“Ice hockey is one of the most popular sports not only in ŠKODA AUTO’s home country but also in the Baltic States and Scandinavia, where ŠKODA is also very successful and has a large customer base. The sport and the brand are a perfect match. That’s why I’m delighted we’re supporting the Ice Hockey World Championship, the most important international event in this sport, as a sponsorship partner – and have been doing so for three decades. For this special occasion, we’re providing the organisers with a state-of-the-art fleet of vehicles, including our highly emotive and fully electric ENYAQ COUPÉ RS iV. I wish all the competitors every success and, of course, I’m keeping my fingers crossed for the Czech national team, especially.”
Martin Jahn, ŠKODA AUTO Board Member for Sales and Marketing
“The 30-year partnership between ŠKODA AUTO and the World Championship represents such a long and strong commitment that the brand has become almost synonymous with ice hockey. ŠKODA has always been a reliable partner to us, sharing not only the same values but also a passion for the game. I think very few hockey fans today (myself included) could imagine a rink without the traditional logo in the centre or ŠKODA cars in the arena as well as on the host city’s roads.”
Luc Tardif, IIHF president
ŠKODA AUTO first supported the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in 1992, initially as a mobility partner. The following year, the manufacturer became the official main sponsor of the tournament – and continues to be to this day. ŠKODA AUTO’s commitment was recognised in 2017 when it received a Guinness World Record for the longest main sponsorship of a world sports championship.
This year, the Finnish cities of Helsinki and Tampere will be hosting this highlight in the ice hockey calendar. For the 85th IIHF Men’s Ice Hockey World Championship, the 16 best national teams in the world will be playing for the title from 13 to 29 May – and once again in front of a crowd. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 World Championship was suspended, and last year, it took place without fans in the arenas. In keeping with long-standing tradition, the ŠKODA logo will once again feature in the centre circle during matches, as well as on the perimeter boards and other locations around the arenas.
ŠKODA AUTO will also have a strong presence on the streets of the host cities: As the tournament’s official mobility partner, the car manufacturer is again providing the organisers of the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship with a shuttle fleet. 45 vehicles, one-third of which will be ENYAQ COUPÉ RS iVs, will be responsible for transportation between the venues. Visitors to the event can also see the all-electric model in the two fan zones of Tampere and Helsinki. Vehicles of the ENYAQ iV, SUPERB iV and KODIAQ model series will also be on the roads. They all feature the logos of ŠKODA AUTO – the official main sponsor – and the 2022 Ice Hockey World Championship.
2022 IIHF App: Background stories and interesting statistics ŠKODA AUTO is again the exclusive partner of the 2022 IIHF App, which offers ice hockey fans exciting background information and interesting statistics. Thanks to the live ticker with goal alert, fans will never miss a goal and can follow the action virtually in real-time. The betting game allows fans to predict the outcome of the games and share their predictions with friends. The Android and iOS app is also available in several languages.
