International Ice Hockey Federation facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
International Ice Hockey Federation

Abbreviation	IIHF
Formation	15 May 1908; 117 years ago (1908-05-15)
Founded at	Paris, France
Type	Sports federation
Legal status	Governing body of ice hockey
Purpose	Sport governance
Headquarters	Zurich, Switzerland
Region served	Worldwide
Membership	84 members
Official languages	English, French, German
President	Luc Tardif

The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) is the main organization for ice hockey around the world. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland. The IIHF has 84 member countries that play ice hockey.

The IIHF creates the IIHF World Ranking. This ranking shows how well countries' ice hockey teams are doing. The rules for IIHF games are different from those used in North America or the National Hockey League (NHL). If there's a disagreement about an IIHF decision, it can be taken to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The IIHF also has its own Hall of Fame. The IIHF Hall of Fame started in 1997. Since 1998, it has been part of the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.

The IIHF used to manage inline hockey. But in June 2019, they stopped being in charge of it. They also stopped organizing the Inline Hockey World Championships.

What the IIHF Does

The IIHF Headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland.

The main jobs of the IIHF are to lead, grow, and organize ice hockey everywhere. They also help create good relationships between member countries. The IIHF makes sure the sport is run in an organized way.

The federation can take steps to follow its own rules and laws. It has clear authority over international ice hockey. The IIHF is also in charge of getting sponsors. They manage license rights, advertising, and merchandise for all IIHF events.

Another goal of the IIHF is to help young players get better. They also help train coaches and game officials. The IIHF organizes all its events. It also works with other sports groups. The IIHF handles international player transfers. It is also in charge of ice hockey at the Olympic Games. They also oversee all levels of the IIHF World Championships. The federation works with local groups to organize its 25 World Championships. These championships are held in five different categories.

The IIHF also organizes European club competitions. Examples are the Champions Hockey League and the Continental Cup.

The IIHF is run by two main groups. The General Congress makes the big decisions. The Council is the executive group that carries out these decisions. The Congress decides on game rules and laws. It also elects the president and the Council. The IIHF president represents the federation. The president makes sure decisions follow the rules. The General Secretary helps the president. This person is the highest-ranking employee of the IIHF.

History of the IIHF

The International Ice Hockey Federation started on May 15, 1908. It was founded in Paris, France. Its first name was Ligue Internationale de Hockey sur Glace (LIHG). Ice hockey was first included in the 1920 Olympics.

The Poland men's national ice hockey team played for the first time at the 1928 Winter Olympics.

The 1928 Winter Olympics had a record 11 countries playing. This event was also the World and European Championship that year.

In 1957, some countries boycotted the World Championships. These championships were held in Moscow. Canada and the United States led this boycott. They were joined by Norway, West Germany, Italy, and Switzerland. This happened because of political events in Hungary.

The 1962 World Championship was held in American cities. The Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia boycotted it. Other Eastern Bloc countries also joined the boycott. This was partly because of the 1957 boycott. It was also because the Americans did not accept East German passports. This was due to the building of the Berlin Wall.

For the 1965–66 season, the IIHF started the European Cup. This tournament was for the best club teams in Europe. It was inspired by the European Cup in Association football. In 1968, the IIHF created the European U19 Championship. This was for players aged 19 and under. The age limit was later changed to 18 in 1977.

During the 1980s, Canada stopped boycotting the World Championships and Olympic Games. Canada had boycotted these events from 1970 to 1976. This was because the IIHF did not allow professional players from NHL teams to play. President Günther Sabetzki found a solution. Canada returned to international events in 1977. Professional players whose teams were out of the playoffs could now compete. In return, Canada agreed to play in the World Championships. They also gave up their right to host any World Championships. The Canada Cup was also created as part of this new agreement. This competition was organized by the NHL every four years.

The IIHF continued to grow in the 1980s and 1990s. This was due to political changes and hockey's growth. When the Soviet Union broke up, Russia took its place. Four new countries joined: Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine. Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania also rejoined. They had been members in the 1930s but were removed earlier. The breakup of Yugoslavia also added new members. Croatia and Slovenia joined. The old Yugoslavia's membership went to Serbia and Montenegro. When Czechoslovakia split, the Czech Republic took its place. Slovakia joined as a new member. More members meant the IIHF Group A tournament got bigger. It went from 8 teams to 12 in 1992. Then it grew from 12 to 16 teams in 1998.

The IIHF celebrated its 100th birthday in 2008. The 2008 World Championship was held in Canada for the first time. It was co-hosted by Halifax and Quebec City.

More countries joined the IIHF in the 21st century. These included Chile (2000), Bosnia and Herzegovina (2001), and the United Arab Emirates (2001). Many other countries joined too, like Malaysia (2006), Georgia (2009), Morocco (2010), Jamaica (2012), and the Philippines (2016). Recently, Tunisia (2021), Puerto Rico (2022), Bahrain (2024), and Kenya (2024) also became members.

The IIHF faced criticism for holding the 2014 Men's Ice Hockey World Championships in Belarus. This was due to concerns about the country's situation. Several groups asked for a boycott. There were also appeals from the US Congress and the European Parliament.

The IIHF again faced criticism for planning to hold part of the 2021 Men's Ice Hockey World Championships in Belarus. In January 2021, the IIHF moved the 2021 World Championship from Minsk. This was due to safety and security issues. The tournament was then held only in Riga, Latvia.

On May 23, 2021, an incident happened involving an airplane in Minsk. In protest, Latvian officials changed the Belarusian state flag in Riga. They used a different flag linked to opposition groups. This included the flag display at the 2021 IIHF World Championship. The IIHF said they were against this. IIHF president René Fasel asked for the IIHF name and symbols to be removed. He said the IIHF is a "sports organization" and not involved in politics. The mayor of Riga agreed to remove the IIHF flags.

On February 28, 2022, the IIHF stopped the memberships of Russia and Belarus. This was because of the countries' actions in Ukraine. Their memberships are suspended until further notice.

Even with the suspension, non-Russian players in Russian clubs are still bound by their contracts. They cannot leave their clubs or Russia until their contracts end. If players leave, they could face legal action. They might also be stopped from playing for other clubs.

On March 22, 2023, the IIHF excluded Russian and Belarusian teams from competitions. This was for the 2023–24 season. The decision was made for safety reasons.

Awards and Honors

The IIHF gives out awards every year. The awards ceremony is on the second-to-last day of the World Championship. The Hall of Fame induction ceremony is on the last day. Before 2024, all awards were given at one ceremony.

IIHF Hall of Fame

The Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto has been home to the IIHF Hall of Fame since 1998.

Before the IIHF Hall of Fame started, the IIHF showed old hockey items in temporary displays. From 1992 to 1997, the IIHF loaned its items to the International Hockey Hall of Fame in Kingston, Canada.

The IIHF decided to create its own Hall of Fame in 1996. It was approved in 1997. The goal was to honor great international ice hockey players, builders (people who helped the sport grow), and officials. The induction ceremony happens during the World Championships. The IIHF agreed to move its exhibits to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. This happened on July 29, 1998.

In 2015, the IIHF created the Torriani Award. This award is for "players with an amazing career from countries not known for top hockey." It was named after Bibi Torriani, a player from Switzerland. The IIHF includes Torriani Award winners in the Hall of Fame list.

Paul Loicq Award

The Paul Loicq Award started in 1998. It is given every year to someone who has made "great contributions to the IIHF and international ice hockey." It is named after Paul Loicq, who was IIHF president from 1922 to 1947. This is the highest personal award from the IIHF.

Centennial All-Star Team

The IIHF Centennial All-Star Team is a special group of hockey players. They were chosen from international tournaments. The team was picked based on how much they impacted international hockey for at least ten years. They had to play at the highest level, like the Olympics or World Championships. This team was named in 2008. All six players were already in the IIHF Hall of Fame.

Milestone Award

The Milestone Award started in 2012. It is given to teams that have made a big difference in international hockey. Or to teams that have greatly influenced the game's development. The IIHF wanted an award to recognize important events, teams, or moments. They asked hockey fans for ideas to rename it. The award is given sometimes, not every year. It was not given between 2013 and 2024.

All-Time Teams

The IIHF chose all-time teams for 16 countries. These countries would have played in the 2020 IIHF World Championship. This was to celebrate 100 years of the Ice Hockey World Championships.

Player of the Year Awards

The IIHF started male and female player of the year awards in 2023. These awards are given every year. They honor players who show great skill, determination, and good sportsmanship. A group of media and IIHF members chooses the winners. To be eligible, a player must have played in at least one of four IIHF tournaments. These include the Winter Olympics and World Championships. They also must have played in a top national league. Their combined performance must be better than all other players.

Johan Bollue Award

The Johan Bollue Award started in 2023. It is named after Johan Bollue (1964–2021). He helped develop sports for the Royal Belgian Ice Hockey Federation. He also organized Youth Olympic Games and mentored coaches. This award is given to a person or group. It recognizes their big help in growing youth ice hockey. Markus Graf received the award in 2024. Jim Aldred will receive it in 2025.

Media Award

The IIHF Media Award started in 2024. It is given to someone who has greatly helped international hockey. This includes work in television, print, and radio. The first winner was Al Michaels. He famously called the "Miracle on Ice" victory by the United States men's national team in the 1980 Winter Olympics. In 2025, Paul Graham was recognized for covering IIHF events.

IIHF Tournaments

Men's Tournaments

Current top four per tournament – Current pool: 58 countries

Tournament	Year	Champions	Runners-up	Third place	Fourth place
Winter Olympics	2022	Finland	Russia	Slovakia	Sweden
IIHF World Championship	2025	United States	Switzerland	Sweden	Denmark
U-20 IIHF World Championship	2025	United States	Finland	Czechia	Sweden
U-18 IIHF World Championship	2025	Canada	Sweden	United States	Slovakia

Women's Tournaments

Current top four per tournament – Current pool: 44 countries

Tournament	Year	Champions	Runners-up	Third place	Fourth place
Winter Olympics	2022	Canada	United States	Finland	Switzerland
IIHF Women's World Championship	2025	United States	Canada	Finland	Czechia
U-18 IIHF Women's World Championship	2025	Canada	United States	Czechia	Sweden

Club Tournaments

Current top four per tournament

Tournament	Year	Champions	Runners-up	Third place	Fourth place
Champions Hockey League	2024–25	ZSC Lions	Färjestad BK	Sparta Praha & Genève-Servette HC
IIHF Continental Cup	2024–25	Cardiff Devils	Brûleurs de Loups	GKS Katowice	HC Arlan

Developmental Tournaments

Since 2017, the IIHF has approved the IIHF Development Cup. This is for men's and women's teams that are still developing. These teams do not qualify for the main IIHF World Championships.

Tournament	Year	Gender	Champions	Runners-up	Third place
IIHF Development Cup	2025	Men	Puerto Rico	Liechtenstein	Portugal
	2023	Women	Colombia	Argentina	Iran

IIHF Leaders

The IIHF has about twenty staff members at its main office in Zurich.

Presidents of the IIHF

Name	Years
Louis Magnus	1908–1912
Henri van den Bulcke	1912–1914
Louis Magnus	1914
Peter Patton	1914
Henri van den Bulcke	1914–1920
Max Sillig	1920–1922
Paul Loicq	1922–1947
Fritz Kraatz	1947–1948
W. G. Hardy	1948–1951
Fritz Kraatz	1951–1954
Walter A. Brown	1954–1957
Bunny Ahearne	1957–1960
Robert Lebel	1960–1963
Bunny Ahearne	1963–1966
William Thayer Tutt	1966–1969
Bunny Ahearne	1969–1975
Günther Sabetzki	1975–1994
René Fasel	1994–2021
Luc Tardif	2021–present

Chief Medical Officers

• Wolf-Dieter Montag, Germany (1975 to 1998)
• Mark Aubry, Canada (1998 to present)

IIHF Member Countries

Map showing current IIHF member countries. (Red means full members, blue means associate members, green means affiliate members, and black means suspended members.)

As of September 28, 2024, the IIHF has 84 member countries.

There are 60 full members. This includes two suspended members. Full members have a national organization just for ice hockey. They play in the international championships every year. Only full members can vote.

There are also 23 associate members and 1 affiliate member. These countries might not have a national hockey body. Or they might not play in international championships regularly.

Members by Division

Men's Divisions

Here are the countries playing in the 2025 Men's Ice Hockey World Championships. They are grouped by their skill level:

Division	IIHF members
Top
I
II
III
IV

Men's U20 Divisions

Here are the countries playing in the 2025 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. They are grouped by their skill level:

Division	IIHF members
Top
I
II
III

Women's Divisions

Here are the countries playing in the 2024 Women's Ice Hockey World Championships. They are grouped by their skill level:

Division	IIHF members
Top
I
II
III

Registered Players by Country

This list shows how many ice hockey players are registered in each country. It includes male, female, and junior players. The numbers are from October 2022. This list includes 71 of the 84 IIHF member countries.

Country	Registered players	% of registered players	% of population
United States	551,006	35.44%	0.166%
Canada	513,674	33.04%	1.361%
Russia	103,101	6.63%	0.071%
Finland	66,687	4.29%	1.204%
Sweden	61,547	3.96%	0.609%
Czechia	34,341	2.21%	0.321%
Switzerland	29,360	1.89%	0.339%
Germany	21,090	1.36%	0.025%
France	18,686	1.20%	0.029%
Japan	16,219	1.04%	0.013%
China	13,388	0.86%	0.001%
Great Britain	13,327	0.86%	0.020%
Slovakia	11,447	0.74%	0.210%
Hungary	8,943	0.58%	0.093%
Norway	8,618	0.55%	0.159%
Latvia	7,898	0.51%	0.419%
Austria	7,232	0.47%	0.080%
Belarus	7,053	0.45%	0.075%
Australia	6,150	0.40%	0.024%
Ukraine	5,341	0.34%	0.012%
Denmark	5,147	0.33%	0.089%
Italy	5,136	0.33%	0.008%
Kazakhstan	4,320	0.28%	0.023%
Poland	3,950	0.25%	0.010%
Netherlands	3,515	0.23%	0.021%
South Korea	3,044	0.20%	0.006%
Kyrgyzstan	2,702	0.17%	0.041%
Romania	2,213	0.14%	0.012%
New Zealand	2,035	0.13%	0.042%
Belgium	1,793	0.12%	0.015%
North Korea	1,700	0.11%	0.007%
India	1,502	0.10%	0.000%
Turkey	1,486	0.10%	0.002%
Lithuania	1,340	0.09%	0.049%
Mexico	1,232	0.08%	0.001%
Slovenia	1,072	0.07%	0.052%
Estonia	995	0.06%	0.075%
Argentina	980	0.06%	0.002%
Bulgaria	945	0.06%	0.014%
Spain	893	0.06%	0.002%
Chinese Taipei	868	0.06%	0.004%
Mongolia	828	0.05%	0.025%
Iceland	752	0.05%	0.220%
United Arab Emirates	695	0.04%	0.007%
Serbia	668	0.04%	0.008%
Thailand	624	0.04%	0.001%
Georgia	598	0.04%	0.015%
Hong Kong	576	0.04%	0.008%
Croatia	520	0.03%	0.013%
Israel	508	0.03%	0.006%
Luxembourg	492	0.03%	0.079%
South Africa	480	0.03%	0.001%
Uzbekistan	421	0.03%	0.001%
Kuwait	402	0.03%	0.009%
Ireland	350	0.02%	0.007%
Turkmenistan	347	0.02%	0.006%
Greece	269	0.02%	0.003%
Chile	250	0.02%	0.001%
Bosnia and Herzegovina	242	0.02%	0.007%
Iran	233	0.01%	0.000%
Morocco	225	0.01%	0.001%
Singapore	220	0.01%	0.004%
Lebanon	208	0.01%	0.003%
Puerto Rico	205	0.01%	0.007%
Armenia	187	0.01%	0.006%
Philippines	185	0.01%	0.000%
Qatar	165	0.01%	0.006%
Indonesia	139	0.01%	0.000%
Macau	121	0.01%	0.019%
Colombia	110	0.01%	0.000%
Malaysia	110	0.01%	0.000%

IIHF World Ranking

The IIHF World Ranking shows how good countries' national teams are over time. This ranking is updated after each IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship and the Olympic Ice Hockey Tournament.

See also

In Spanish: Federación Internacional de Hockey sobre Hielo para niños