№ 2088. The 2016 IIHF World Championship Russia

 

The IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship is a sports event organized and held by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) since 1920.At first, the tournament was held as part of the Olympic Games only but shifted to an annual format in 1930.The Soviet Union made its debut at the 1954 World Championship and immediately came to the forefront of the world hockey. In all the USSR/Russia has won 27 gold (the most of all participating countries), 10 silver and 7 bronze medals at World Championships.

The 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, the 80th edition of the tournament, is hosted by Russia and will take place at two arenas in Moscow and St Petersburg from 6 till 22 May. Sixteen teams will be participating in the tournament, including Russia as the host nation.

The postage stamp features an official mascot of the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship: Laika the Dog in a hockey sweater.