By reaching a top-6 position in the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship, the following five teams will have enough points to secure a top-5 position in the new World Ranking and thus earn their tickets for PyeongChang 2018: USA, Canada, Finland, Sweden and Russia. (Final order to be determined.)

Sweden and Russia will overtake Switzerland, which will drop from fourth to sixth place in the new World Ranking after missing out on a playoff-round spot and having to play in the relegation round.

Japan, also in the relegation round, will not be able to place better than seventh. The Czech Republic, which was promoted to the top division and reached the quarter-finals, can improve from ninth to seventh place by reaching the semi-finals but cannot get enough points for a better placing in the World Ranking, which is based on the results of the Olympics and Women’s World Championships played between 2013 and 2016.

Germany, which was relegated one year ago and which competed and won the Division I Group A tournament, will move from seventh down to either eighth or ninth place.

The top-5 teams of the 2016 IIHF Women’s World Ranking and host Korea are automatically qualified for the 2018 Olympic Women’s Ice Hockey Tournament. Two more teams will be determined in the Olympic Qualification that will be played during the 2016/2017 season with the two Final Olympic Qualification groups taking place 9-12 February 2017. The top-seeded teams for the Olympic Qualification – meaning the teams ranked sixth (Switzerland) and seventh (Japan or Czech Republic) in the 2016 IIHF Women’s World Ranking – will have the right to host their group.

The final 2016 IIHF Women’s World Ranking will be announced on 11 April once all women’s tournaments of the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship program will be completed.

The participants, groups and hosts of the Olympic Qualification will be determined at the 2016 IIHF Annual Congress in Moscow next month.

The 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship continues as follows:

Quarter-Finals (1 April)
Russia vs. Sweden 15:30
Finland vs. Czech Republic 19:30

Semi-Finals (3 April)
USA vs. Winner RUS/SWE 15:00
Canada vs. Winner FIN/CZE 19:30

Relegation Round (best of 3)
Game 1: Switzerland vs. Japan 1 April 13:00
Game 2: Japan vs. Switzerland 3 April 13:00
Game 3: Switzerland vs. Japan 4 April 12:00 (if needed)