Author Archives: Master Of This Domain

IHLC Team Profiles – 🇮🇹 Italy (Men’s)

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🇮🇹 ITALY (ITA) Men’s National Ice Hockey Team (1924-)
1 win, 1 reign, 1 game with IHLC – ranked 23rd
IHLC last held 13 May 2014

A surprising new force on the international hockey front, Italy stunned the hockey world by upsetting France (and winning their first IHLC) at the 2014 World Championship, 90 years after the Azzurri established a hockey team, and 80 years after their first IHLC tilt versus Switzerland. While Italy has always been a competitor towards the bottom of the Championship group on the world stage, Italy is now emerging as a more serious threat after an embarrassing performance as host at the 2006 Olympics in Turin.
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IHLC Team Profiles – 🇨🇦 Canada (Women’s)

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🇨🇦 CANADA (CAN) Women’s National Ice Hockey Team (1987-)
274 wins, 45 reigns, 279 games with IHLC – ranked 1st
IHLC last held 13 April 2025

Canada’s women’s team, like their male counterparts, have largely dominated women’s hockey in its infancy, leading international squads in the number of World Championship and Olympic Gold Medals, in addition to being the all-time leader in IHLC wins, reigns, games and days as champion. Ever since kicking off the 1987 Women’s World Tournament, Canada has been nearly unstoppable, only in recent years being matched by their American counterparts, leading to some ultra-competitive instant classic tilts against Team USA, along with interesting games against emerging nations.
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IHLC Team Profiles – 🇬🇧 Great Britain

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🇬🇧 GREAT BRITAIN (GBR) Men’s National Ice Hockey Team (1906-)
27 wins, 5 reigns, 30 games with IHLC – ranked 10th
IHLC last held 20 March 1950

One of the original contenders of the International Hockey Lineal Championship, Great Britain won the third ever IHLC from France in their first tilt in 1907. The Lions were a major competitor in the pre-war era, shocking the world with a Gold medal at the 1936 Olympics, followed up with back-to-back World Championship Silvers in 1937 and 1938. However, the outbreak of World War II put a damper on the team, as they fell out of contention shortly after the war, have not held the IHLC since 1950, and have qualified for the Top Division sporadically since 1951.
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IHLC Team Profiles – 🇩🇰 Denmark (Women’s)

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🇩🇰 DENMARK (DEN) Women’s National Ice Hockey Team (1987-)

The women’s Lions first IHLC game came during their first World Championship appearance back in 1992, being handed a 10-0 loss from Canada. Since then, Denmark was relegated all the way down to Division IB, only recently making their way from Division IA back to the Top Division in 2021, the same year they clinched their inaugural Olympic berth for the 2022 Games.
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IHLC Team Profiles – 🇸🇪 Sweden (Women’s)

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🇸🇪 SWEDEN (SWE) Women’s National Ice Hockey Team (1987-)
10 wins, 4 reigns, 10 games with IHLC – ranked 3rd
IHLC last held 03 September 2011

Emerging as one of the “big four” women’s hockey nations since the Women’s World Tournament in 1987, Sweden is also one of the only five nations to win the IHLC, winning their first title in dramatic fashion from the U.S. to qualify for the 2006 Olympic Gold Medal Game, giving the Damkronorna the distinction of being the only other team besides Canada and the U.S. to play for Olympic Gold. Sweden will be looking to improve their number of IHLC wins, and be the first European team to capture World Championship or Olympic Gold.
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IHLC Team Profiles – 🇳🇱 Netherlands (Men’s)

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🇳🇱 NETHERLANDS (NED) Men’s National Ice Hockey Team (1935-)

The Netherlands squad has been a rare sighting in the history of the International Hockey Lineal Championship, intermittently playing for the title since 1939. However, the Oranje failed to truly compete in these games, losing all nine of their IHLC games by at least five goals. They have not competed for the IHLC since 1982, one year after their last competition in the top pool at the World Championship, and two years after their only Olympic appearance.
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IHLC Team Profiles – 🇯🇵 Japan (Junior)

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🇯🇵 JAPAN (JPN) Men’s Junior National Ice Hockey Team (1982-)

Japan, despite only qualifying for a single World Junior Championship in 1993, has the unique distinction of playing twice for the IHLC in the same tournament, despite being outscored 15-1. Japan has since bobbled between Division I and II, not regaining their success of the early 1990’s on the junior level.
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IHLC Team Profiles – 🇫🇷 France

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🇫🇷 FRANCE (FRA) Men’s National Ice Hockey Team (1905-)
21 wins, 10 reigns, 22 games with IHLC – ranked 11th
IHLC last held 04 May 2018

France played in the first ever men’s international hockey game in 1905, losing the inaugural IHLC to Belgium, before becoming the second ever champion in 1906. While France was a competitive squad in the pre-war era, Les Bleus were largely dormant during the Iron Curtain era of dominance, only coming back on to the championship stage in the early 1990’s. Since then, however, France has held the IHLC on a number occasions, and continue to qualify star players into the NHL and KHL.
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IHLC Team Profiles – 🇩🇪 East Germany

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🇩🇪 EAST GERMANY (GDR) Men’s National Ice Hockey Team (1951-90)
2 wins, 2 reigns, 2 games with IHLC – ranked 19th
IHLC last held 14 April 1976

Following the split of Germany in 1949, the East German team was formed in 1951, and played for their first IHLC title in 1956. However, it would not be until 1969 when the GDR won its first IHLC from Sweden, their first of only two IHLC wins and reigns in their history, with their second and final win coming in 1976. The GDR competed at three Olympics as unified team with West Germany, only participating in the 1968 Olympics as their own team. The East Germans played their final IHLC game in 1985, before the team folded in 1990, just prior to Germany reunifying into a single country and team.
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IHLC Team Profiles – 🇦🇹 Austria (Men’s)

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🇦🇹 AUSTRIA (AUT) Men’s National Ice Hockey Team (1912-)
2 wins, 1 reign, 2 games with IHLC – ranked 20th
IHLC last held 02 February 1931

An early contender for the IHLC, the Austrian squad first played for the IHLC in 1928, and won its first title in a rain-soaked 1-0 upset over Canada in 1930, the Canadians’ first loss as a national team in nearly 18 years. While the team suffered as a result of the World War II delay, and the emergence of teams east of the Iron Curtain, the Eagles have found a resurgence in recent years, backed by a growing contingent of NHL players, to compete for the IHLC. Their last IHLC win may have been in 1931, but look for Austria to continue contending for years to come.
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IHLC Team Profiles – 🇧🇪 Belgium

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🇧🇪 BELGIUM (BEL) Men’s National Ice Hockey Team (1905-)
4 wins, 2 reigns, 4 games with IHLC – ranked 15th
IHLC last held 06 March 1909

Belgium made history in Brussels on 04 March 1905 when club squad FBP Brussels defeated CP Paris, representing France, to win the first ever international ice hockey game, becoming the first ever International Hockey Lineal Champions in the process. Belgium was active in competing for the IHLC regularly throughout the first quarter century, and hosted the first ever Olympic hockey tournament at the 1920 Games in Antwerp, but following the outbreak of World War II, largely dropped from international competition, only recently moving its way up to Division II of the World Championship.
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IHLC Team Profiles – 🇫🇮 Finland (Men’s)

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🇫🇮 FINLAND (FIN) Men’s National Ice Hockey Team (1928-)
151 wins, 64 reigns, 166 games with IHLC – ranked 5th
current IHLC title holders (since 31 May 2026)

While the Finns have always been a major contender on the world hockey stage, they remarkably did not play for the IHLC until 1949, winning their first title in 1951. Since then, however, the Leijonat have been a consistent threat in the hockey world, amassing over 100 IHLC wins and nearly 50 reigns. Finland has finally begun to break through at major world tournaments, winning five World Championships after 50+ appearances, and their first Olympic Gold medal in 2022.
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IHLC Team Profiles – 🇰🇷 South Korea (Women’s)

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🇰🇷 SOUTH KOREA (KOR) Women’s National Ice Hockey Team (1999-)
played at Olympics as UNIFIED KOREA (COR), 2018

Korea emerged as an IHLC by way of the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang, where Korea hosted a historic unified squad with players from the North joining the South Koreans. While they did not get to contend for the IHLC, and finished last in the tournament, they will look climb their way into the women’s hockey medal picture in the future…for good.
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IHLC Team Profiles – 🇸🇮 Slovenia

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🇸🇮 SLOVENIA (SLO) Men’s National Ice Hockey Team (1992-)

A newcomer to the world stage, the Slovenian national team first competed for the IHLC in 2003 – however, it was not until a pair of major wins at the 2014 Olympics that the Risi grabbed the world’s attention, led by NHL star (and only Slovene NHLer) Anže Kopitar. Slovenia nearly won the IHLC only seven years after their first game, dropping a 3-2 shootout heartbreaker to Denmark to remain IHLC-less. Slovenia is beginning now to compete more regularly in the top pool of the World Championship, and look for them to break their IHLC winless streak very, very soon.
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IHLC Team Profiles – 🇷🇺 Russia (Junior)

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🇷🇺 RUSSIA (RUS) Men’s Junior National Ice Hockey Team (1992-)
played as SOVIET UNION (URS), 1973-91, COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES (CIS), 1992
120 wins, 29 reigns, 125 games with IHLC – ranked 3rd
IHLC last held 29 December 2019

The first junior IHLC champion led the all-time rankings in wins for nearly the first half-century of championship junior hockey, dominating the first decade of junior hockey while turning out the future stars of the game that would overpower international hockey until the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Since becoming an independent nation, Russia is always a threat and medal contender, and continues to post impressive numbers while maintaining their spot atop the IHLC throne.
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IHLC Team Profiles – 🇷🇺 Russia (Women’s)

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🇷🇺 RUSSIA (RUS) Women’s National Ice Hockey Team (1994-)
played at Olympics as OLYMPIC ATHLETES FROM RUSSIA (OAR), 2018; RUSSIAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE (ROC), 2022
played at World Championships as RUSSIAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE (ROC), 2021-22
1 win, 1 reign, 1 game with IHLC – ranked 5th
IHLC last held 05 January 2009

An emerging squad on the women’s hockey front, Russia first played competitive women’s hockey in 1994, and played for their first IHLC three years later. Russia has played spoiler at past Women’s World Championship by upsetting Finland for bronze in both 2001 and 2013, and emerged as a new top European challenger for the mainstays in the women’s IHLC history with their first (and so far only) IHLC title in 2009.
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IHLC Team Profiles – 🇺🇦 Ukraine (Men’s)

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🇺🇦 UKRAINE (UKR) Men’s National Ice Hockey Team (1992-)

Following the split of the Soviet Union, the Ukrainian squad emerged in 1992, and first competed for the IHLC in 2001. After nearly winning the title following a 1-1 tie with the United States at the 2005 World Championship, Ukraine dropped off from the IHLC map after being relegated to Division I in 2008, needing two decades to climb back into the Championship pool.
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IHLC Team Profiles – 🇨🇭 Switzerland (Women’s)

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🇨🇭 SWITZERLAND (SUI) Women’s National Ice Hockey Team (1987-)

While the Swiss team is considered by many to be the next emerging nation to break the “big four” of women’s hockey (Canada, USA, Sweden, Finland), the Eisgenossen have yet to win the IHLC after multiple attempts. However, the team has come a long way from their 10-0 drubbing in the first ever women’s international game in 1987, coming quite close at the 2014 Olympics, where they emerged a surprising Bronze medal winner, the first non-“big four” team to medal in Olympic women’s hockey.
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IHLC Team Profiles – 🇨🇳 China (Women’s)

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🇨🇳 CHINA (CHN) Women’s National Ice Hockey Team (1992-)

China has been a unique contender for the women’s IHLC, emerging as an unlikely threat at the 1992 World Championship – but more remarkable has been their ability to stay competitive in a nation not known for its hockey prowess. China has nearly upset the dominant Canadian squad on two occasions, at the 1996 Pacific Rim Championship and 1998 Nagano Olympics. China has played nearly twenty games but has yet to win the IHLC, and will surely continue to compete to win their elusive first title.
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IHLC Team Profiles – 🇨🇿 Czechia (Junior)

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🇨🇿 CZECHIA (CZE) Men’s Junior National Ice Hockey Team (1993-)
played as CZECHOSLOVAKIA (TCH), 1973-92, CZECH & SLOVAK REPUBLICS (CSR), 1993
47 wins, 24 reigns, 49 games with IHLC – ranked 6th
IHLC last held 19 April 2026

Since the split of Czechoslovakia during the 1993 World Junior Championship, the Czechs have remained in the Top Division, winning back-to-back Gold in 2000 and 2001. While they would not medal again for nearly two decades, they continue to remain a consistent threat in the tournament, looking to recreate the turn of the millennium magic in the future.
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