Ice hockey at the 2014 Winter Olympics – Men's qualification
The qualification for the Olympic hockey tournament of the 2014 men was held between November 2012 and February 2013. Previously, nine of the twelve participants had qualified directly by their placement in the IIHF World Ranking and had to play no further qualifying tournament. The three remaining seats were played in a multilevel system and eventually won by the teams of Austria, Latvia and Slovenia. The German and Belarusian national team, who were represented at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, however, missed the qualification.
- 4.1 Group G
- 4.2 Group H
- 4.3 Group J
- 5.1 Group D
- 5.2 Group E
- 5.3 Group F
Direct qualification
For the Olympic tournament, the first nine nations in the IIHF World Ranking 2012 qualified after completion of the World Cup directly:
Mode
The teams from the World No. 10 played between November 2012 and February 2013, the three remaining places in a multilevel system in qualifying tournaments from. A total of 24 countries reported for the seven tournaments.
The winner of the pre-qualification and the eleven national teams in world ranking places 19 to 29 met in the first qualifying round in three groups of four teams each other. The three group winners reached the second qualifying round, where they met the nine teams that places 10 to 18 occupied in the world rankings. There was played again in three groups of four teams. The group winners who qualified for the Olympic Hockey Tournament.
Prequalification
From 17 to 19 September 2012, a pre-qualification has been played. At the pre-qualification, the four teams entered from World No. 31 took part after the 2012 World Championships. The pre-qualification has been played in a group. The participants of this tournament were Croatia, Serbia, Mexico and Israel. As the host served the Croatian Association, which hosted the tournament in Zagreb.
Group K
First qualifying round
The first qualifying round took place between the 8th and 11th November 2012. The in the world rankings better placed enjoyed the right to host the tournament. Hungary and Ukraine made in the groups G and H of this right, while the UK (Group J) and renounced the orientation Japan left.
Group G
The matches in Group G of the first qualifying round took place from 9 to 11 November 2012 in the Papp László Budapest Sports Arena in the Hungarian capital Budapest.
Group H
The matches in Group H of the first qualifying round took place from 8 to 11 November 2012 at the Sports Palace in the Ukrainian capital Kiev instead.
Group J
The matches of the group J of the first qualifying round took place from 8 to 11 November 2012 in Nikko Kirifuri Ice Arena in Japanese Nikko instead.
Second qualifying round
The second qualifying round was held between February 10, 2013 from 7. The three set to the first place teams enjoyed the right to decide on the place of alignment and made them even use.
Group D
The games in Group D were from 7 to February 10, 2013 in the newly built EgeTrans Arena in Bietigheim- Bissingen, the home ground of Bietigheim Steelers from the 2nd Hockey League, discharged. The German national team experienced a historic debacle and missed the first time in the Olympic history in the sporting way to participate in the Winter Games. Only 1948, part no German ice hockey team at Olympia, at that time, however, for political reasons. Austria secured despite a defeat after extra time against Germany in the last game in first place in Group D and thus the first part in an Olympic tournament since 2002.
Group E
The games in Group E were held from February 7 to 10 at the Arena Riga, the largest sports arena in the Latvian capital, instead. The maximum 11,000 -seat hall in 2006 was the main venue as well as a venue for the Olympic Qualifiers 2010 at the Ice Hockey World Championship for Men.
Latvia secured despite a 2:3 defeat after extra time against France on the final day the first place of Group E.
Group F
The games in Group F were held to 10 February 2013, the SE arena in the Danish Vojens of 7. The 5,000 -seat stadium and was built in 2011 is the home ground of the Danish first division club SønderjyskE Ishockey. During the tournament itself outsider Slovenia qualified surprising for the Winter Olympics in Sochi. The team of coach Matjaž Kopitar led after two 2-1 wins against Denmark and Belarus the table in Group F, and was before the final game against Ukraine, both of Belarus, as well as the host due to the gained direct comparison is not more to eliminate them from the first place.