Category Archives: IHLC Team Profiles

IHLC Team Profiles – 🇵🇱 Poland (Men’s)

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🇵🇱 POLAND (POL) Men’s National Ice Hockey Team (1926-)
3 wins, 3 reigns, 3 games with IHLC – ranked 18th
IHLC last held 13 April 1986

Poland was one of the rare Eastern European teams to compete for the IHLC in the pre-war era, winning their first IHLC at the 1931 World Championship, on home turf in Krynica. While the Eagles managed to contend during the Iron Curtain era of international hockey, winning two more IHLC titles, they have slipped in the post-Cold War era, not holding the IHLC since 1986, playing for the IHLC since 2004, and only qualifying for the top tier of the World Championship a handful of times since 1979.
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IHLC Team Profiles – 🇸🇰 Slovakia (Women’s)

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🇸🇰 SLOVAKIA (SVK) Women’s National Ice Hockey Team (1995-)

The Slovak squad played in their first International Hockey Lineal Championship tilt at the 2010 Olympics, where they were crushed 18-0 by Canada, tied for the largest defeat in the history of Team Canada. While now in Division 1B, they will surely look to their male counterparts for inspiration in acting as spoilers on the world stage, en route to championship play, and potentially an IHLC title.
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IHLC Team Profiles – 🇱🇻 Latvia (Men’s)

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🇱🇻 LATVIA (LAT) Men’s National Ice Hockey Team (1932-40, 1991-)
3 wins, 2 reigns, 3 games with IHLC – ranked 17th
IHLC last held 27 May 2023

Latvia emerged as an IHLC contender in the 1930s, playing for the IHLC first in 1935, and then again in 1936 before being occupied by the Soviet Union in 1941. It was not until the dissolution of the USSR in 1991 that the Latvians began to emerge as a contender once again, with NHLers like Artūrs Irbe and Sandis Ozoliņš leading the way. Latvia won its first IHLC from Finland in 2003, only holding the title for a single day – however, Latvia continues to improve, needing two decades before their second title on home ice at the World Championships.
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IHLC Team Profiles – 🇺🇸 United States (Junior)

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🇺🇸 UNITED STATES (USA) Men’s Junior National Ice Hockey Team (1973-)
60 wins, 20 reigns, 63 games with IHLC – ranked 5th
IHLC last held 30 July 2025

While the Americans have been part of every World Junior Championship in history, they never medalled until 1986, only winning a Silver and two Bronze before 2000. But the U.S. team has had something of a coming out in the new millennium, winning Gold seven times since start of the 21st century, and showcasing some of hockey’s most elite talent at the earliest stages of their career, ushering in an unprecedented era of success for Team USA.
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IHLC Team Profiles – 🇭🇺 Hungary (Men’s)

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🇭🇺 HUNGARY (HUN) Men’s National Ice Hockey Team (1927-)
1 win, 1 reign, 1 game with IHLC – ranked 21st
IHLC last held 30 March 2007

First playing for the IHLC in 1933, Hungary began to build momentum before the Cold War relegated the team back into relative obscurity, seemingly only playing as a punching bag for the more powerful likes of the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia to practice on. However, the Maygars stunned the hockey world by taking the IHLC from Sweden in March 2007, before losing it the next day back to Tre Kronor, leaving Hungary tied for the shortest total IHLC reign in history. However, Hungary continues to improve, and will surely look to improve on and increase their tiny IHLC record.
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IHLC Team Profiles – 🇷🇴 Romania

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🇷🇴 ROMANIA (ROU) Men’s National Ice Hockey Team (1931-)

Romania first competed for the IHLC in 1934, one of only three games in which they played for the IHLC. This match was also their closest attempt, as they went on to be crushed by Britain in 1937, and by Czechoslovakia in their third and most recent game, forty years later in 1977. The Tricolori have failed to qualify for the World Championship’s top pool since 1977, working to claw their way out of Division IB in the last few years.
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IHLC Team Profiles – 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan (Junior)

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🇰🇿 KAZAKHSTAN (KAZ) Men’s Junior National Ice Hockey Team (1992-)

Since becoming a sovereign nation, Kazakhstan emerged to the Top Division in 1998, but after four straight seasons at the top they fell back all the way to Division IB, clawing back in 2008-09 but since falling back into Division I. They have reemerged for the 2019 Worlds, looking to stay in the Top Division for a more permanent stay. Continue reading →

IHLC Team Profiles – 🇧🇾 Belarus (Junior)

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🇧🇾 BELARUS (BLR) Men’s Junior National Ice Hockey Team (1992-)
1 win, 1 reign, 1 game with IHLC – ranked 9th
IHLC last held 02 January 2005

Belarus quickly joined the ranks of the Top Division at the World Junior Championship soon after their formation as an independent nation, making the top ranks for the first time in 2001. They have largely alternated between the Top Division and Division IA in recent years, but have racked up surprising wins over the likes of the United States, Finland and Germany over the years.
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IHLC Team Profiles – 🇸🇰 Slovakia (Junior)

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🇸🇰 SLOVAKIA (SVK) Men’s Junior National Ice Hockey Team (1993-)
7 wins, 3 reigns, 7 games with IHLC – ranked 8th
IHLC last held 30 December 2017

Slovakia quickly joined the Top Division of the World Championship after separating from Czechia during the 1993 World Championship, earning Bronze in just their fourth tournament in 1999. They won a second bronze in 2015 on the backs of a stunning goaltending performance from Denis Godla, have never been relegated since their promotion in 1996, and continue to always play the role of spoiler on the world stage, looking to make a larger impact in the coming years.
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IHLC Team Profiles – 🇩🇪 Germany (Men’s)

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🇩🇪 GERMANY (GER) Men’s National Ice Hockey Team (1910-)
played as WEST GERMANY (FRG), 1949-90
played at Olympics as UNITED TEAM OF GERMANY (EUA), 1956-64
23 wins, 13 reigns, 24 games with IHLC – ranked 10th
IHLC last held 14 April 2018

Germany’s national hockey team, much like the country in the 20th century, has had a wild share of ups and downs – first winning the IHLC in 1909, the team suffered during years during and between both World Wars, and the division of Germany left the team’s successor, West Germany, weakened and less of a threat. While the West did manage to capture the IHLC on a few occasions, it was not until reunification that Träger der Adler has regained its footing again, with a smattering NHL stars helping Germany to win the IHLC in the modern era.
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IHLC Team Profiles – 🇯🇵 Japan (Men’s)

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🇯🇵 JAPAN (JPN) Men’s National Ice Hockey Team (1930-)
1 win, 1 reign, 1 game with IHLC – ranked 22nd
IHLC last held 01 November 1997

Japan first burst on to the international scene in 1930, quite an anomaly for an Asian squad in the largely European / North American dominated hockey scene. Japan competed for their first IHLC in 1957, and made a number of World Championship appearances thanks to the IIHF allowing a “Far East” competitor to play in tournaments they otherwise wouldn’t have qualified for, before winning their first and only IHLC forty years later from Canada. While Japan has not played for the IHLC since, they have stayed a mainstay of Division IA, looking to reach the World Championship’s top pool once again.
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IHLC Team Profiles – 🇱🇻 Latvia (Junior)

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🇱🇻 LATVIA (LAT) Men’s Junior National Ice Hockey Team (1992-)

After a quarter century of futility in Division I and II, Latvia has emerged as a recent contender on the Top Division stage, first breaking through in 2009, returning in 2012, 2017 and 2022. While their debut game was a 16-0 thrashing from Canada, their scores and skills have continuously improved, and look for Latvia to work hard to keep a permanent seat in the Top Division in the coming years. Continue reading →

IHLC Team Profiles – 🇸🇪 Sweden (Junior)

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🇸🇪 SWEDEN (SWE) Men’s Junior National Ice Hockey Team (1973-)
108 wins, 41 reigns, 115 games with IHLC – ranked 3rd
IHLC last held 17 December 2025

The Juniorkronorna, who has taken part in every World Junior Championship since its inception, is consistently a medal threat, but has surprisingly only won Gold twice (1981 & 2012), winning nearly twenty additional Silver and Bronze medals. However, they have made the medal finals in every tournament since 2007, and with the ever-improving quality of players coming out of Sweden each year, look for Sweden to improve on their lowly two Golds in the coming years.
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IHLC Team Profiles – 🇰🇷 South Korea (Men’s)

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🇰🇷 SOUTH KOREA (KOR) Men’s National Ice Hockey Team (1979-)

Korea landed on the radar of the IHLC in 2018, both being the hosts of the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang and qualifying for their first World Championship Top Division in history. While finally getting a shot at the IHLC in 2018 (after narrowly missing two previous opportunities), they certainly surprised the hockey world in 2018, and will look to continue to surprise and become a permanent fixture on the international stage.
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IHLC Team Profiles – 🇳🇱 Netherlands (Women’s)

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🇳🇱 NETHERLANDS (NED) Women’s National Ice Hockey Team (1987-)

The Netherlands women’s squads was one of the inaugural teams to play at the Women’s World Tournament in 1987, losing their only IHLC title game to Canada by a score of 19-1. The Oranje have yet to qualify for the top pool at the World Championships, or an Olympic Games, in women’s hockey.
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IHLC Team Profiles – 🇸🇪 Sweden (Men’s)

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🇸🇪 SWEDEN (SWE) Men’s National Ice Hockey Team (1920-)
226 wins, 87 reigns, 242 games with IHLC – ranked 3rd
IHLC last held 20 May 2025

Ever since Sweden’s first international game at the 1920 Olympics, and their first IHLC game three days later, Tre Kronor has become a dominant force on the international hockey circuit, producing some of the top talent in the past 40 years in the NHL, and winning ten World Championship and two Olympic Gold titles. Sweden also holds the record for the most IHLC reigns, winning the title over 70 times since their first victory in 1931, and recently tipping over 200 total IHLC victories. Sweden is one of the few teams to never be relegated at the World Championship, and is a constant threat to retake the crown.
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IHLC Team Profiles – 🇨🇦 Canada (Men’s)

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🇨🇦 CANADA (CAN) Men’s National Ice Hockey Team (1910-)
339 wins, 68 reigns, 364 games with IHLC – ranked 2nd
IHLC last held 22 May 2025

Canada, the inventors of the game of ice hockey, naturally entered the international circuit as a dominant force, winning their first IHLC in 1911 and rarely losing any game from then until 1953, winning all but one Olympic Gold and 13 World Championship titles. However, with the emergence of the Soviet Union, and disputes with the IIHF over defining amateur players, Canada largely dropped off from international competition, mainly competing in now-classic events like the Summit Series and Canada Cup. Now that the playing field has equaled with professionals playing, Canada has regained its footing as a dominant hockey nation, only second in IHLC rankings to Russia.
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IHLC Team Profiles – 🇨🇭 Switzerland (Junior)

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🇨🇭 SWITZERLAND (SUI) Men’s Junior National Ice Hockey Team (1977-)
11 wins, 4 reigns, 11 games with IHLC – ranked 7th
IHLC last held 28 August 2025

Switzerland entered the World Juniors stage at the second World Championship tournament in 1978, finishing last and ping-ponging between the Top Division and Pool B between 1978 and 1995, only twice managing to stay in the Top Division for more than a season. But they have consistently remained in the Top Division since 1996, only being relegated once since, and even winning Bronze in 1998. While they had their struggles in recent years, the quality of talent coming out of Switzerland should help keep them in the Top Division for good in the future.
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IHLC Team Profiles – 🇦🇹 Austria (Junior)

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🇦🇹 AUSTRIA (AUT) Men’s Junior National Ice Hockey Team (1979-)

Austria has had a rocky history at the World Junior level, appearing sporadically in the Top Division only six times in history (1981, 2004, 2010, 2021-23), with their best finish ever being eighth. Struggling to stay in the top level of Division I, Austria has only thrice contended for the IHLC, first in a pre-tournament exhibition game in 2003, and then not again until the 2022 World Junior Championship.
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IHLC Team Profiles – 🇨🇿 Czechia (Women’s)

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🇨🇿 CZECHIA (CZE) Women’s National Ice Hockey Team (1993-)

Failing to match the Top Division dominance of their male or junior counterparts following the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1992, the Czech women’s team first joined the Top Division in 2013, staying for good in 2016, finishing a surprising sixth in only their second trip to the top. After qualifying for their first Olympics in 2022, the Czechs qualified for their first ever IHLC by stunning Finland in the 2022 Women’s World Championship quarterfinals, guaranteeing them a chance at their first ever international medal.
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