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The Arizona Coyotes may not have made the postseason, but plenty of their players are still playing hockey. Arizona's hockey franchise will be represented by seven players in the 2015 IIHF World Championships, which begin tomorrow in the Czech Republic.
This year's tournament is of added importance because the top eight teams will receive automatic qualification into the 2018 Winter Olympics men's hockey tournament to be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea (though there's still an open question as to whether or not NHL players will be on those teams).
Rooting Interests for Coyotes Fans
Arizona is represented at every position; starting goaltender Mike Smith (Canada), forwards Tobias Rieder (Germany), Mark Arcobello (United States), and Martin Erat (Czech Republic), and defensemen Oliver Ekman-Larsson (Sweden), John Moore (United States), and Connor Murphy (United States). Murphy and Moore may actually be paired together during the tournament.
In addition to the current Coyotes crew in attendance, Coyotes' prospect (at least through June 30) Viktor Tikhonov will be skating for Russia. Tikhonov's SKA team won the Gagarin Cup, the KHL's version of Lord Stanley's chalice, earlier this month.
The Russian forward is rumored to be sniffing around for a return to North America soon, so the Worlds could be his audition for an NHL club.
The Best of the Rest
This year's tournament will feature a number of household names including Sidney Crosby (Canada), Evgeni Malkin (Russia), Pekka Rinne (Finland), Sergei Bobrovsky (Russia), and Jaromir Jagr (Czech Republic).
Team USA will have a number of players familiar to Arizona fans including Nashville Predator defensemen Seth Jones, Los Angeles Kings forward Trevor Lewis, and the likely 2nd pick in the upcoming NHL entry draft, Boston University forward Jack Eichel.
Format, Scheduling, and TV Information
The IIHF World Championship format is fairly straight forward. The 16 participating teams teams are placed in two groups, Groups A & B. The top four teams in each group after the preliminary round move on to the quarterfinals. From there it's a single round elimination contest. The full competition schedule is below:
| Round | Group | Date | Visitor | Home | Location | Status |
| Preliminary | A | Fri, May 1 | Latvia | Canada | O2 Arena, Prague, CZE | 10:15 AM EDT |
| Preliminary | B | Fri, May 1 | Finland | United States | ČEZ Aréna, Ostrava, CZE | 10:15 AM EDT |
| Preliminary | A | Fri, May 1 | Sweden | Czech Republic | O2 Arena, Prague, CZE | 2:15 PM EDT |
| Preliminary | B | Fri, May 1 | Norway | Russia | ČEZ Aréna, Ostrava, CZE | 2:15 PM EDT |
| Preliminary | A | Sat, May 2 | Austria | Switzerland | O2 Arena, Prague, CZE | 6:15 AM EDT |
| Preliminary | B | Sat, May 2 | Denmark | Slovakia | ČEZ Aréna, Ostrava, CZE | 6:15 AM EDT |
| Preliminary | A | Sat, May 2 | Germany | France | O2 Arena, Prague, CZE | 10:15 AM EDT |
| Preliminary | B | Sat, May 2 | Slovenia | Belarus | ČEZ Aréna, Ostrava, CZE | 10:15 AM EDT |
| Preliminary | A | Sat, May 2 | Czech Republic | Latvia | O2 Arena, Prague, CZE | 2:15 PM EDT |
| Preliminary | B | Sat, May 2 | United States | Norway | ČEZ Aréna, Ostrava, CZE | 2:15 PM EDT |
| Preliminary | A | Sun, May 3 | Sweden | Austria | O2 Arena, Prague, CZE | 6:15 AM EDT |
| Preliminary | B | Sun, May 3 | Slovenia | Russia | ČEZ Aréna, Ostrava, CZE | 6:15 AM EDT |
| Preliminary | A | Sun, May 3 | Germany | Canada | O2 Arena, Prague, CZE | 10:15 AM EDT |
| Preliminary | B | Sun, May 3 | Slovakia | Belarus | ČEZ Aréna, Ostrava, CZE | 10:15 AM EDT |
| Preliminary | A | Sun, May 3 | Switzerland | France | O2 Arena, Prague, CZE | 2:15 PM EDT |
| Preliminary | B | Sun, May 3 | Finland | Denmark | ČEZ Aréna, Ostrava, CZE | 2:15 PM EDT |
| Preliminary | A | Mon, May 4 | Sweden | Latvia | O2 Arena, Prague, CZE | 10:15 AM EDT |
| Preliminary | B | Mon, May 4 | United States | Russia | ČEZ Aréna, Ostrava, CZE | 10:15 AM EDT |
| Preliminary | A | Mon, May 4 | Czech Republic | Canada | O2 Arena, Prague, CZE | 2:15 PM EDT |
| Preliminary | B | Mon, May 4 | Finland | Norway | ČEZ Aréna, Ostrava, CZE | 2:15 PM EDT |
| Preliminary | A | Tue, May 5 | Germany | Switzerland | O2 Arena, Prague, CZE | 10:15 AM EDT |
| Preliminary | B | Tue, May 5 | Belarus | Denmark | ČEZ Aréna, Ostrava, CZE | 10:15 AM EDT |
| Preliminary | A | Tue, May 5 | France | Austria | O2 Arena, Prague, CZE | 2:15 PM EDT |
| Preliminary | B | Tue, May 5 | Slovenia | Slovakia | ČEZ Aréna, Ostrava, CZE | 2:15 PM EDT |
| Preliminary | A | Wed, May 6 | Latvia | Switzerland | O2 Arena, Prague, CZE | 10:15 AM EDT |
| Preliminary | B | Wed, May 6 | Denmark | Russia | ČEZ Aréna, Ostrava, CZE | 10:15 AM EDT |
| Preliminary | A | Wed, May 6 | Canada | Sweden | O2 Arena, Prague, CZE | 2:15 PM EDT |
| Preliminary | B | Wed, May 6 | Norway | Slovakia | ČEZ Aréna, Ostrava, CZE | 2:15 PM EDT |
| Preliminary | A | Thu, May 7 | France | Czech Republic | O2 Arena, Prague, CZE | 10:15 AM EDT |
| Preliminary | B | Thu, May 7 | Belarus | United States | ČEZ Aréna, Ostrava, CZE | 10:15 AM EDT |
| Preliminary | A | Thu, May 7 | Germany | Sweden | O2 Arena, Prague, CZE | 2:15 PM EDT |
| Preliminary | B | Thu, May 7 | Slovenia | Finland | ČEZ Aréna, Ostrava, CZE | 2:15 PM EDT |
| Preliminary | A | Fri, May 8 | Austria | Czech Republic | O2 Arena, Prague, CZE | 10:15 AM EDT |
| Preliminary | B | Fri, May 8 | Norway | Slovenia | ČEZ Aréna, Ostrava, CZE | 10:15 AM EDT |
| Preliminary | A | Fri, May 8 | Latvia | Germany | O2 Arena, Prague, CZE | 2:15 PM EDT |
| Preliminary | B | Fri, May 8 | Denmark | United States | ČEZ Aréna, Ostrava, CZE | 2:15 PM EDT |
| Preliminary | A | Sat, May 9 | Canada | France | O2 Arena, Prague, CZE | 6:15 AM EDT |
| Preliminary | B | Sat, May 9 | Russia | Belarus | ČEZ Aréna, Ostrava, CZE | 6:15 AM EDT |
| Preliminary | A | Sat, May 9 | Latvia | Austria | O2 Arena, Prague, CZE | 10:15 AM EDT |
| Preliminary | B | Sat, May 9 | Slovakia | Finland | ČEZ Aréna, Ostrava, CZE | 10:15 AM EDT |
| Preliminary | A | Sat, May 9 | Switzerland | Sweden | O2 Arena, Prague, CZE | 2:15 PM EDT |
| Preliminary | B | Sat, May 9 | Norway | Denmark | ČEZ Aréna, Ostrava, CZE | 2:15 PM EDT |
| Preliminary | A | Sun, May 10 | Czech Republic | Germany | O2 Arena, Prague, CZE | 10:15 AM EDT |
| Preliminary | B | Sun, May 10 | United States | Slovenia | ČEZ Aréna, Ostrava, CZE | 10:15 AM EDT |
| Preliminary | A | Sun, May 10 | Canada | Switzerland | O2 Arena, Prague, CZE | 2:15 PM EDT |
| Preliminary | B | Sun, May 10 | Russia | Slovakia | ČEZ Aréna, Ostrava, CZE | 2:15 PM EDT |
| Preliminary | A | Mon, May 11 | Austria | Germany | O2 Arena, Prague, CZE | 10:15 AM EDT |
| Preliminary | B | Mon, May 11 | Belarus | Finland | ČEZ Aréna, Ostrava, CZE | 10:15 AM EDT |
| Preliminary | A | Mon, May 11 | France | Sweden | O2 Arena, Prague, CZE | 2:15 PM EDT |
| Preliminary | B | Mon, May 11 | Denmark | Slovakia | ČEZ Aréna, Ostrava, CZE | 2:15 PM EDT |
| Preliminary | A | Tue, May 12 | Austria | Canada | O2 Arena, Prague, CZE | 6:15 AM EDT |
| Preliminary | B | Tue, May 12 | Belarus | Norway | ČEZ Aréna, Ostrava, CZE | 6:15 AM EDT |
| Preliminary | A | Tue, May 12 | France | Latvia | O2 Arena, Prague, CZE | 10:15 AM EDT |
| Preliminary | B | Tue, May 12 | Slovakia | United States | ČEZ Aréna, Ostrava, CZE | 10:15 AM EDT |
| Preliminary | A | Tue, May 12 | Switzerland | Czech Republic | O2 Arena, Prague, CZE | 2:15 PM EDT |
| Preliminary | B | Tue, May 12 | Russia | Finland | ČEZ Aréna, Ostrava, CZE | 2:15 PM EDT |
| Quarter-final | Thu, May 14 | TBD | TBD | ČEZ Aréna, Ostrava, CZE | 9:15 AM EDT | |
| Quarter-final | Thu, May 14 | TBD | TBD | O2 Arena, Prague, CZE | 10:15 AM EDT | |
| Quarter-final | Thu, May 14 | TBD | TBD | ČEZ Aréna, Ostrava, CZE | 1:15 PM EDT | |
| Quarter-final | Thu, May 14 | TBD | TBD | O2 Arena, Prague, CZE | 2:15 PM EDT | |
| Semifinal | Sat, May 16 | TBD | TBD | O2 Arena, Prague, CZE | 9:15 AM EDT | |
| Semifinal | Sat, May 16 | TBD | TBD | O2 Arena, Prague, CZE | 1:15 PM EDT | |
| Bronze | Sun, May 17 | TBD | TBD | O2 Arena, Prague, CZE | 10:15 AM EDT | |
| Gold | Sun, May 17 | TBD | TBD | O2 Arena, Prague, CZE | 2:45 PM EDT |
NBC Sports will carry over 40 hours of coverage from the Czech Republic, including all of Team USA's games. These games will be shown on NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra:
| Date | Game | Network | Game time (ET) |
| Fri., May 1 | Team USA vs. Finland | NBCSN (live) | 10 a.m. |
| Sat., May 2 | Team USA vs. Norway | NBCSN (delay at 11 p.m.) | 2 p.m. |
| Mon., May 4 | Team USA vs. Russia | NBCSN (live) | 10 a.m. |
| Thur., May 7 | Team USA vs. Belarus | NBCSN (live) | 10 a.m. |
| Fri., May 8 | Team USA vs. Denmark | NBCSN (live) | 2 p.m. |
| Sun., May 10 | Team USA vs. Slovenia | NBCSN (delay at 3 p.m.) | 10 a.m. |
| Tue., May 12 | Team USA vs. Slovakia | NBCSN (live) | 10 a.m. |
| Thu., May 14 | IIHF Quarterfinals | NBCSN (live) | 9 a.m. |
| IIHF Quarterfinals | Live Extra app, TV TBD | 10 a.m. | |
| IIHF Quarterfinals | Live Extra app, TV TBD | 11:30 a.m. | |
| IIHF Quarterfinals | Live Extra app, TV TBD | 1 p.m. | |
| IIHF Quarterfinals | Live Extra app, TV TBD | 2 p.m. | |
| IIHF Quarterfinals | Live Extra app, TV TBD | 11:30 p.m. | |
| Sat., May 16 | IIHF Semifinals | Live Extra app, TV TBD | 9:30 a.m. |
| IIHF Semifinals | Live Extra app, TV TBD | 1 p.m. | |
| Sun., May 17 | IIHF Bronze Medal Game | Live Extra app, TV TBD | 10 a.m. |
| IIHF Gold Medal Game | NBCSN (live) | 2:30 p.m. |