May 2008 Volume 12 Number 2 Published by International Ice Hockey Federation Editor-in-Chief Horst Lichtner Editor Szymon Szemberg Design Jenny Wiedeke Will the goal-diggers strike gold again? GREAT IN ‘08? Two big reasons for Canada’s 2007 success in Moscow, was the performance of captain Doan (left) who had 10 points, and MVP Nash who had 11 points nine games. Will Canada be able to duplicate the success on home ice? 100 years after its start, international hockey returns to its homeland Finally. After 100 years of existence and 71 World In earlier years, international hockey was of marginal interest to Canadians. Today, all Championships the IIHF is going to Canada for its mar- the fans from the Maritimes to British Columbia take pride in their national team, quee event. The tradition that started in the small Swiss whether it’s the men’s team at the Olympics or World Championships, the World alpine village of Les Avants in 1910, will reach its highest Juniors entry or the women’s squad. peak yet in Quebec City on May 18, 2008. ■■ Going to Halifax and Quebec City, Team Canada has a record 24 IIHF World RENÉ FASEL EDITORIAL Championship titles, the last one won in Moscow one year ago. Going for 25, the Canadians will be skating against all odds. No home team has managed to win the ■■ The IIHF was founded in 1908 in Paris and two years later gold medal on home ice since the Soviet Union did it in 1986. This is a 22-year curse. the first official international tournament was organized in Les Avants. The European Furthermore, no team has successfully defended its World title at home since 1979. Championship was the precursor to the World Championship. Also this feat was achieved by the Big Red Machine. Only once during all those years, has the IIHF ventured outside Europe with the men’s But the competition will be stiff, just like in the other categories of the IIHF’s World flagship tournament. It was in Colorado Springs, USA in 1962. Eight years later the Championship program. In the recently-concluded World Women’s Championship in IIHF allocated the championship to Canada for the first time as Montreal and China, Canada’s domination was stopped by the Americans who defeated Team Winnipeg assumed the hosting of the 1970 World Championship. Canada twice in the same tournament. This has not happened since the 1998 Olympics in Nagano. Instead of this opening a new era, 1970 was the start of the darkest period in the history of the IIHF. Not wanting to compromise on Olympic amateur rules, the IIHF ■■ This was a historic tournament since it broke many of the cemented structures congress voted against the Canadian request to dress a number of professionals in the women’s game. Switzerland defeated Olympic silver medalist Sweden for the for the championship. Canada responded by pulling out of international hockey first time ever and reached the bronze medal game. Finland scored an equally historic altogether and didn’t return until 1977. The 1970 tournament had to be moved to win against the United States in the preliminaries and displaced the Swedes from the Stockholm, Sweden. medal podium. Team USA eventually shook off the disappointment and won gold. ■■ All this is behind us and the relations between the IIHF and Canadian hockey Will the unpredictable also happen in Halifax and Quebec City? have never been better. For me, going to Canada with the World Championship in the centennial year of our organization is a symbol of final reconciliation between the René Fasel world governing body of the sport and Canadian hockey. IIHF President 2 Volume 12 Number 2 May 2008 Ushering in a new hockey era at IIHF General Congress ELECTION NEWS ■■ If you think that the action in Canada will be limited ❑ Tuesday, May 20: The Annual Congress will officially ■■ With the approach of the IIHF General Congress, to the ice, think again. After the conclusion of the 2008 open with the calendar meeting followed by the 2009 the hockey world prepares to elect a new IIHF Council. IIHF World Championship, delegates will move onto Championship allocation for those events that Below is the complete election list as of April 25. Please Montreal for the IIHF Annual and General Congresses. still need to be allocated. note that this list can change between now and the General Congress. All individuals currently holding the The 2008 IIHF Annual and General Congress will be held ❑ Wed, May 21: The General Congress will position for which they are running are denoted with a *. in the city which is commonly credited with being the officially open with the highlight of the week- The candidates have been nominated and are, in accor- cradle of organized hockey. The General Congress is the long activities, the general election. Also on dance with IIHF Statute 28, supported by their national IIHF’s highest legislative body as it, among other things, the slate for the first day of the General associations.They are listed in alphabetical order. elects the IIHF President, the Vice-Presidents and the Congress is a workshop for the changes to the council, which is the IIHF’s highest executive body. Statues & Bylaws. ■ President: *René Fasel (SUI) The congress will begin two days after the conclusion of ❑ Thursday, May 22: The General Congress continues the 2008 IIHF World Championship and the highlight of with the Victoria Rink Commemoration at the Bell Centre ■ Vice President, Americas: the General Congress will be the election on May 21.The highlighting the day’s activities (see article on this page *Murray Costello (CAN) council will be elected for the next four-year period. for more information on the commemoration). ■ Vice President, Oceania: The program is full for the congress which will be held ❑ Friday, May 23: The IIHF and Infront will host a *Shoichi Tomita (JPN) at Montreal’s Queen Elisabeth Hotel, daily highlights farewell reception for the General Congress. Gap-Chul Park (KOR) include: ■ Vice President, Europe: ❑ Saturday, May 24: If there are any issues to be *Kalervo Kummola (FIN) ❑ Monday, May 19: Delegates will arrive from Quebec resolved, they will be settled in the morning, and after- Alexander Steblin (LTU) City by train and register for the congress. wards the delegates will depart for their home nations. Alexander Medvedev (RUS) ■ Council: IIHF to commemorate Creighton and Victoria Rink *Ernest Aljancic (SLO) ■■ Back in 2002, the Christer Englund (SWE) IIHF officially recognized *Frank Gonzales (ESP the Victoria Skating Rink *Beate Grupp (GER) in Montreal as the birth- Kalervo Kummola (FIN) place of organized hockey *Frederick Meredith (GBR) and the site, which gave *Juraj Sirkoy (SVK) the sport its existing rink *Alexander Steblin (LTU) size. As the IIHF now cele- Vidar Gardarsson (ISL) brates its 100 Year Anni- Dieter Kalt (AUT) versary, it will together Zbynek Kusy (CZE) with the government of Kirovs Lipmans (LAT) Canada commemorate the Alexander Medvedev (RUS) site and the “founding Henrik Bach Nielsen (DEN) father” of the game, James Toni Rossi (USA), Creighton, with unveiling Ferenc Studniczky (HUN). a commemorative plaque. ■ Auditors: *Johnny Baumann (SUI) ■■ The ceremony will Hans Dobida (AUT) take place on May 22, 2008, *Kai Hietarinta (FIN). during the IIHF General James Creighton (insert) was behind the first hockey games Congress in Montreal. played at the Victoria Skating Rink in Montreal in 1875. He cap- tained the McGill team which played in the first recorded game CENTENNIAL GALA In light of the request on March 3 that year. Above is game action at the Victoria Rink. from the IIHF, the Historic ■■ One of the most exciting events during the 2008 IIHF Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC) was to have been behind the earliest codification of the World Championship will be the Centennial Gala Evening, convened on an exceptional basis in late February game’s rules, and thus laid the foundation for its on the day of the bronze medal game, May 17th. 2008 to consider the IIHF’s proposal to recognize emergence as an organized sport. In March 1875 he James G.A. Creighton as the “father” of organized organized indoor matches in the old Victoria Skating The IIHF will combine two major events during this hockey and furthermore to recognize the historic sig- Rink in Montreal and promoted them to the public. He evening: The final Top-10 countdown of the 100 Top nificance of Montreal’s Victoria Skating Rink, the site earlier had obtained sticks from Halifax, employed a Stories in the history of ice hockey and the presentation of the first organized hockey game on March 3, 1875. puck instead of a ball, and used goals, all of which of the IIHF Centennial All-Star Team. (One goalie, two characterize the modern game. defensemen, three forwards) ■■ James George Aylwin Creighton (1850-1930) organized and brought together all the key elements In addition to being a developer and popularizer of ■■ The Centennial All-Star Team is a key IIHF initiative of the modern game of ice hockey. He is widely believed organized ice hockey, he was the captain of the McGill during its anniversary year. The panel voting for this University team, the first regular hockey club to be unique team consists of ice hockey experts from 16 coun- formed in Canada, in 1877. tries and includes people who have worked in the game for an extended period and whose opinions are univer- ■■ The HSMBC, will on May 22, together with the sally respected. The six players who have been elected to IIHF, Hockey Canada, the City of Montreal and the this team due to their tremendous impact on internation- Montreal Canadiens unveil a commemorative plaque al ice hockey will be honoured and their, until then, secret honouring James Creighton as a national historic identities will be revealed during this special evening.