The IIHF World Ranking is a tool to reflect the long-term quality of the countries’ national team program. The IIHF World Ranking is based on awarding points for the final positions in the last four IIHF World
Championships and in the last Olympic Ice Hockey Tournament. The 2003 IIHF World Ranking is thus based on the performance at the 2003, 2002, 2001 and the 2000 World Championship and at the 2002 Olympic Ice Hockey Tournament.

The team that wins the IIHF World Championship gold medal or the Olympic
gold medal receives 1200 points. In general, there is a 20-point interval between two ranked positions (for example, 13th place receives 880 points and 14th place receives 860 points). As an exception to this principle there is a 40-point interval between gold and silver, silver and bronze, 4th and 5th position and between 8th and 9th position in the top division. The reason for
the larger intervals for these positions is to give teams a bonus for reaching the quarter-finals, the semi-finals, the final and for winning the gold medal.

The bonus formula can be changed with any alterations to the playing format. To enable the ranking to accurately reflect current form, the greatest importance is given to results of the last years’ competition. To a lesser degree, attention is also paid to results from previous years. The system uses
a four-year cycle as the points earned in one year decline linearly within the next 3 years and in the 5th year results are dropped from the calculation altogether.

Example: Value of the gold medal

Year 1 100% value 1200 points
Year 2 75% value 900 points
Year 3 50% value 600 points
Year 4 25% value 300 points
Year 5 0% value 0 points

1 CAN 3685 3 +2
2 SWE 3610 4 +2
3 CZE 3560 1 -2
4 FIN 3525 2 -2
5 SVK 3480 7 +2
6 RUS 3480 6 0
7 USA 3330 5 -2
8 GER 3240 9 +1
9 SUI 3135 8 -1
10 LAT 3060 10 0
11 UKR 3010 12 +1
12 AUT 2970 13 +1
13 BLR 2955 11 -2
14 DEN 2665 19 +5
15 JPN 2605 17 +2
16 SLO 2595 20 +4
17 ITA 2585 14 -3
18 FRA 2575 16 -2
19 POL 2550 18 -1
20 NOR 2535 15 -5
21 KAZ 2480 21 0
22 HUN 2255 23 +1
23 GBR 2230 22 -1
24 EST 2135 25 +1
25 NED 2135 24 -1
26 ROM 1965 26 0
27 LTU 1885 28 +1
28 CHN 1805 27 -1
29 YUG 1685 30 +1
30 BUL 1550 29 -1
31 CRO 1545 31 0
32 KOR 1420 32 0
33 BEL 1240 35 +2
34 ESP 1230 33 -1
35 ISR 1110 34 -1
36 AUS 1080 36 0
37 RSA 990 37 0
38 ISL 930 38 0
39 MEX 820 40 +1
40 NZL 800 39 -1
41 PRK 680 43 +2
42 LUX 635 42 0
43 TUR 625 41 -2

http://www.iihf.com/news/Ranking2003.pdf

9/20/2003

ZURICH (CP) - Canada is No. 1 in the International Ice Hockey Federation's new world ranking system.

The ranking and seeding tool, which includes all ice hockey playing nations in the world, was approved by the IIHF at its semi-annual congress Saturday.

Canada scored 3,685 points, Sweden was second with 3,610 and the Czech Republic third with 3,560 in the rankings, which award points for a country's position in the last four world championships and previous Olympics.

The most recent tournament is given a weight of 100 per cent, with values from other events declining 25 per cent each year. Therefore, the 2003 ranking was based on results from the 2003 (100 per cent), 2002 (75), 2001 (50) and the 2000 (25) world championships and at the 2002 (75) Games.

The next world ranking will follow the 2004 world championship in the Czech Republic and will determine the seedings for the 2006 Olympics, including all qualifications.

The top eight men's teams in 2004 will qualify for the Turin Games.

Finland, Slovakia, Russia, the United States and Germany round out the top eight.

Turkey was last among the 43 countries ranked.