Official inauguration of the 2026 World Championship / Events & Legacy, Fribourg-Switzerland Association 

Excitement at the inauguration and the wave for Christian Hofstetter

Friday, 2 February 2024: Spectators’ experience at the game Fribourg vs Zurich.

With curiosity, spectators arriving in front of the BCF Arena observe the addition that stands in the  Fair-Play Square: a countdown symbolising the time between now and the biggest sporting event ever held in Fribourg. 833 days to go to the 2026 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship! It seems distant, and yet…

• 7.15pm: seated in the stands, the lucky spectators notice the excitement already filling the ice rink!
• 7:30 pm: inauguration of the 2026 World Championship / Events & Legacy, Fribourg-Switzerland Association by its president Romain Collaud, its vice-presidents Yvan Haymoz and Pierre-Olivier Nobs and its director Marc-André Berset. The flags of Switzerland, the Canton and the City of Fribourg displayed on the ice testify to the importance of this event! This is followed by a promotional video featuring various personalities from Fribourg. The spectators get goose bumps. This event will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression!
• 7.45pm: Time for sports with a top game between Fribourg and Zurich, the two host cities of the future tournament. To mark the occasion, the Gottéron players wear special jerseys with the Association’s logo. These will be auctioned off at the end of the match.
• 46 minutes and 1 second: the time it takes to finally celebrate a goal scored by Wallmark! The rink erupts, the spectators cheer for the Dragons, and the scent of victory is in the air…
• 59  minutes and 48 seconds: Malgin has other plans in mind and equalises for his club!
• The story ends happily for Fribourg, who wins the shoot-out thanks to two successful attempts by Sörensen. 

After the award ceremony for the best players, Christian Hofstetter, General Secretary of the 2026 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, takes the stage to share his memories about his time as an active player in Fribourg and his pleasure at seeing the rink host the competition in 2026. His emotion was palpable as the fans cheered and waved. All this happened just beneath the jersey of the former captain of Fribourg which is still exhibited on top of the ice rink …

This inaugural evening for the 2026 World Championship / Events & Legacy, Fribourg-Switzerland Association was a ful success.