Helsinki Secures 2030 World Championship Hosting

Aamulehti reports that Helsinki has won the bid to host the 2030 men's ice hockey world championships, to be staged jointly with Riga, Latvia, according to Aamulehti.

The paper notes that Tampere was a strong contender, but the IIHF and Finnish Ice Hockey Association opted to award the event to the capital region. Kalervo Kummola, a hockey figure and chair of Tampere’s city council, says the decision is not surprising and points to Tampere’s recent MM-hosting history in the 2020s as well as its upcoming 2028 under-20 championship as evidence that Tampere remains a major venue. Tampere’s event chief Perttu Pesä stresses that Helsinki’s bid deserved the win and that the cities will continue collaborating on major events, with a potential future review of the process. Heikki Hietanen, the IIHF board member and president of the Finnish Ice Hockey Association, notes that after thorough negotiations the balance tipped toward Helsinki because the package covered all essential aspects. Helsinki mayor Daniel Sazonov adds that the city provides excellent conditions for such events and warmly welcomes hockey fans and players.