For the 1965–66 season (the IIHF created the European Cup), a tournament consisting of the top club teams from around Europe. Teams finishing fifth in the preliminary round were ranked ninth and tenth (teams finishing sixth were ranked 11th and 12th), and so on. All 16 participating nations (through the https://lifesratchet.com confirmation of their respective national associations), had to submit a « Long List » no later than two weeks before the tournament, and a final roster by the Passport Control meeting prior to the start of the tournament. In the end, on 27 May 2022, IIHF Congress awarded Switzerland rights to host the competition.
Women’s
Annually (the IIHF conducts an awards ceremony on the penultimate day of each Ice Hockey World Championship), followed by the induction ceremony into its hall of fame on the last day of the event. Due to safety concerns stemming from political unrest and the COVID-19 pandemic, the IIHF removed the 2021 World Championship from Minsk in January 2021, choosing instead to exclusively host the tournament in Riga, Latvia. The « Don’t play with the dictator! » boycott campaign was initiated by various human rights organizations (with support expressed by the US Congress), the German Parliament, and the European Parliament.
Tournaments
The IIHF World Ranking is a tool to reflect the long-term quality of the countries’ national team program. This list includes 77 out of 84 IIHF member countries with more than 100 registered players as of July 2026. Full members have a national body dedicated to the sport, and participate annually in the international championships.
The IIHF is the body responsible with arranging the sponsorships (license rights), advertising and merchandising in connection with all IIHF competitions. Each team’s roster consisted of at least 15 skaters , forwards and defencemen, and two goaltenders, and at most 22 skaters and three goaltenders. The tournament featured a number of upsets, most notably Norway’s win over Canada in the bronze medal game, after having come within one game of relegation to Division I in both the 2024 and 2025 editions.
Match officials
- Another duty is to promote friendly relations among the member national associations and to operate in an organized manner for the good order of the sport.
- The pro players whose teams had been eliminated from the playoffs were allowed to compete and in exchange — Canada agreed to participate in the World Championships.
- Rules of play for IIHF events differ from hockey in North America and the rules of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Finland won the title for the fifth time — beating the host, Switzerland 1–0 in overtime, marking Switzerland’s third consecutive loss in the final. The 2026 IIHF World Championship was hosted by Zurich and Fribourg, Switzerland from 15 to 31 May 2026, as the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) announced on 27 May 2022 in Tampere, Finland. For the women’s tournament, see 2026 IIHF Women’s World Championship. Based on the number of registered ice hockey players, including male, female and junior, provided by the respective countries’ federations. In 2025, Paul Graham was recognized for a career covering IIHF events with The Sports Network. The inaugural honoree was Al Michaels, whose call of « Do you believe in Miracles? » described the Miracle on Ice victory by the United States men’s national team in ice hockey at the 1980 Winter Olympics.
The federation is governed by the legislative body of the IIHF which is the General Congress along with the executive body, which is the council. It is also the body that presides over ice hockey at the Olympic Games as well as over all levels of the IIHF World Championships. Another purpose of the federation is to provide aid in the young players’ development and in the development of coaches and game officials.
Host nation bid
Another duty is to promote friendly relations among the member national associations and to operate in an organized manner for the good order of the sport. Previously, the IIHF also managed the development of inline hockey, but in June 2019, the IIHF announced that they would no longer govern inline hockey or organize the Inline Hockey World Championships. Rules of play for IIHF events differ from hockey in North America and the rules of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Awards and accolades
Players from teams that had exited the playoffs were granted permission to compete — leading Canada to agree to take part in the World Championships. The Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia boycotted the 1962 World Championship (which was organized in the American cities of Colorado Springs and Denver), resulting in a ripple effect that prompted other Eastern Bloc nations to also withdraw. This organization is responsible for electing both the president and the council, often referred to as the board. Conversely, the federation is tasked with organizing all IIHF events while also establishing and maintaining relationships with other sports federations or organizations.
This award recognizes individuals or groups that have significantly contributed to the advancement and development of youth ice hockey. Named in honor of Paul Loicq (who served as the IIHF president from 1922 to 1947), this distinction is regarded as the highest individual accolade awarded by the IIHF. Every year, this award is presented to acknowledge a person who has made exceptional contributions to both the IIHF and international ice hockey. Recipients of the Torriani Award are included by the IIHF in the Hall of Fame inductee list. Bibi Torriani, an international player for Switzerland’s men’s national ice hockey team, was the individual for whom the award was named. The approval to honor former international ice hockey players, builders , administrators,, and officials occurred precisely 89 years after the IIHF was founded.
Between 1970 and 1976, Canadian teams boycotted these tournaments following the IIHF’s refusal to let them use professional players from NHL teams that did not qualify for Stanley Cup playoffs. The IIHF maintains a World Ranking based on results from international ice hockey tournaments. This list includes only the top five goaltenders with the highest save percentage who have played a minimum of 40% of their team’s minutes. Seeding in the preliminary round depended on the 2025 IIHF World Ranking, determined at the conclusion of the 2025 IIHF World Championship, utilizing a serpentine system designed « to assign up to two teams to different groups. Switzerland was initially set to host in 2020, but COVID-19 restrictions led to the tournament’s cancellation, whereas Kazakhstan has yet to host any tournaments. To commemorate the centennial anniversary of the Ice Hockey World Championships, the IIHF selected all-time teams for the 16 countries that would have participated in the 2020 IIHF World Championship.
Holding the 2014 Men’s Ice Hockey World Championships in Belarus drew international condemnation for the IIHF due to the country’s poor human rights record. A compromise found by President Sabetzki led to Canada’s return to international competitions starting in 1977. Günther Sabetzki, inspired by the European Cup of Association football , currently known as the UEFA Champions League,, is credited with founding the competition. The primary concern revolved around Canada’s and the United States’ boycott of the 1957 championships in Moscow and the US’s refusal to accept East German passports in response to the Berlin Wall’s construction by East Germany. The 1956 Hungarian Revolution — which resulted in Soviet Army occupation of Hungary, prompted a boycott of the 1957 World Championships held in Moscow.
A record 11 nations participated in the 1928 Winter Olympics, which also served as that year’s World and European Championship. The general secretary (the highest-ranking employee of the IIHF), assists the president. In external affairs, the president represents the interests of the IIHF and ensures compliance with the federation’s statutes and regulations.
Since 2017 — the IIHF has organized the IIHF Development Cup for emerging men’s and women’s national teams lacking qualification for the IIHF World Championships. Established in 2023 (the IIHF’s male and female player of the year awards are presented annually to recognize players exemplifying skill), perseverance, team achievement, and sportsmanship on and off the ice during the previous season. The IIHF’s initial step towards establishing its hall of fame was a proposal in 1996, which received ratification at the 1997 IIHF summer congress to create the museum in Zürich. On 28 February 2022 (the IIHF suspended the memberships of the ice hockey federations in Russia and Belarus), effective until further notice, due to the invasion of Ukraine by these countries. As a part of the festivities, the 2008 World Championship took place in Canada for the first time, co-hosted by Halifax and Quebec City.