Asterix and Obelix, the two main characters of the world-famous Asterix comic series, will act as official mascots of the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship jointly organized by Germany and France in Cologne and Paris from 5th to 21st May 2017.

385 days before the first puck drop, the 2017 IIHF WM Organizing Committee announced the good news for fans, active players and everyone involved. The official presentation was performed as a video presentation on www.iihfworlds2017.com, the official website of the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, and on various social media platforms.

"Together with our French colleagues of the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Organizing Committee we could win Asterix and Obelix to become our official mascots. This has been a giant coup for the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in Cologne and Paris and also for the game of ice hockey in general, because the two Gaulish heroes have gained an enormous popularity amongst the world,” said Franz Reindl, president of the German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB) and the Organizing Committee of the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship.

“Especially in Germany the adventures of Asterix and Obelix have a continuing popularity and the Asterix volumes always count by millions of copies. As our mascots Asterix and Obelix will as of now help actively to make the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship known to the public both home and abroad. During the tournament there will be a lot of fun for the fans and everybody involved.”

"We are very proud to have Asterix, a global brand from France, enrich our joint German-French 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in an extremely likeable way. The persevering battle of the small Gaulish village against the superior Roman Empire symbolizes the trial of strength between two opponents who are seemingly unequal, as is often the case in ice hockey,” said Luc Tardif, president of the French Ice Hockey Federation (FFHG) and vice president of the Organizing Committee of the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship.

“Also during the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, there will be exciting encounters, in which underdogs on paper will fight for their chance against more favourite teams and they sure will get it. For our fans and the participating teams, Asterix and Obelix symbolize role models to show: nothing is impossible.”

Les Éditions Albert René from Paris is the licence partner of the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Organizing Committee for utilizing the brand Asterix. France and Germany are clearly the strongest global markets for the adventures of Asterix and Obelix. The global production of all volumes amounts to more than 365 million copies.

The stories about the two indomitable Gauls written by René Goscinny and drawn by Albert Uderzo evolved to become one of the most successful comic series in the world since its first publication in 1959. To the present day there are 36 volumes which are translated into more than 111 languages and dialects worldwide, inter alia even the local Cologne dialect Kölsch.

Sport has been very present in the Asterix universe such as one of the most popular albums Asterix at the Olympic Games. But for the first time, Asterix and Obelix are getting involved in the sport of ice hockey.

In the run-up to the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, Asterix and Obelix will be used as Official Mascots in a variety of advertising and promotional measures and will appear in numerous live performances. During the 17 days of the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship from 5th to 21st May 2017 both Gauls will act as the main characters of the entertainment programme at the arenas in Cologne and Paris as well as in the fan villages attached to each venue.

Tickets for the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship can be purchased online on www.iihfworlds2017.com.