Founded in 1908, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), is a federation of member national hockey associations governing the sport of ice hockey and in-line hockey for both men and women based in Zürich, Switzerland.

The IIHF runs most of ice hockey's international tournaments, although its role in the recent 2004 World Cup of Hockey was limited as that was a joint venture between the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players Association. There are significant differences in the codes used by the IIHF (mostly in Europe) and the NHL (in North America). Nonetheless, the IIHF maintains a close working relationship with the NHL, and NHL players frequently take part in the various IIHF World Championships.

The IIHF has significantly more influence over the professional leagues in Europe. Here, the governing body has authority that is comparable to FIFA and/or UEFA in soccer. The European leagues invariably follow IIHF rules on the ice, and the IIHF runs tournaments for both the professional clubs as well as European championships for the national teams. The IIHF also has broad power to discipline players, including the issue of European-wide bans for conduct deemed deserving of such action.

Decisions of the IIHF can be appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland.

See also

• IIHF World Women Championships
• International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships
• List of Members of the International Ice Hockey Federation
• IIHF World Ranking
• Winter Olympics
• National Hockey League
• World Professional Hockey Championships

External link

• Official Site