2008 IIHF World Championship

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For standing purposes, points shall be awarded as follows: • 3 points for a win in regulation time • 2 points for a win in overtime or in shootout • 1 point for a loss in overtime or in shootout • No points for a loss in regulation time If a game is tied after regulation time, a five-minute four-on-four sudden-death overtime session is played followed by a three-player shootout if necessary. Exceptions: quarter-finals, semi-final and bronze-medal overtime session are 10 minutes and gold-medal game overtime session is 20 minutes. If teams are tied in a standing based on points, the following tie-breakers are applied: 1) The most points earned in direct games involving tied teams. 2) The best goal differential in direct games involving tied teams. 3) The most goals scored in direct games involving tied teams. 4) Follow steps 1, 2 and 3 with games involving the highest non-tied team in the same group. 5) Repeat step 4 with games involving the second highest non-tied team in the same group. 6) Continue this process with all non-tied team games. This was also the first major IIHF championship that used the four-official system with two referees and two linesmen instead of standard three-official system with only one referee. == Preliminary round ==

Sixteen participating teams were placed in the following four groups. After playing a round-robin, the top three teams in each group advanced to the Qualifying round while the last team competed in the Relegation round. Group A All times are local (UTC-4). Group B All times are local (UTC-3). Group C All times are local (UTC-3). Group D All times are local (UTC-4). == Qualifying round ==

The top three teams in the standings of each group of the Preliminary round advance to the Qualifying round, and are placed in two groups: teams from Groups A and D compete in Group E, while teams from Groups B and C compete in Group F. Each team is to play three games in this round, one against each of the three teams from the other group with which they have been paired. These three games, along with the two games already played against the other two advancing teams from the same group in the Preliminary round, will count in the Qualifying round standings. The top four teams in both groups E and F to advance in quarter-finals. Group E All times are local (UTC-4). Group F All times are local (UTC-3). == Relegation round ==

Teams finishing last in all four Preliminary round groups competed in the Relegation round in order to determine which two nations would be relegated to the IIHF World Championship Division I. The four teams were paired in two best-of-three series. France defeated Italy, while Slovakia defeated Slovenia, both in 2 games, and secured themselves a place among the top sixteen hockey nations in the world. Italy and Slovenia were relegated to Division I for the 2009 tournament, and will be replaced by Austria and Hungary, the winners of the 2008 Division I tournament. Group G Series G1 All times are local (UTC-4). Series G2 All times are local (UTC-3). == Playoff round ==

Draw Quarter-finals All times are local (Quebec: UTC-4, Halifax: UTC-3). Semi-finals All times are local (UTC-4) Bronze-medal game All times are local (UTC-4) Gold-medal game All times are local (UTC-4) == Ranking and statistics ==

Tournament Awards • Best players selected by the directorate: • Best Goaltender: Evgeni Nabokov • Best Defenceman: Brent Burns • Best Forward: Dany Heatley • Most Valuable Player: Dany Heatley • Media All-Star Team: • Goaltender: Evgeni Nabokov • Defence: Mike Green, Tomáš Kaberle • Forward: Dany Heatley, Rick Nash, Alexander Ovechkin Final standings The final standings of the tournament according to IIHF: Scoring leaders List shows the top 10 skaters sorted by points, then goals. If the list exceeds 10 skaters because of a tie in points, all of the tied skaters are left out. GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = Plus/minus; PIM = Penalties in minutes; POS = Position Leading goaltenders Only the top 5 goaltenders, based on save percentage, who have played over 40% of their team's minutes are included in this list. TOI = Time On Ice (minutes:seconds); SA = Shots against; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; Sv% = Save percentage; SO = Shutouts == IIHF Broadcasting rights ==

• Austria: ORF Sport Plus • Belarus: TV-First, LAD • Canada • English: TSN • French: RDS • Czech Republic: Czech Television • Denmark: TV2 Sport • Finland: YLE • France: Sport+ • Germany: DSF • Hungary: Sport 1, Sport 2 • Iceland: RÚV • Internet: Webcast at IIHF.com • Italy: Rai Sport Satellite • Latvia: TV3 Latvia, TV6 Latvia, 3+ Latvia • Norway: • Norwegian Matches: NRK • Other Matches: SportN • Poland: Polsat • Romania: Sport 1, Sport 2 • Russia: VGTRK Sport • Slovakia: STV • Slovenia: RTV Slovenija • Sweden: Viasat • Switzerland • German: SF zwei • French: TSR 2 • Italian: TSI 2 • USA: World Championship Sports Network ==IIHF honors and awards==

On the 100th anniversary of the IIHF's founding, an IIHF Centennial All-Star Team was chosen from the best international players at each position. The 2008 IIHF Hall of Fame induction ceremony has held in Quebec City during the World Championships. Juraj Okoličány of Slovakia was given the Paul Loicq Award for outstanding contributions to international ice hockey. IIHF Hall of Fame inductees • Art Berglund, United States • Philippe Bozon, France • Cammi Granato, United States • Mario Lemieux, Canada == See also ==