IHLC 2020 In Review – Women’s


After one of the most dramatic years in international women’s hockey history, with both a thrilling World Championship final and an off-ice reckoning over women’s equality in the game, 2020 was set to be a watershed year in women’s hockey.

Then COVID-19 shut down the planet.
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IHLC Preview – 2021 World Junior Championship


The first IIHF “bubble” tournament is set to begin in Edmonton, Canada, with the 2020 calendar year coming to a close with the start of the 2021 World Junior Championship, being held in a contained Rogers Place with the top nations in the hockey world looking to earn glory in the midst of a pandemic.
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๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บ CAS Shortens Russian International Sports Ban To Two Years


At a ruling today at the Court Of Arbitration For Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland, Russia’s proposed four year sporting ban from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was reduced to two years, meaning that Russia will be banned from participating in any international sporting competition, including the 2021 Summer and 2022 Winter Olympics, until 17 December 2022.
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๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ช Back Injury Forces Alexander Steen Into Retirement


Due to a major degenerative lumbar issue stemming from a back injury sustained in the 2019-20 NHL season, Swedish-Canadian forward Alexander Steen today announced his retirement from pro hockey, leaving the St. Louis Blues at age 36. Continue reading

IIHF Announces More Tournaments Cancelled Due To Pandemic


After a few months of relative peace on the international hockey front, and even the return of international competition as recently as two weeks ago, the IIHF today announced that a number of international tournaments will be cancelled in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บ Alexander Svitov Announces Retirement At Age 38


Russian forward Alexander Svitov, known for his grinding style and aggressive physicality, today announced his retirement from pro hockey at age 38, after spending his final season in 2019-20 with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Continue reading

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฟ Tomรกลก Rolinek Retires From Pro Hockey At Age 40


Czech forward Tomรกลก Rolinek, who captained the national team at three World Championships and to a Gold Medal in 2010, announced his retirement from pro hockey at age 40, after his final five seasons with Dynamo Pardubice of the Czech Extraliga.
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๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฆ 2021 World Junior Championship Schedule Released


The schedule for the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship has been released, with all teams playing in a quarantined bubble without spectators in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, with the tournament set to begin on Christmas Day, while host nation and defending champions Canada opening on the more traditional Boxing Day.
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๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ Meghan Duggan Announces Formal Retirement From Team USA


American forward Meghan Duggan, who has captained Team USA to Olympic and World Championship Gold success for over a decade, today formally announced her retirement from pro hockey at age 33.
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Draisaitl Leads The Pack At Virtual 2020 NHL Awards


The National Hockey League completed its awards distribution for the pandemic-delayed 2019-20 season with the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals in Edmonton, with twelve IHLC holders representing nine countries taking home trophies handed out over the past month.
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๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฆ Edmonton To Be Sole Host Of 2021 World Junior Bubble


Shortly after the IIHF announced that all lower-tier World Junior tournaments would be cancelled for 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they today announced that the 2021 World Juniors Top Division will now be hosted in a “bubble” in Edmonton, which is currently hosting the 2020 NHL playoffs in a similar bubble, with the 2022 World Juniors to now be hosted jointly by Edmonton and Red Deer, ideally in front of fans.
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IIHF Cancels Lower-Tier Men’s Junior Tournaments


While there was initial hope following the widespread cancellation of all senior men’s and women’s IIHF events this past spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the resurgence of the virus in many parts of the world has prompted the IIHF to cancel a number of new tournaments for this winter, including all lower-tier men’s under-20 World Junior tournaments.
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๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ Zoe Hickel Retires From Team USA To Coach At Ohio State


American winger Zoe Hickel, a two-time World Champion and holding the rare distinction of winning both the Clarkson and Isobel Cups, today confirmed her retirement from playing, joining Ohio State University’s coaching staff at age 28.
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