IIHF — International Ice Hockey Federation

What is the IIHF?

The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) is the international federation for ice hockey. Its Statutes and Bylaws open by constituting it as an independent association in accordance with Swiss law, founded in 1908, and state: “The IIHF is the governing body for ice hockey, recognized by the International Olympic Committee.”^[1] On its own site the federation calls itself “The governing body of international ice hockey”.^[2]

Its members are national associations. The IIHF says that each one “is the national governing body of the sport in its nation”, and counts 84 of them.^[2] Statute 4 sets out the mission to “promote ice hockey throughout the world and to lead the ice hockey movement as recognized by the International Olympic Committee”.^[1] Under Statute 6.1, “English is the official IIHF Language.”^[1]

The edition in force is the IIHF Statutes and Bylaws for 2024–2028, which state that they come into effect on 28 September 2024; the federation publishes it with a track-changes version and its membership guidelines on its statutes page.^[1][14] The IIHF’s office is in Zurich; its contact page states that it is “registered as an association” under a Swiss company and VAT identification number.^[15]

What does the IIHF govern or do?

The IIHF describes its core work as controlling “the international rulebook, processing international player transfers, and dictating officiating guidelines”, alongside development programmes, the World Championships and Olympic ice hockey.^[2] It publishes the IIHF World Ranking, which, in the federation’s words, “is based on awarding points for the final positions in the last four IIHF World Championships and in the last Olympic Ice Hockey Tournament” and is released after each World Championship and Olympic tournament; the IIHF notes that the ranking published in June 2026 applies only to men’s ice hockey.^[12] See world rankings.

On anti-doping, Statute 12.2.1(d) requires member associations to “Accept the WADC and ensure that its internal policies” comply with it, and the IIHF is a World Anti-Doping Code signatory.^[1][6] Under Statute 22.2, a final IIHF decision “may only be appealed at the CAS, with the exclusion of the state courts”.^[1]

The IIHF does not run the North American professional game. The NHL is a separate league, and its players’ presence at the Olympic Games is negotiated: the NHL reported on 2 July 2025 that NHL player participation in Milano Cortina 2026 had been finalised among the NHL, the NHL Players’ Association, the IIHF and the IOC, and quoted Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly that participation in 2030 is “a whole different negotiation”.^[13]

When was the IIHF founded and where is it based?

Olympedia, a source independent of the federation, records that “The Ligue International de Hockey sur Glace (LIHG) was founded on 15 May 1908 in Paris, France, with representatives from Belgium, France, Great Britain, and Switzerland.”^[4] The IIHF’s own timeline gives the same date and city but a fifth founder: “France, Belgium, Switzerland, Great Britain and Bohemia are the founding members.”^[5] The two sources thus agree on the date and place and differ on whether Bohemia was a founder.

The renaming is a separate date. Olympedia states that “The federation adopted its current English name, International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), in 1954.”^[4] The IIHF’s timeline, as retrieved, does not give the year of the change.

The seat is fixed by the Statutes: “IIHF headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland”.^[1] The federation’s contact page gives the office address as Brandschenkestrasse 50, 8002 Zurich.^[15] Olympedia likewise places the office in central Zürich, and records Luc Tardif of France as president.^[4] No source retrieved gives the year the office moved to Zurich.

How is the IIHF recognised?

IOC recognition rests on the federation’s Statutes: Statute 1.2 describes the IIHF as “the governing body for ice hockey, recognized by the International Olympic Committee.”^[1] No primary source giving the date of the IOC’s recognition could be retrieved. WADA’s list of Code signatories carries the “International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF)” under the heading “WOF members (Winter Olympic Federations)”.^[6] Olympedia records that men’s ice hockey first appeared at the Summer Games of Antwerp 1920 and has been on the Winter programme since 1924, with women’s ice hockey added at Nagano 1998.^[4]

Russia and Belarus. On 28 February 2022 the IIHF Council decided on the “Suspension of all Russian and Belarusian National Teams and Clubs from participation in every age category and in all IIHF competitions or events until further notice”, and withdrew Russia’s hosting of the 2023 World Junior Championship.^[7] On 29 May 2026 the IIHF reported that on 25 May 2026 its Disciplinary Board had “annulled the Council’s previous decision from January 2026” on Russia, and had “explicitly confirmed that this does not mean that Russia has automatically been reintegrated”; the Council would decide Russia’s eligibility “on an event-by-event basis”.^[8] On 30 July 2026 the IIHF announced that the Council had determined that Russia “will not be allowed to participate” in the 2027 Men’s World Championship, World Junior Championship and both U18 World Championships “due to ongoing safety, security and sporting integrity concerns”, with the 2027 Women’s World Championship to be reviewed in November 2026.^[9] That statement does not address Belarus. See national suspensions and neutral athletes.

What does the IIHF organise?

The IIHF’s timeline records the first LIHG European Championships at Les Avants, Switzerland, in January 1910, and the first IIHF World Championship held outside the Olympic Games in 1930, in Chamonix, Berlin and Vienna; the first IIHF-sanctioned women’s world championship was played in Ottawa in 1990.^[5] The men’s IIHF World Championship is annual; the IIHF reports that at the 2026 edition Finland “blanked host Switzerland 1-0 in the final in Zurich.”^[10] The next edition, the IIHF World Championship Germany 2027, is scheduled for 14–30 May 2027.^[16][11]

The IIHF runs the Olympic ice hockey tournaments with the IOC. At the Winter Olympic Games Milano Cortina 2026, which NHL players contested, the United States won both finals against Canada, each 2–1 — the men’s with a “golden goal”, the women’s in sudden death — as the IIHF recorded on 24 September 2026.^[10][13]

Below the senior level the IIHF stages under-20 and under-18 championships. In 2026 Sweden won the World Junior Championship in St. Paul and the men’s U18 championship in Slovakia, and the United States the women’s U18 championship in Sydney, Nova Scotia.^[10] The 2027 World Junior Championship opens on Boxing Day 2026 in Edmonton and Red Deer, and the 2026 Women’s World Championship is scheduled for 6–16 November 2026.^[11]

Who are its members?

The IIHF’s members page states: “The International Ice Hockey Federation has 84 member national associations.” It divides them into two categories — 61 full members and 23 associate members.^[3] Olympedia, independently, gives the same figures: “As of January 2026, the IIHF has 84 member national associations (61 Full Members and 23 Associate Members).”^[4]

The Statutes define the categories: full membership (Statute 11.1) is for associations that control ice hockey alone and meet the federation’s participation standards, while associate membership (Statute 11.2) allows an association to sit within a multi-sport organisation under stated conditions.^[1] Every member association must accept the World Anti-Doping Code under Statute 12.2.1(d).^[1] The IIHF publishes separate membership guidelines and an application form for prospective members.^[14]

Russia and Belarus remain on the IIHF’s list of member associations as full members; the 2022 Council decision is worded as a suspension of their national teams and clubs from participation in IIHF competitions and events.^[3][7] The United States is on the same list of members.^[3]