The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) is the worldwide governing body for ice hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and maintains the international ice hockey rulebook, processes international player transfers, dictates officiating guidelines and is responsible for the management of international ice hockey tournaments. The IIHF was created on 15 May 1908, under the name (in French) Ligue Internationale de Hockey sur Glace (LIHG). Belgium, France, Great Britain, Switzerland, and Bohemia (now the Czech Republic) were the founding members. The IIHF was composed entirely of European teams until 1920, when Canada and the United States joined.
As of September 2024, the IIHF has 84 members. Bahrain and Kenya are the newest members, joining on 28 September 2024.
There are three levels of membership in the IIHF. The highest level, IIHF Full Members, are nations that have their own independent ice hockey association and regularly participate in IIHF World Championships. The second level, IIHF Associate Members, either do not have their own independent ice hockey association or have one, but do not meet their minimum participation standards in the IIHF World Championships. The third level, IIHF Affiliate Members, is for nations that only participate in the now-defunct Inline Hockey World Championships. The federation has 62 full members, (including two suspended members), 21 associate members and one affiliate member. Full Members can vote in IIHF Congresses, while Associate and Affiliate Members cannot.
In 2025, 58 IIHF members participate in the Men's World Championships and 45 participate in the Women's World Championships.
Members IIHF World Ranking information is accurate as 26 May 2025. In the Teams column Text in boldface indicates that the team participated in its corresponding event in 2019.MMen's Ice Hockey World ChampionshipsM-U20World Junior ChampionshipsM-U18World Under-18 ChampionshipsWWorld Women's ChampionshipsW-U18World Women's Under-18 ChampionshipsInlineInline Hockey World Championships (defunct)
Full members NationDate joinedOrganizationPresident Teams Ref.Ice Hockey Federation of Armenia 60 Ice Hockey Australia 36 29 Austrian Ice Hockey Association 12 14 Ice Hockey Federation of the Republic of Azerbaijan (suspended)Belarusian Ice Hockey Association 16 Royal Belgian Ice Hockey Federation 37 31 Bosnia and Herzegovina Ice Hockey Federation 49 44 Bulgarian Ice Hockey Federation 38 38 Hockey Canada 4 2 Chinese Ice Hockey Association 27 13 Chinese Taipei Ice Hockey Federation 40 26 Croatian Ice Hockey Federation 31 37 Czech Ice Hockey Association 6 4 Danish Ice Hockey Union 9 11 Estonian Ice Hockey Association 28 42 Finnish Ice Hockey Association 7 3 French Ice Hockey Federation 15 15 Georgian Ice Hockey National Federation 47 German Ice Hockey Federation 8 9 Ice Hockey UK 19 20 Hong Kong Ice Hockey Association 50 32 Hungarian Ice Hockey Federation 18 10 Ice Hockey Iceland 35 28 Ice Hockey Association of India Islamic Republic of Iran Skating Federation 56 Irish Ice Hockey Association Israel Ice Hockey Federation 33 43 Italian Ice Sports Federation 20 18 Japan Ice Hockey Federation 22 8 Kazakhstan Ice Hockey Federation 14 23 Kuwait Ice Hockey Association 55 Ice Hockey Federation of the Kyrgyz Republic 43 Latvian Ice Hockey Federation 11 24 Hockey Lietuva 26 34 Luxembourg Ice Hockey Federation 46 Malaysia Ice Hockey Federation 57 Mexico Ice Hockey Federation 45 27 Mongolian Hockey Federation 53 Netherlands Ice Hockey Association 30 17 New Zealand Ice Hockey Federation 39 33 Ice Hockey Association of the DPR Korea 54 40 Norwegian Ice Hockey Association 13 12 Federation of Ice Hockey League 52 Polish Ice Hockey Federation 21 21 Romanian Ice Hockey Federation 23 39 (suspended)Ice Hockey Federation of Russia 1 6 Serbian Ice Hockey Association 32 41 Singapore Ice Hockey Association 51 46 Slovak Ice Hockey Federation 10 16 Ice Hockey Federation of Slovenia 17 22 South African Ice Hockey Federation 48 36 Korea Ice Hockey Association 25 19 Royal Spanish Ice Sports Federation 29 25 Swedish Ice Hockey Association 5 7 Swiss Ice Hockey Federation 3 5 Ice Hockey Association of Thailand 42 45 Turkish Ice Hockey Federation 41 30 Turkmenistan Ice Hockey Federation 44 Ice Hockey Federation of Ukraine 24 35 UAE Ice Sports Federation 34 USA Hockey 2 1 Uzbekistan Ice Hockey Federation 59 A. Armenia was suspended by the IIHF in April 2010 for use of ineligible players on their national team that participated in the 2010 IIHF World Championship Division III Group B in Yerevan, Armenia. The suspension was lifted in 2015. B. Austria was expelled from the IIHF in 1920, then re-admitted on January 24, 1924. It was again expelled in 1939 and re-admitted on 27 April 1946. C. Russia and Belarus were suspended indefinitely by the IIHF on 28 February 2022 from competing in the IIHF World Championship because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and Belarusian support. D. The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association withdrew from the LIHG on 13 April 1944, then rejoined on 22 March 1947, as part of the merger with the International Ice Hockey Association. E. The IIHF recognizes Bohemia, which joined in 1908, and Czechoslovakia as the predecessors to the Czech Republic, which officially became a member in 1993. F. In 1940, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were annexed by the Soviet Union. Their membership expired on 27 April 1946. The three nations were re-admitted into the IIHF on 6 May 1992. G. Germany was expelled in 1920, then re-admitted on January 11, 1926. It was again expelled on 27 April 1946. West Germany and East Germany were admitted into the IIHF in 1951 and 1954, respectively. Following their reunification, Germany was re-admitted into the IIHF on 3 October 1990. H. Japan was expelled from the IIHF on 27 April 1946, then re-admitted on 10 March 1951. I. Kuwait had originally joined the IIHF in 1985, but was expelled in 1992 due to a lack of ice hockey activity. J. The IIHF recognizes the Soviet Union, which joined in 1952, as the predecessor to Russia, which officially became a member in 1992. K. The IIHF recognizes Yugoslavia, which joined in 1939, as the predecessor to Serbia, which officially became a member on 28 September 2006. L. On 22 March 1947, the LIHG chose to recognize the Amateur Hockey Association of the United States instead of the Amateur Athletic Union as the governing body of ice hockey in the United States, as part of the merger with the International Ice Hockey Association.
Associate and affiliate members NationDate joinedOrganizationPresident Teams Ref.Hockey Algeria Andorran Federation of Ice Sports Argentine Association of Ice and In-Line Hockey Bahrain Hockey Committee Brazilian Ice Sports Federation (affiliate member)Chilean Ice and Inline Hockey Federation Colombian Ice Hockey Federation Hellenic Winter Sports Federation Indonesia Ice Hockey Federation 58 Jamaican Olympic Ice Hockey Federation Kenya Federation of Ice Sports Lebanese Ice Hockey Federation Liechtenstein Ice Hockey Federation & Macau Ice Sports Federation Royal Moroccan Ice Hockey Federation Nepal Ice Hockey Association Macedonian Ice Hockey Federation Oman Ice Sports Committee Portuguese Winter Sports Federation Puerto Rico Ice Hockey Association Qatar Winter Sports Committee Tunisian Ice Hockey Association
Former members MemberDate joined IIHFDate left IIHFOrganization ReasonCzech Hockey UnionMembership rights transferred to Czechoslovakia.Czechoslovak Hockey AssociationMembership rights transferred to the Czech Republic.German Ice Skating Federation of the GDRReunification of East and West Germany.2023National Ice Hockey Federation of the Republic of MoldovaMembership ended following a prolonged lack of ice hockey activity.Namibia Ice and InLine Hockey AssociationWithdrew from affiliate membership due to a lack of ice hockey activity. Maintains an inline hockey national team and is a member of World Skate.February 19331936Newfoundland Hockey AssociationExpelled for unknown reasons. Oxford CanadiansOxford Canadians Ice Hockey ClubMembership ended after Canada joined in 1920.All-Russian Hockey UnionExpelled shortly after joining. Federation dissolved and would not rejoin until 1952 as the Soviet Union.Soviet Union Ice Hockey FederationMembership rights transferred to Russia.German Ice Hockey FederationReunification of East and West Germany, membership rights transferred to Germany.Ice Hockey Federation of YugoslaviaMembership rights transferred to Serbia (initially Serbia and Montenegro) after the breakup of Yugoslavia.
References
Bibliography
External links Official website of the International Ice Hockey Federation