Lukas Haudum: “This will be an incredible hockey celebration”
Anticipation for the start of the World Championship is growing by the hour. The national team arrived in Prague on Wednesday, moved into their dressing room and accommodation, and feel ready for Saturday’s opener against Denmark, live on ORF 1 at 16:20.
2 min read
The Ice Hockey World Championship is omnipresent in Prague. Flags, posters and advertising on every street corner. The importance of ice hockey in the country of the six-time world champions is clear at first glance. The organisers are ready too. The fan zones are in place and set up, while final preparations are under way in the arenas.
“This will be an incredible hockey celebration. You can tell that Czechia is a hockey-mad country,” says Lukas Haudum of his first impressions of Prague.
The 87th Ice Hockey World Championship will open on Friday with games in Prague and Ostrava. Switzerland will face Norway in the capital, followed by the first major showdown for the fans as Czechia take on Finland. In Ostrava, Slovakia and Germany, as well as Sweden and the USA, will face off to open the World Championship.
Austria will play their first game against Denmark on Saturday. “There is gradually a sense of positive excitement and nervousness building. We are using the days to prepare on the ice, for video analysis and, of course, recovery,” says Lukas Haudum, who will celebrate his 27th birthday on the final day of the preliminary round, on 21 May.
“It is always something special to be part of a World Championship. I’m really looking forward to it and the boys are eager to get going,” adds defenceman Bernd Wolf. The spirit within the team is right, as the Switzerland-based player reports: “We have a great group. Everyone fights for one another. That is what defines us. We are trying to enjoy the tournament and give everything for each other. It could really start now. We are ready.”
2024 IIHF ICE HOCKEY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
10–26 May 2024
Hosts: Czechia
Group A – Prague: Canada, Finland, Switzerland, Czechia, Denmark, Norway, Austria, Great Britain
Group B – Ostrava: USA, Germany, Sweden, Slovakia, Latvia, France, Kazakhstan, Poland
Schedule
Austria vs. Denmark
Sat, 11 May 2024, 16:20, live on ORF 1
Austria vs. Switzerland
Sun., 12 May 2024, 20:20, live on ORF SPORT +
Canada vs. Austria
Tue., 14 May 2024, 20:20, live on ORF SPORT +
Finland vs. Austria
Thu., 16 May 2024, 16:20, live on ORF SPORT +
Czechia vs. Austria
Fri., 17 May 2024, 20:20, live on ORF SPORT +
Norway vs. Austria
Sun., 19 May 2024, 16:20, live on ORF SPORT +
Austria vs. Great Britain
Tue., 21 May 2024, 12:20, live on ORF SPORT +
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