IIHF Hall of Fame facts for kids
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| Established | 1997 |
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| Location | Hockey Hall of Fame 30 Yonge Street Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Inductees | 177 players 68 builders 7 referees 9 Torriani Awards 261 total |
The IIHF Hall of Fame is a special place that honors the best people in international ice hockey. It is run by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). This Hall of Fame started in 1997. Since 1998, it has been located inside the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, Canada.
Before 1997, the IIHF had some displays at the International Hockey Hall of Fame in Kingston, Ontario. New members are added to the Hall of Fame every year. This happens during the medal ceremony at the Ice Hockey World Championships. As of 2025, the IIHF has honored 261 members.
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What is the IIHF Hall of Fame?
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) was created in 1908. It started with five countries in Europe. Now, the IIHF has 76 national hockey groups as members. It organizes big international events. These include ice hockey at the Olympic Games and the Ice Hockey World Championships.
Over many years, the IIHF collected items from these events. But they only showed them in temporary displays. In 1990, a person named Roman Neumayer helped make a deal. This deal was to show IIHF items in Kingston, Ontario. He wanted people in North America to learn about European hockey history.
The IIHF loaned over 4,000 items to the Kingston hall of fame. This was for five years, from 1992 to 1997. They were planning a more permanent display. But the partnership ended in 1997. The IIHF left because a new building was not being built in Kingston.
How the Hall of Fame Started
The IIHF decided to create its own Hall of Fame in 1996. This idea was approved in 1997. The goal was to honor former international ice hockey players. It also honored "builders" (people who helped grow the sport) and officials. Walter Bush and Kimmo Leinonen led the efforts to start the Hall of Fame.
The IIHF wanted to honor people who helped hockey grow in their countries. They also wanted to honor those who helped hockey around the world. The induction ceremony happens every year. It takes place on the medal day of the Ice Hockey World Championships.
The first members were honored in Helsinki in 1997. This was during the 1997 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships. Paul Loicq, who was a long-time IIHF president, was one of the first 31 members. Later, the IIHF agreed with the National Hockey League. They decided to move the exhibits to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. This move happened on July 29, 1998.
The IIHF also gives out two other awards. The Paul Loicq Award has been given since 1998. It honors people who help develop hockey. In 2015, the IIHF created the Torriani Award. This award is for great players from countries that are not top hockey nations. The award is named after Bibi Torriani. He played for the Switzerland men's national ice hockey team. These two awards are given out at the same time as the Hall of Fame inductions.
What You Can See at the Hall
The IIHF Hall of Fame is in the "World of Hockey Zone." This area is sponsored by Tissot. It is about 6,000 square feet (557 square meters). This makes it the biggest part of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
The zone has an honor roll. It lists each person inducted by their country and the year they were honored. You can see items from every IIHF member country. This includes many national team hockey jerseys. The "World of Hockey" also celebrates members of the Triple Gold Club. This club includes players who have won the Stanley Cup, Olympic gold, and World Championship gold.
You can also see items from the "Miracle on Ice." This was a famous hockey game at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games. Other important events shown include the 1972 Summit Series. There are also displays about the men's and women's Ice Hockey World Championships. You can learn about European hockey leagues, the Spengler Cup, the World Cup of Hockey, and the Canada Cup.
The exhibits also show trophies from IIHF events. These include Olympic gold medals for men's and women's ice hockey. You can also see trophies from the men's and women's world championships. The IIHF World U20 Championship (World Juniors) and the Spengler Cup trophies are also on display.
Honored Members
People are chosen for the IIHF Hall of Fame in a special way. National hockey groups, IIHF council members, and an elections committee suggest candidates. As of 2025, there are 261 total members.
In 2008, Geraldine Heaney, Angela James, and Cammi Granato made history. They were the first three women to be inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame.
In December 2022, Sandra Dombrowski was announced. She became the first female referee to be inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame.
See also
- IIHF Centennial All-Star Team, a team chosen in 2008 as the best players in international ice hockey.
- IIHF All-Time Teams, all-star teams chosen by country in 2020.
