STOCKHOLM – The Swedish Ice Hockey Association has appointed Tony Wiréhn as the new General Secretary of the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship organizing committee. He replaces Lars G. Karlsson who will stay with the event organization.

Tony Wiréhn will start on his new job on 1st September. His previous sport experience was with the Swedish Tennis Association and his most recent position was with Cloetta, one of Sweden’s most famous chocolate producers founded in 1862.

The 77th IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship (3-19 May 2013) will go back to Stockholm, Sweden, and Helsinki, Finland as part of the two-year co-hosting agreement. Next year Stockholm will host both semi-final games as well as the medal games.

The 2012 OC General Secretary, Lars G. Karlsson, will focus fully on sport and competition issues within the 2013 organizing committee.

“It is extremely inspiring to be part of an organization like this,” said Tony Wiréhn. “The World Championship in ice hockey is the biggest annual winter sport event in the World, broadcast to 114 countries and watched by some 950 million people.”

“With a strengthened organization I am sure that we will be able to host a great event and our goal is to make it a true festival for the fans,” said the new General Secretary.

The 2013 Organizing Committee informed that ticket sales will start in mid-September.

Click here for the schedule of the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship.

Christer Englund, the chairman of the Swedish Ice Hockey Association, said that there won’t be ticket packages as for the 2012 event.

“We will make single tickets available immediately, combined with day passes in addition to offering special prices for families for selected games,” said Englund.

2013 will be the 11th time that Sweden will organize the men’s IIHF World Championship.