The 2022 Ice Hockey World Championship, which is set to take place in Finland in May, has committed to donating a portion of ticket sales to ice hockey efforts in Ukraine throughout April.
Organisers of the tournament, International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), have already donated €10 (£8/$11) from each day ticket that was sold previously to watch Team ROC (Russian Olympic Committee). Russia and Belarus have been banned from competing in the championship due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and have been replaced by France and Austria.
Throughout April, €5 will be donated from each ticket sold, with the overall donation predicted to reach €80,000. The donation will cover both game and day tickets.
Heikki Hietanen, general secretary of the event’s organising committee, said: “Each and every euro is needed in Ukraine at the moment. We want to do our part and show our support to the Ukrainian ice hockey family. At the same time, this is a way for ice hockey fans to participate as well.”
Hietanen also commented on the venue switch, which saw Helsinki Halli stripped of its hosting rights for the Ice Hockey World Championship, forcing a move to the Helsinki Ice Hall.
While the IIHF did not give a reason for the swap, reports suggested it could be down to Helsinki Halli’s owners, Arena Events Oy, a company belonging to Russians Gennady Timchenko and Roman Rotenberg, who are on the international sanctions list following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Helsinki Halli was due to host the event alongside the recently opened Nokia Arena in Tampere.
“Naturally the situation isn’t the easiest when a major event is faced with a venue change only a couple of months prior to the puck drop,” added Hietanen. “Organising has run smoothly with Helsinki Ice Hall and we’re able to present both the Finnish and international ice hockey fans an incredible sporting experience.”
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