STOCKHOLM – Lars Ingels from the Swedish hockey town of Leksand came up with the best name for the mascot of the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship. Say hello to Icy.

Well over 1,000 suggestions from both Swedish and Finnish icehockey lovers have been considered in the naming contest. The winner is Lars Ingels, who came up with the name Icy.

On Wednesday, 7th November, Ingels was surprised during a meeting at Siljan Café in Leksand. He had been asked to a job meeting and while sitting down a mascot suddenly walked through the door, followed by former national team goalie Tommy Salo, who is now a Swedish ambassador for the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championsship.

”I had really no idea and was tricked to this meeting,” he said with a smile. ”At first I just thought it was coincidence with a mascot right here, but when everyone turned towards me I started to wonder. After a few more seconds I finally understood.”

Ingels loves ice hockey and follows the games of the local team Leksand Stars in Sweden’s second-tier league HockeyAllsvenskan. He hopes that for the World Championship, as many professional players as possible from the NHL will be able to play for their countries. The price for winning the contest was a signed Swedish national team shirt and eight tickets to the Sweden-Switzerland game on 3rd May.

”I have been to the last three World Championships that been played in Sweden,” he said. ”Now I will be able to visit my cousins and their children and invite them to go to the game with me. The kids play ice hockey, so it will be great for all of us.”

Congratulations to Lars Ingels – and to Icy for receiving a great name.