Not sure about the rules, history, or even the existance of an Ice Hockey world championships (along the lines of the football world cup). Anyway, for what it's worth I think the UK has a pretty good array of facilities and these are my suggestions for venues for a future tournament

Swindon Link Centre, 5,000;
http://swindonwildcats.com/downloads/albums/trainingshoot/x6.sized.jpg

Leeds Arena, 13,000;
http://domain522613.sites.fasthosts.com/images/01_arena_impression.jpg

Newcastle Arena, 6,500;
http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/950000/images/_954892_eagles300.jpg

Sheffield Arena, 12,500;
http://www.hockeyarenas.com/sheffield2.jpg

Liverpool Arena, 10,000;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/liverpool/content/images/2004/12/07/kings_dock_home_203x152.jpg

Manchester Arena, 18,000;
http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/~jod/Storm/17245.gif

Nottingham National Ice Centre, 7,500;
http://www2.londonracers.com/news/london/uploads/825.jpg

Birmingham NIA, 8,500; (Alternatively NEC arena, 13,000)
http://www.bplphoto.co.uk/imagefiles/PigScan/samples/99-260.jpg

London O2 Arena, 23,000
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v237/Sparkynufc/dome.jpg

London Earls Court Arena, 16,000
http://www.brain-damage.co.uk/pics/ec81e.jpg

Belfast Odyssey Arena, 9,000
http://www.worldstadiums.com/stadium_pictures/europe/united_kingdom/northern_ireland/belfast_odyssey2.jpg

Ayr in Scotland must have a pretty good arena cos Ayr Scottish Eagles are the best team in the British league.

Yes, but their arena only holds 2,700. Actually, the capacities I have given are generally inaccurrate and I found out that the Swindon Link Centre is only 2000 capacity.

Blackburn has a fairly big arena too. Not great though.

Accura - bit out of date that mate, Ayr have not had a team for about 4 years now - the Centrum doesn't even have an ice pad anymore.

Think they only won the league once as well so not sure where you get this 'best team' from.

P.S. The capacity was about 2000.

Sorry, I am quite a bit out of date. I stopped following British hockey since Manchester Storm collapsed. Before that, I went to most of the matches at the Nynex.
At the time, Ayr we're the unbeatables.
Blackburn Arena:
http://thebombers.co.uk/images/181.jpg

Blimey Charlie, Accie, I went to every Storm game (home, away including Europe and pre-season European trips) for about 5 years - met the wife at ice hockey.

Where abouts did you sit?

My season ticket was in 109.

Didnt have a season ticket lol. Most of the time we sat on the side of the arena furthest from the Irwell.
Did you go to the game where they tried to go for a record crowd and managed to fill the arena?

Yep, the 6 - 2 win against Sheffield, 17,245 people.

Was a good laugh in the early days, went a bit stale after KK left and the crowds started to drop.

Think they are trying to reform with a rink in Alty, won't be the same though - even the wife (who continued to go well after I stopped) probably won't be going to the new place.

That should be interesting. I would of thought they we're well and truly buried, especially after Manc Phoenix we're created. I've never been to a Phoenix match so I must give that a try too someday.

Phoenix are dead as well, it is the old Phoenix / Storm people trying to set up in Alty.

I went to one Phoenix game, wasn't the same, crap crowds and no atmosphere.

2000 people in the MEN does not work very well.

Don't forget IceSheffield. That is a big place.

Phoenix are dead as well, it is the old Phoenix / Storm people trying to set up in Alty.

I went to one Phoenix game, wasn't the same, crap crowds and no atmosphere.

2000 people in the MEN does not work very well.
God, Phoenix didnt last very long... its a shame ice hockey isnt that popular in this country :(

Didnt have a season ticket lol. Most of the time we sat on the side of the arena furthest from the Irwell.
Did you go to the game where they tried to go for a record crowd and managed to fill the arena?

A group of us went once after getting free tickets from one of the players, a Canadian, named Mark, who we met in a Lark Lane pub. Was great, glad i managed to go at least once, the M.E.N Areana is impressive. Maybe with the growth in arenas we are seeing that Ice hockey can become more popular in the U.K. Wasn't it the British army in Canada who had some invovement in founding the modern game. Also of interest to you Accy, the Stanley cup is named after Lord Stanley, of Preston

What about the new Bristol arena opening in 2008 (cap 10,200)

http://www.southwestrda.org.uk/additional/news/article-images/interior-shot-smg-march-05.jpg

I guess Bracknell's Beehive would be too small though?

Erm, that's the MEN in Manc isn't it?

Erm, that's the MEN in Manc isn't it?

What? The picture of Bristol Arena?

It probably is - because the owners of MEN actually won the bid for running the new Bristol Arena.

They're still finalising the plans and they should be announced by the end of the year.

dronkula - anyone else, don't expect ice hockey to attrcat big crowds in this country. There is a wage cap.

Every team that starts up gets 2 or 3 years of large crowds for the novelty factor, but after a while the numbers drop down - making it very hard to run a team out off large arenas.

See Manchester, Belfast and Sheffield - all have gone bust (at least once) in the last 4 years.

notts is the only city in the uk with any kind of ice hockey tradition. 7th oldest pro club in the world.

Depending on how far ahead you look but obviously the new Leeds arena is also on the horizon, 13,000 capacity

Yes, I went to the old Nynex and watched an Ice Hockey match between Manchester Storm, and somebody else lol ... I wasn't too much into Ice Hockey, but we got a VIP Box courtesy of a Work treat etc..

I think it was an important playoff match, and the atmosphere was fantastic! Shame it couldn't last. Football will always reign supreme in this country.

Before you get excited about Leeds Arena - if the council here ever get their act together and build it - there's just been a feasibility study done on behalf of the coucil that recommended building it but without an ice pad and no facilities for hockey.

There is a private company, Leeds Arena Ltd who want to build the arena with an ice pad. It'll be a complete loss to build a new facility and have no ice.

More info on the Leeds Ice Hockey (http://www.leedsicehockey.org.uk) webiste, with links to the feasibility study and the private plans. For anyone who's botherd - the council want opinions by the end of the month on venue@leeds.gov.uk - tell them they need an ice pad!!!

As for Blackburn Arena, its a 3200 capacity place and is reputably the coldest rink in the UK! I had a season ticket there for years before I came over to Leeds and still get over every now and then. My seat is in the picture on the last page, half way up block 12!

.....and the best Storm gave I ever saw was in their first season when we beat them 12-9 in the Nynex... Must dig out that video!

I think it was an important playoff match, and the atmosphere was fantastic! Shame it couldn't last. Football will always reign supreme in this country.

Vertigo, football isn't the problem, ice hockey is its own worst enemy in this country! If they got their act together, unified the league, used decent British players instead of Canadian castoffs and actually cared about the sport instead of the money then ice hockey could more than hold its own.

I'm surprised Abramovitch hasn't put money into British Ice Hockey seeing as his team are the current European Champions.

C'mon, Fife Ice Arena!
Ok, it isn't the newes and doesn't have the largest capacity (3,280 seats) but it's got character. :scouserd:

http://www.glenrothescougars.co.uk/images/Copy_of_insiderink2.jpg
http://www.glenrothescougars.co.uk/images/rinkphoto.jpg

There is also Dundee Ice Rink and Murrayfield but Murrayfield is maybe just a little too tatty.

Edit: Oops, didn't realise this was so old. :X

Are there really any plans on getting the Ice Hockey World Championship to Britain? They do take place every year (unlike football) and you only need two or three stadiums. But the problem would be that Great Britain is playing in Division I and could only host a Division I tournament. For the real thing they would have to play with the big nations like Canada, Russia or Sweden so they could host the IIHF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS.

Personally, I dont think that GB has any business hosting the Ice Hockey Championships, just as Canada doesnt have any business hosting the world cup (yet). The lack of interest would just ruin the tournament.