Format:

• At the conclusion of the 18-game Preliminary Round, all 12 teams will be ranked in a joint ranking "D". This ranking will be used for seeding the teams in the Qualification Playoff games and will used for calculating the Final Ranking at the conclusion of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games Men's Tournament.
  
  
• The following criteria will be used in the order presented to determine this ranking following completion of the Preliminary Round (1D - 12D):
  1. Higher position in the group
  2. Higher number of points
  3. Better goal difference
  4. Higher number of goals scored for
  5. Better 2009 IIHF World Ranking
   
• After the Preliminary Round, 1D, 2D, 3D and 4D will receive a bye into the Quarter-finals and will be named as the Home Team for their Quarter-final pairing.
  
  
• The Qualification Playoff games will be played with the following match-ups (Group E):
  • 5D - 12D (Winner will become E1)
  • 6D - 11D (Winner will become E2)
  • 7D - 10D (Winner will become E3)
  • 8D - 9D (Winner will become E4)
    
    
• The four winning teams of the Qualification Playoff games will advance to the Quarter-final Round. The four losing teams of the Qualification Playoff games will be ranked 9 through 12 according to their ranking after the Preliminary Round.
  
  
• The Quarter-final Games will be played with the following match-ups (Group F):
  • 1D - E4 (Winner will become F1)
  • 2D - E3 (Winner will become F2)
  • 3D - E2 (Winner will become F3)
  • 4D - E1 (Winner will become F4)
    
    
• The Semi-Final games will be played with the following match-ups. The home team will be the higher ranked team as determined at the completion of the Preliminary Round (Group D):
  • F1 - F4
  • F2 - F3