 The 2010 tournament took place in Germany . The first game , between Germany and the United States , was played at Veltins @-@ Arena in Gelsenkirchen and was attended by 77 @,@ 803 people , setting a new record for the most attended game in hockey history . The tournament was noted for having several surprising preliminary round results , including : Switzerland beating Canada for the first time in World Championship play ; Norway defeating eventual champions the Czech Republic ; and Denmark upsetting Finland and the United States en route to their first ever quarterfinal appearance . The German team , which had finished 15th in 2009 and only avoided relegation to Division I because they were set to host the 2010 tournament , advanced to the semi @-@ finals for the first time since the new playoff format was adapted . They finished fourth , losing to Sweden in the bronze medal game . In the gold medal game , the Czech Republic upset the Russian team , winning gold and ending the defending champions ' 27 @-@ game winning streak . 
