Ostrava? Madness! It doesn’t compare to the NHL at all, I’ve never seen anything worse, complains Swedish star

You probably wouldn’t expect the heat to be one of the main themes of the Ice Hockey World Championship. But the complaints about the climate in Ostrava’s Ostravar Arena are growing, and after the Slovaks, the Swedes have also spoken up, specifically star back Victor Hedman.

“It’s so hot that in the 5th minute our gloves are wet and we can’t shoot, we basically don’t have control of the puck. It’s already so warm when we come in, warm up… I don’t know what it is, but it’s my first time. Someone competent should look into it,” complained Slovakian back Šimon Nemec to reporters after the game against Latvia.

“I’m fed up with Ostrava,” Juraj Slafkovský joined him afterwards. The teams from Group B are really bothered by the heat, which has prevailed in Ostravar Arena since the start of the championship. A lot of people will say that it is the same for both teams, but it is not. The team that wants to create and attack more will always be more affected by the worse conditions.

Ostrava? Insanity!

But while the Slovaks have shrugged off the Ostrava heat and headed to Prague’s more modern O2 Arena for the quarter-finals, the Swedes remain in Moravia as group winners. And they will challenge their Nordic rivals from Finland in the semi-finals. But they will also face a lot of heat.

“It’s absolutely crazy. It’s without a doubt the hottest I’ve ever played in. Thearenas in the NHL can’t compare at all,” star defenceman Victor Hedman complained to Swedish newspaper Expressen.

“There are a lot of games a day, the doors are always open and then it turns out like this. Towards the end of each period, the ice is already bumpy and the puck is bouncing around. It’s important to always assess the situation correctly,” agreed Hedman’s fellow defenseman Marcus Pettersson, who is also used to NHL arenas.

But it didn’t hinder the Swedes’ performance and they went through the group without losing a point, winning all seven games. They have not lost even once so far in the championship, confirming their role as the biggest favourite.

If the Swedes make it through the game against Finland, they might be more than happy to move to Prague than to reach the semi-finals. The ice in the O2 Arena is not the best, but the weather conditions are a bit better for the hockey players.

Source: Expressen, IIHF