 | |
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country |  Finland |
| Venue(s) | 3 (in 3 host cities) |
| Dates | 26 April – 11 May |
| Opened by | Tarja Halonen |
| Teams | 16 |
| Final positions | |
Champions  | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Canada (22nd title) |
Runner-up  |  Sweden |
Third place  |  Slovakia |
| Fourth place |  Czech Republic |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Games played | 56 |
| Goals scored | 349 (6.23 per game) |
| Attendance | 449,193 (8,021 per game) |
| Scoring leader(s) | Žigmund Pálffy (15 points) |
The 2003 IIHF World Championship was held between 26 April and 11 May 2003 in Helsinki, Tampere and Turku, Finland.
It was the 67th annual event, and was run by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF).
Canada won the gold medal after defeating Sweden 3–2 in a tightly fought final. Over 14 minutes into the overtime, Canadian forward Anson Carter beat Swedish goaltender Mikael Tellqvist with a wraparound goal. The goal was contested for several minutes before replays confirmed that Tellqvist had stopped the puck behind the goal line. It was Canada's first World Championship win in five years.
Sweden surrendered five consecutive goals against Finland in their quarterfinal to trail 5–1 seven minutes into the second period, at which point Swedish goaltender Tommy Salo was swapped for Mikael Tellqvist. This proved to be the Swedish team's necessary wake-up call as the Swedes went on to score five unanswered goals before the end of regulation and ultimately win the game 6–5.
To celebrate the games, the Finnish government issued a high value commemorative coin: the 2003 Ice Hockey World Championships commemorative coin, with three ice hockey sticks and a puck engraved on the reverse.
Qualification Tournament
The Far Eastern Qualification was played as a single game during the 2003 Asian Winter Games on February 4, 2003, in Hachinohe, Japan. South Korea had opted to not play as they believed it more beneficial to focus on training and developing for their Division II tournament.[1] During the games Japan also beat the Koreans eleven to two in the semi-finals.
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Japan |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | +15 | 2 |
 China |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 15 | −15 | 0 |
All times local
| February 4, 2003 19:00 | Japan | 15–0 | China |
Venues
| Hartwall Areena Capacity: 13,349 |
Elysée Arena Capacity: 11,820 |
Tampere Ice Hall Capacity: 7,800 | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 | |
| Finland – Helsinki |
Finland – Turku |
Finland – Tampere |
Final tournament
First round
In the first round, the top three teams from each group progressed to the second round, whilst the last-placed team progressed to the consolation round.
Group A
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slovakia |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 5 | +17 | 6 |
 Germany |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 8 | +1 | 4 |
 Ukraine |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 13 | −4 | 2 |
| Japan |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 20 | −14 | 0 |
All times local
| 27 April 2003 16:00 | Germany | 5–4 | Japan |
| 27 April 2003 20:00 | Ukraine | 3–9 | Slovakia |
| 28 April 2003 16:00 | Slovakia | 10–1 | Japan |
| 29 April 2003 16:00 | Germany | 3–1 | Ukraine |
| 30 April 2003 16:00 | Slovakia | 3–1 | Germany |
| 30 April 2003 20:00 | Japan | 1–5 | Ukraine |
Group B
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Russia |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 5 | +9 | 6 |
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Switzerland |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 7 | +2 | 4 |
 Denmark |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 14 | −6 | 2 |
 United States |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 9 | −5 | 0 |
| 26 April 2003 15:00 | United States | 2–5 | Denmark |
| 26 April 2003 19:00 | Switzerland | 2–5 | Russia |
| 27 April 2003 15:00 | United States | 0–1 | Switzerland |
| 27 April 2003 19:00 | Russia | 6–1 | Denmark |
| 29 April 2003 15:00 | Denmark | 2–6 | Switzerland |
| 29 April 2003 19:00 | Russia | 3–2 | United States |
Group C
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 2 | +10 | 6 |
| Sweden |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 4 |
 Latvia |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 9 | −3 | 2 |
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Belarus |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 9 | −8 | 0 |
| 26 April 2003 16:00 | Canada | 3–0 | Belarus |
| 26 April 2003 20:00 | Latvia | 1–3 | Sweden |
| 27 April 2003 16:00 | Canada | 6–1 | Latvia |
| 27 April 2003 20:00 | Sweden | 2–1 | Belarus |
| 29 April 2003 16:00 | Belarus | 0–4 | Latvia |
| 29 April 2003 20:00 | Sweden | 1–3 | Canada |
Group D
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Czech Republic |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 4 | +11 | 6 |
| Finland |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 3 | +15 | 4 |
 Austria |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 15 | −7 | 2 |
 Slovenia |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 23 | −19 | 0 |
| 26 April 2003 16:00 | Czech Republic | 5–2 | Slovenia | Hartwall Areena, Helsinki |
| 26 April 2003 20:00 | Austria | 1–5 | Finland | Hartwall Areena, Helsinki |
| 28 April 2003 19:00 | Finland | 12–0 | Slovenia | Tampere Ice Hall, Tampere |
| 28 April 2003 20:00 | Czech Republic | 8–1 | Austria | Hartwall Areena, Helsinki |
| 29 April 2003 20:00 | Slovenia | 2–6 | Austria | Hartwall Areena, Helsinki |
| 30 April 2003 16:00 | Finland | 1–2 | Czech Republic | Elysée Areena, Turku |
Second round
In the second round, the top four teams from each group progressed to the final round, whilst the bottom two teams were eliminated.
Group E
Tables and scores below include meetings between teams during the first round.
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slovakia |
5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 9 | +18 | 9 |
| Czech Republic |
5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 7 | +15 | 9 |
| Finland |
5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 18 | 10 | +8 | 5 |
| Germany |
5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 5 |
| Austria |
5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 27 | −18 | 2 |
| Ukraine |
5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 31 | −23 | 0 |
| 26 April 2003 20:00 | Austria | 1–5 | Finland |
| 27 April 2003 20:00 | Ukraine | 3–9 | Slovakia |
| 28 April 2003 20:00 | Czech Republic | 8–1 | Austria |
| 29 April 2003 16:00 | Germany | 3–1 | Ukraine |
| 30 April 2003 16:00 | Slovakia | 3–1 | Germany |
| 30 April 2003 16:00 | Finland | 1–2 | Czech Republic |
| 2 May 2003 16:00 | Slovakia | 5–1 | Finland |
| 2 May 2003 20:00 | Czech Republic | 5–2 | Ukraine |
| 3 May 2003 16:00 | Germany | 5–1 | Austria |
| 3 May 2003 20:00 | Finland | 9–0 | Ukraine |
| 4 May 2003 16:00 | Slovakia | 7–1 | Austria |
| 4 May 2003 20:00 | Czech Republic | 4–0 | Germany |
| 5 May 2003 20:00 | Slovakia | 3–3 | Czech Republic |
| 6 May 2003 16:00 | Ukraine | 2–5 | Austria |
| 6 May 2003 20:00 | Finland | 2–2 | Germany |
Group F
Tables and scores below include meetings between teams during the first round.
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada |
5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 6 | +12 | 9 |
| Sweden |
5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 20 | 9 | +11 | 8 |
| Russia |
5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 14 | +2 | 4 |
| Switzerland |
5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 16 | −2 | 4 |
| Latvia |
5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 16 | −6 | 4 |
| Denmark |
5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 25 | −17 | 1 |
| 26 April 2003 19:00 | Switzerland | 2–5 | Russia |
| 26 April 2003 20:00 | Latvia | 1–3 | Sweden |
| 27 April 2003 16:00 | Canada | 6–1 | Latvia |
| 27 April 2003 19:00 | Russia | 6–1 | Denmark |
| 29 April 2003 15:00 | Denmark | 2–6 | Switzerland |
| 29 April 2003 20:00 | Sweden | 1–3 | Canada |
| 2 May 2003 16:00 | Canada | 2–2 | Denmark |
| 2 May 2003 20:05 | Russia | 2–4 | Sweden |
| 3 May 2003 16:00 | Switzerland | 4–2 | Latvia |
| 3 May 2003 20:05 | Sweden | 7–1 | Denmark |
| 4 May 2003 16:00 | Latvia | 2–1 | Russia |
| 4 May 2003 20:00 | Canada | 2–0 | Switzerland |
| 5 May 2003 20:00 | Russia | 2–5 | Canada |
| 6 May 2003 16:00 | Denmark | 2–4 | Latvia |
| 6 May 2003 20:00 | Switzerland | 2–5 | Sweden |
Consolation round 13–16 place
Group G
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 5 | +14 | 6 |
| Belarus |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 8 | +1 | 4 |
| Slovenia |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 14 | −6 | 1 |
| Japan |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 14 | −9 | 1 |
As the Far Eastern qualifier, Japan avoided relegation. Therefore, Belarus and Slovenia were relegated to Division I for the 2004 Championships.
| 2 May 2003 15:00 | United States | 7–2 | Slovenia |
| 2 May 2003 19:00 | Belarus | 3–1 | Japan |
| 3 May 2003 15:00 | Japan | 3–3 | Slovenia |
| 3 May 2003 19:00 | United States | 4–2 | Belarus |
| 5 May 2003 15:00 | Slovenia | 3–4 | Belarus |
| 5 May 2003 19:00 | Japan | 1–8 | United States |
Final round
| Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
| 7 May | ||||||||||
| Canada | 3 | |||||||||
| 9 May | ||||||||||
| Germany | 2 | |||||||||
| Canada | 8 | |||||||||
| 7 May | ||||||||||
| Czech Republic | 4 | |||||||||
| Czech Republic | 3 | |||||||||
| 11 May | ||||||||||
| Russia | 0 | |||||||||
| Canada | 3 | |||||||||
| 7 May | ||||||||||
| Sweden | 2 | |||||||||
| Slovakia | 3 | |||||||||
| 9 May | ||||||||||
| Switzerland | 1 | |||||||||
| Slovakia | 1 | |||||||||
| 7 May | ||||||||||
| Sweden | 4 | Third place | ||||||||
| Sweden | 6 | |||||||||
| 10 May | ||||||||||
| Finland | 5 | |||||||||
| Czech Republic | 2 | |||||||||
| Slovakia | 4 | |||||||||
Quarterfinals
| 7 May | Canada | 3–2 (OT) | Germany |
| 7 May | Slovakia | 3–1 | Switzerland |
| 7 May | Czech Republic | 3–0 | Russia |
| 7 May | Sweden | 6–5 | Finland |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Semifinals
| 9 May | Canada | 8–4 | Czech Republic |
| 9 May | Slovakia | 1–4 | Sweden |
Match for third place
| 10 May | Czech Republic | 2–4 | Slovakia |
Final
| 11 May | Canada | 3–2 (OT) (1-2, 0-0, 1-0, 1-0) | Sweden | Helsinki Attendance: 13,387 |
| Roberto Luongo | Goalies | Mikael Tellqvist | Referee: Vladimir Šindler Linesmen: Petr Blümel Antti Hämäläinen | ||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
Ranking and statistics
| 2003 IIHF World Championship winners |
|---|
Canada 22nd title |
Tournament awards
- Best players selected by the directorate:
- Best Goaltender: Sean Burke
- Best Defenceman: Jay Bouwmeester
- Best Forward: Mats Sundin
- Most Valuable Player: Mats Sundin
- Best Goaltender:
- Media All-Star Team:
- Goaltender: Sean Burke
- Defence: Jay Bouwmeester, Ľubomír Višňovský
- Forwards: Peter Forsberg, Dany Heatley, Mats Sundin
- Goaltender:
Final standings
The final standings of the tournament according to IIHF:
 | Canada |
 | Sweden |
 | Slovakia |
| 4 | Czech Republic |
| 5 | Finland |
| 6 | Germany |
| 7 | Russia |
| 8 | Switzerland |
| 9 | Latvia |
| 10 | Austria |
| 11 | Denmark |
| 12 | Ukraine |
| 13 | United States |
| 14 | Belarus |
| 15 | Slovenia |
| 16 | Japan |
Scoring leaders
List shows the top ten skaters sorted by points, then goals, then (fewer) games played.
| Player | GP | G | A | Pts | +/− | PIM | POS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Žigmund Pálffy | 9 | 7 | 8 | 15 | +9 | 18 | F |
| Jozef Stümpel | 9 | 4 | 11 | 15 | +7 | 0 | F |
| Ľubomír Višňovský | 9 | 4 | 8 | 12 | +11 | 2 | D |
| Teemu Selänne | 7 | 8 | 3 | 11 | +3 | 2 | F |
| Saku Koivu | 7 | 1 | 10 | 11 | +3 | 4 | F |
| Dany Heatley | 9 | 7 | 3 | 10 | +9 | 10 | F |
| Mats Sundin | 7 | 6 | 4 | 10 | +8 | 10 | F |
| Miroslav Šatan | 9 | 6 | 4 | 10 | +2 | 2 | F |
| Martin Straka | 9 | 6 | 4 | 10 | +5 | 4 | F |
| Kimmo Rintanen | 7 | 5 | 4 | 9 | +3 | 0 | F |
Source: IIHF.com
Leading goaltenders
Only the top five goaltenders, based on save percentage, who have played 40% of their team's minutes are included in this list.
| Player | MIP | SOG | GA | GAA | SVS% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oliver Jonas | 180:00 | 100 | 4 | 1.33 | 96.00 | 0 |
| Sean Burke | 328:47 | 156 | 7 | 1.28 | 95.51 | 1 |
| Mikael Tellqvist | 393:16 | 150 | 9 | 1.37 | 94.00 | 0 |
| Ján Lašák | 359:20 | 168 | 11 | 1.84 | 93.45 | 0 |
| Marco Bührer | 297:25 | 137 | 9 | 1.82 | 93.43 | 1 |
Source: IIHF.com
