Dinamo Minsk HC defender Nick Bailen, has gained citizenship of Belarus and will be able to play for the national team in future
‘According to the rules of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), 480 days after receiving his passport and playing further matches within the territory of the national federation, Nick Bailen will earn the right to wear Belarusian national colours,’ reads the explanation to the career prospects of the North American player. Therefore, he will be able to play for the Belarusian national team at the 2016 IIHF World Championship.
Ready to host another championship
Belarus considers an application to host the Ice Hockey World Championship after 2020
The Head of the Belarusian Ice Hockey Federation, Igor Rachkovsky, has confirmed that the federation is considering an application to the International Ice Hockey Federation to host a world ice hockey event. Given the success of the Ice Hockey World Championship in Minsk in 2014, and the enthusiasm shown by both national and foreign fans, the Belarusian Ice Hockey Federation will consider the possibility of submitting an application to organise the World Championship in Minsk after 2020.
In 2014, for the first time, Belarus held the Ice Hockey World Championship in the elite division. The matches were held at two venues in Minsk: the Minsk-Arena and Chizhovka-Arena. The championship attracted a large number of spectators, so many that the record for the largest crowd ever seen at the world championships was broken here. The Russian national team were the winners of the tournament, while Finland took second place and Sweden third. The Belarusian national team came 7th, having reached a quarter final where they lost to Sweden, two goals to three.
The next World Ice Hockey Championship will be held in Europe. In 2015, this will be in Prague and Ostrava (in the Czech Republic), IIHF-2016 is scheduled for Moscow and St. Petersburg (Russia), IIHF-2017 in Cologne (Germany) and Paris (France), and the 2018 event will be in Copenhagen and Herning (Denmark). Other applicants to host the IIHF-2019 Championship are Slovakia and Switzerland. The final decision about the country to host and the cities where the tournament will be held will be announced in the spring of 2015 at the IIHF Annual Congress.
By Yegor Glebov
