State-of-the-art arenas for 2014

Playing all games in one city avoids inconvenient traveling and brings fans from all around the world closer together. The two proposed venues will offer seating to 15,000 and 8,000 spectators respectively in modern state-of-the-art arenas.

Both venues proposed for the 2014 IIHF World Championship meet the highest standards of modern multifunctional arenas, including a great variety of hospitality possibilities.

Minsk-Arena

The 15,000-seater Minsk-Arena, designated as main Championship venue, is part of a unique sports complex consisting of a velodrom, a speed-skating and a hockey arena. Construction is well under way and will be completed by the end of 2009. The Minsk Arena also conveniently comprises of two practice rinks for the use of competition teams, avoiding unnecessary travel between venues and change of dressing rooms. The velodrom arena will be used as one of many fan fest locations during the 2014 IIHF World Championship.

Chizhovka-Arena

The Chizhovka-Arena, located in the other end of Minsk, will act as second venue with 8,000 spectator seats. Construction of the arena, scheduled to begin in July 2009, has been approved by the local authorities. The Mayor of Minsk, Mikhail Pavlov, has submitted a Letter of Guarantee in this matter to the IIHF and its President, Mr. Rene Fasel. Chizhovka Arena acts as a gateway to a promising project involving hotel and entertainment facilities as part of the whole project. With its unique architectural design, it will be a landmark for the development of the city and a symbol of the progressive future of Minsk.

New arenas everywhere

In general, one may add that Belarusian ice hockey enjoys strong support of the state, which has adopted a targeted program for construction of modern palaces of winter sports. New sports centers around the country are built on a regular basis, and soon every administrative center of the Republic of Belarus will have a hockey arena of its own. Next season alone, the Republic of Belarus will add 28 brand new ice sports palaces to 20 that have been built so far, apart from the two largest ice arenas in the capital city – Minsk–Arena and Arena–Chizhovka.