The IIHF Semi-Annual Congress concluded last week in Rome on Thursday. Aside from the Congress’ appointment of Infront Sports & Media as the IIHF marketing partner for 2024-2033 and a Papal audience with IIHF delegates at the Vatican, all tournament hosts were confirmed for the upcoming season and a set of rule amendments to the IIHF Rule Book were confirmed.

IIHF RULE BOOK CHANGES CONFIRMED

Following amendments to the 2018-2022 IIHF Rule Book were confirmed by Congress.

IIHF Rule # 96 Goals with Skate: A goal with the skate will be permitted in cases where the puck is deflected or directed off of a player’s skate. The rule of a goal being called off due to a player using a distinctive kicking action to direct the puck into the net remains in place.

IIHF Rule # 150 Interference on a Goaltender: Incidental contact by an attacking player with a goaltender will permitted outside of crease in certain situations.

Goals will only be disallowed only if:

• an attacking player, either by his positioning or by contact, impairs the goaltender’s ability to move freely within his crease or defend his goal; or
• an attacking player initiates intentional or deliberate contact with a goaltender, inside or outside of his goal crease.

Incidental contact with a goaltender will be permitted, and any resulting goals allowed, when such contact is initiated outside of the goal crease, provided the attacking player has made a reasonable effort to avoid such contact.

IIHF Rule # 120 & 165 Throwing a Stick or Object: A player will be allowed to slide a dropped/ lost stick to his team mate as long the moved stick doesn’t become involved in the game or distract opponent players.
A player can slide or direct any stick or any part of it, or any object, away from his immediate area on ice so long as his actions do not interfere with an opponent.

However, a player on the ice who throws or directs a broken stick or any part of it, or any other object, at the puck or puck carrier in the neutral or attacking zone, will be assessed a minor penalty.

TOURNAMENTS SET FOR 2019/2020

All tournament hosts and dates were confirmed for the upcoming 2019/2020 season during Congress. You can view all the tournaments below:

• IIHF Championship program
• Beijing 2022 Olympic Qualification Tournaments
• 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games
• Challenge Cup of Asia
• IIHF Continental Cup

SWEDEN, DENMARK CONFIRMED AS 2025 CO-HOSTS

The IIHF Semi-Annual Congress also confirmed Sweden and Denmark’s proposal to co-hosts the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship. Sweden was initially confirmed as the tournament hosts, but after discussions with Demark the two neighbouring Scandinavian countries made a co-hosting proposal to the IIHF Congress last May. 

The host cities in Sweden and Denmark will be confirmed at the later date. The Swedes’ last World Championship on home ice came in 2012 and 2013 in a two-year co-hosting bid between Stockholm and Helsinki, Finland. Denmark successfully hosted its first-ever IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in Copenhagen and Herning in 2018.

NEW COUNTRIES JOIN IIHF

The International Ice Hockey Federation grew to 81 IIHF member national associations as the 2019 IIHF Semi-Annual Congress admitted five new members nations – Algeria, Colombia, Iran, Lebanon and Uzbekistan – as new associate members. In addition a new member was approved to represent Greece.