CAN, gold medal game, 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, IIHF](https://iihfworlds2016.com/en/games/2016-05-22/FIN-vs-CAN/)
7. [Awards, 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, IIHF](https://iihfworlds2016.com/en/news/awards/)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Hockey and remaining team sports › International ice hockey competitions (IIHF and Olympics)*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license