2009 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships

The 5th IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships took place in early 2009. The competition was divided into two tournaments, with Tournament B held from 15 to 21 March in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, and Tournament A held from 9 to 16 May in Ostrava, the Czech Republic. A total of thirteen teams participated; eight in Tournament A and five in Tournament B. The top six teams from Tournament A automatically qualified for the 2010 Winter Paralympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The remaining two teams from Tournament A and the top two teams from Tournament B will play in the 2009 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey Paralympic Qualifier to determine who will take the remaining two Paralympic slots.
A Tournament.
The A Tournament was held between the eight top-ranked national teams. The tournament was further divided into two groups of four teams each. Group A included Canada, the Czech Republic, Germany, Japan. Group B included Italy, Norway, South Korea, and the United States.
B Tournament.
The B Tournament was held between five lower-ranked national teams: Estonia, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Poland, and Sweden.