IIHF unveils groups for 2022 Olympic hockey

The IIHF announced updated rankings and unveiled the groups for men's and women's hockey at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.

Here's a look at how the countries will line up in the men's bracket:

Group A: Canada (1), USA (6), Germany (7), China (12)
Group B: Russia (2), Czech Republic (5), Switzerland (8), Qualifier 3 (11)
Group C: Finland (3), Sweden (4), Qualifier 1 (9), Qualifier 2 (10)

The three qualifying positions will be awarded through tournaments set to conclude in August 2020 that feature 12 countries. However, that timeline is uncertain, as the coronavirus pandemic has already postponed or canceled several international events.

The 2018 Olympics marked the first time since 1998 that NHLers didn't participate. In January, commissioner Gary Bettman said the league is "very comfortable" not going to the Olympics.

Here's how the women's tournament will be set up:

Group A: USA (1), Canada (2), Finland (3), Russia (4), Switzerland (5)
Group B: Japan (6), Qualifier 1 (7), Qualifier 2 (8), Qualifier 3 (9), China (10)

In 2018, the U.S. women's team knocked off Canada in a gold-medal game shootout, while Finland claimed bronze.

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