Slovenia could secure survival much earlier than usual at 2027 World Championship in Switzerland

Slovenia's ice hockey team now knows its route through the 2027 World Championship in Germany, and its fight to stay among the world's best could be decided earlier than in recent tournaments.

Slovenia will play its group matches in Mannheim. The team opens against Switzerland, the world runners-up, on May 15 at 4:20 p.m. The meeting with Ukraine in the third round, on May 19 at 8:20 p.m., could already prove decisive in the battle to remain among the 16 elite national teams.

The schedule also includes a match against Austria on May 22 at 12:20 p.m. In the previous two championships, Slovenia faced its key survival opponent in its final game, against France in Stockholm last year and Italy in Fribourg this year. This time, the team may know its fate sooner.

Slovenia's other opponents in Mannheim will be Sweden, Germany, Latvia and Finland. The group also includes Switzerland and Austria. The other group, based in Düsseldorf, features the Czech Republic, Denmark, Canada, Kazakhstan, Hungary, Norway, Slovakia and the United States.

The championship runs from May 13 to 30, 2027. The opening game between Germany and Switzerland will take place at Schalke's football stadium in Gelsenkirchen, while the remaining games in Slovenia's group are scheduled for Mannheim.