Prague announces prices, schedule of 2024 Ice Hockey World Championships

Organizers of the 2024 Ice Hockey World Championships, which will take place in Prague, have announced the schedule and prices of the tournament.

During a press conference Tuesday, Jan Černý, the secretary general of the Czech Ice Hockey Federation, said that ticket pricing will be categorized based on the arena location, with three different price ranges available. He emphasized that the game schedule was meticulously designed to ensure that fans are treated to exciting matchups each day, adhering to fair play regulations. 

"We aim to offer captivating matches every day without any bias," Černý noted. He added that input from television broadcasters, who hold the rights to broadcast the matches, was also considered in creating the schedule. To avoid overlap, it was decided that Czech and Slovak teams would not play simultaneously.

Daily packages for Czech team matches against Norway or Austria will be priced between CZK 2,080 and CZK 3,480. Meanwhile, matches against more formidable opponents like Finland or Canada will see higher prices, ranging from CZK 2,980 to CZK 4,880. For matches involving foreign teams on days when the Czech national team is not competing, tickets will be notably cheaper, starting at CZK 1,180.

The organizers have designated five "family matches" with ticket prices starting from just CZK 190 crowns. Notably, a match between Canada and Great Britain is scheduled for Saturday, May 11, in Prague. Tickets for these matches will go on sale on Oct. 10, 2023, at 10 a.m.

From Oct. 2, participants who have entered a ballot for tickets, which has attracted 60,000 people, will be able to buy tickets. Some 20 percent of the arenas' capacities are expected to be released to the lucky winners. Those who are unsuccessful will be given the chance to purchase tickets from the unused capacity from Oct. 6.

For quarter-final matches, day package prices start at CZK 3,980, rising to CZK 8,980 for the semi-finals, and ranging from CZK 9,680 to CZK 12,980 for the final and bronze medal match.

Ticket distribution for Ostrava and Prague group games will be handled by Ticketportal, while Ticketmaster will oversee the sale of tickets for the Prague play-offs. The organizers are optimistic that the ticketing process will run smoothly, avoiding the issues experienced in 2015 when the system crashed due to overwhelming fan demand.