The Olympic Dance Commences
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Publisher: International Ice Hockey Federation, Editor-in-Chief: Jan-Ake Edvinsson Supervising Editor: Kimmo Leinonen Editor: Szymon Szemberg, Assistant Editor: Jenny Wiedeke September 2004 - Vol 8 - No 4 OLYMPIC FIGURES: Switzerland’s Marcel Jenni and France’s Richard Aimonetto waltz the night away in Salt Lake City 2002. It was Jenni who got dipped in this performan- ce. These two countries will again try to qualify to the Olympic Winter Games, this time in Turin 2006. Photos: France begins the qualifying in November 2004 while Switzerland DAVE SANDFORD DAVE enters the final qualifying stage in The February 2005 as both countries host the respective groups. For all Olympic qualifying groups see page 11. dance commences As the world’s attention turns from Athens and the Summer Olympics, the IIHF starts its Olympic cycle this coming autumn with the qualifications for Turin 2006. Altogether nine different qualifying tournaments will determine the final line-up at the Olympic Winter Games. ■■ When the twelve men’s teams and the eight women’s teams square off in Turin, very few will remember that the participating teams were not selected by invitation, but determined by the IIHF World Ranking and the qualification process. (See page 11 for all qualification groups and dates) RENÉ FASEL EDITORIAL 700 million in 26 countries, including approximately 1,700 hours of programming on 159 stations. 21 men’s teams and 11 women’s teams will go through the qualifications in November 2004 and in February 2005 to fill the six vacant spots. It is worth ■■ The IIHF will open new frontiers this season with the introduction of the reminding that ice hockey, together with figure skating, are the only Olympic winter European Champions Cup for both men and women. These tournaments will deter- sports that are older than the Olympic Winter Games themselves. Ice Hockey was mine which are best club teams in Europe. This effort will definitely contribute to introduced in the 1920 Olympic Summer Games in Antwerp, four years before the increase the interest in international hockey. When we officially introduced the first winter Olympics were staged in Chamonix. European Champions Cup in St. Petersburg on July 29, we could already sense what great curiosity and passion there is around international club hockey. While our sport was a humble Olympic event in those days, one cannot envision the Winter Games without ice hockey now. According to numbers from 2002, two-thirds ■■ We will kick off this season with the second World Cup of Hockey, a tournament of all tickets sold during the Salt Lake City games were to hockey games. organized by our partners, the NHL and the NHLPA, in co-operation with the IIHF.The final game is in Toronto on September 14. At midnight following the game, the pre- ■■ If the Olympics is the caviar, the IIHF World Championship is the bread and but- sent Collective Bargaining Agreement between the National Hockey League and the ter of international hockey. By extending the marketing agreement with Infront NHL Player's Association will expire. Sports & Media until 2011 (see more on page 2), the IIHF secured the framework for the future growth of our sport for the next seven years. In today’s rapidly changing The conflict is by no means an IIHF issue. But, if the parties don’t reach an agree- world, this is almost an eternity. ment and there is an owner’s lockout as speculated, many players have announced that they will come overseas to play. Some marquee players have already signed With the numbers from Czech Republic 2004 now in, we can once again confirm that “lockout contracts” with European teams and during the summer the IIHF has recei- the IIHF World Championship remains the single largest annual winter sports event ved many questions about our approach in case of a vast “lockout exodus” to IIHF- in the world. The 2004 event was broadcast to a cumulative audience of more than related leagues. Continued on next page September 2004 - Vol 8 - No 4 Continued from page one: ■■ Basically, the IIHF does not interfere in internal IIHF and Infront extend partnership until 2011 league matters, i.e. how many foreigners each league ■■ The International Ice Hockey or each club can have. But in meetings with national Federation and Infront Sports & Media AG association and national league officials, we have signed an exclusive agreement on July 16 pointed out the potential risk when clubs pay too in Zurich, extending their long-term mar- much attention to a temporary scenario which could keting partnership until 2011. come out of a owner’s lockout in NHL. Under the agreement, Infront is responsi- We have heard alarming reports where some teams ble for both television and marketing base their 04-05 planning more on wishful thinking rights for the IIHF. than reality. Some clubs have launched campaigns to sell season tickets based on players which might arri- The contract extension was the next natu- ve, while others seem to have more focus on how to ral step in a successful relationship, which accommodate lockout-players than on how to bring in started in 1981. own prospects from their junior program. “Extending our contract with Infront was ■■ This is short-sighted, irresponsible and will surely the best way for the IIHF to make sure result in a severe backlash, once the labour conflict - if that we continue to move forward in the it ever occurs - is over. promotion of our sport,” IIHF President Rene Fasel said. “Infront has been an To sign five or six foreign lockout-mercenaries is to excellent partner, which has tirelessly downgrade the prestige of your club and it is also a worked to promote ice hockey for us for financial hazard. What do you tell your fans when the the last several years. We look forward to players suddenly disappear overnight once there is a an even brighter future for the next seven new CBA in place? Was it worth the money? years under this contract.” Photo: City Press Berlin LONG TERM RIGHTS: The new agreement gives long time partner ■■ On the other hand, if a team signs one or two The partnership between Infront and the Infront Sports & Media exclusive TV and marketing rights to the IIHF players who have developed through that club’s system IIHF has contributed considerably to the World Championships until 2011. before they left for the NHL, I can see nothing wrong successful development of the top IIHF with that. This is a situation which the European clubs events, including the IIHF Men’s World must handle with care. It requires common sense. Championship, which will be held for the first time conjunction with the IIHF, has continued to set records ever in Canada in 2008 in conjunc- with each passing World Championship, both in terms René Fasel of site visitors and hours spent on IIHF President tion with the 100-year anniversary of the IIHF. Infront has also been the site. responsible for bringing in high-pro- ■■ Latvia 2006 on schedule file partners such as Skoda. Infront has already concluded agreements with numerous televi- ■■ The main site of the 2006 IIHF World Championship ■■ The IIHF Men’s World sion, radio and sponsor partners in in Riga, Latvia will be ready in late autumn of 2005, five preparation for the 2005 IIHF to six months prior to the championship. Championship television and atten- dance numbers have continually World Championship next May in Vienna and Innsbruck, Austria. This was reported to the IIHF in a meeting on August 4 increased since the IIHF and Infront by the Estonian building entrepreneur Merks and the teamed up. According to initial over- views received from broadcasters, over 700 million televi- Infront’s Chief Executive Officer, Oscar Frei, said: Canadian arena consultants SCI, the two main bodies “Infront is pleased to extend its partnership with the behind the venture. sion viewers in 26 countries followed the event, which provided a total 1,708 hours of programming on 159 sta- IIHF. It is a trusted partnership that shares common tions. The gold medal game was broadcast worldwide. objectives for the growth of international ice hockey. The Riga Arena could hold up to 12,000 fans for the IIHF Together, we are excited about the sport’s future and World Championship with seating for 10,000. The arena The official website of the IIHF World Championships look forward to raising the profile and success of the will feature all modern facilities with club seating, pri- IIHF World Championships to an even higher level.” vate suites, restaurants and bars. (www.ihwc.net), which was developed by Infront in “We are very pleased with what we were shown”, said IIHF General Secretary Jan-Ake Edvinsson. “The building Nabokov eligible to play for Russia in IIHF competitions in Riga will be a state-of-the-art arena with everything ■■ The IIHF Executive Committee approved a request transferring to Dynamo Moscow of the Russian league you need to organize a world championship. We are by the Ice Hockey Federation of Russia to make where he played for three seasons. After being drafted especially happy with the time schedule. The general Kazakhstan-born goaltender Evgeni Nabokov, 29, eligi- by the San José Sharks, Nabokov left Russia in 1997 to contractor has guaranteed that the construction will ble to play for Russia in IIHF competitions. Nabokov, of play for the Sharks’ organisation in the American begin this September and that it will take between the NHL San José Sharks, was born in Hockey League. twelve and fourteen months to complete.” 1975 in Ust-Kamenogorsk, in the Kazakhstan republic of the former Soviet “We took on a flexible attitude towards ■■ On July 1, the IIHF confirmed the 2006 event to Union.