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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🇺🇸 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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🇨🇿 Miloš Říha: 1958-2020
It was announced today that Miloš Říha, the current coach of the Czech men’s national hockey team, shockingly passed away in Prague at the age of 61. The cause of death is unknown at this time.
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🇨🇦 Dale Hawerchuk: 1963-2020
Dale Hawerchuk, the Canadian forward who had both a dazzling NHL and international career, and became a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001, tragically passed away due to stomach cancer at the age of 57.
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🇨🇦 Dan Hamhuis Retires From NHL After 16 Seasons
Canadian defender Dan Hamhuis today announced his retirement from pro hockey at the age of 37, following his Nashville Predators’ elimination from the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs bubble in Edmonton.
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🇸🇪 🇫🇮 Swedish Hockey Federation Confirms No Four Nations Cup In 2020
As schedules begin to trickle out for a truncated version of the 2020-21 international hockey calendar, the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation’s women’s calendar for 2020-21 does not feature theirs or Finland’s participation in the Four Nations Cup, which in all likelihood is scrapped due to the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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🇫🇮 Isa Rahunen Announces Retirement To Pursue Nursing Full Time
Finnish defender Isa Rahunen today announced her retirement from both Kärpät of the Finnish Naisten Liiga and the Naisleijonat national team at the age of 27, committing herself full time to her nursing studies at the University of Oulu during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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🇨🇭 🇺🇸 IHLC Classics: Eisgenossen’s 60 Year Wait Is Over
From time to time, TheIHLC.com will feature detailed recaps and boxscores of some of the most legendary games in international hockey history, considered to be “IHLC Classics.” Today, in honour of Swiss National Day (also known as Schweizer Bundesfeiertag, Fête Nationale Suisse or Festa Nazionale Svizzera), we feature La Nati’s historic streak at the 2013 World Championship, namely their historic semifinal victory.
🇨🇭 Switzerland 3-0 United States 🇺🇸
World Championship Semifinal
Ericsson Globe, Stockholm 🇸🇪
Saturday, 18 May 2013
They did it. In a semi-final game featuring two teams challenging history, Switzerland defeated Team USA 3-0 to advance forward to their first opportunity for gold since 1935.
Whatever the outcome in the final game against Sweden will be, it will be the first World Championship medal for the Swiss in exactly 60 years.
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🇨🇿 Czech Ice Hockey Association Announces Cancellation Of Carlson Hockey Games
After members of both the Czech National U-20 and U-17 Team tested positive for COVID-19 following exhibition tournaments, the Czech Ice Hockey Association today announced all August tournaments and practices have been cancelled, including the postponed Carlson Hockey Games, set to complete the 2019-20 Euro Hockey Tour.
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🇷🇺 Alexander Gusev: 1947-2020
Alexander Gusev, one of the key defensive backstops for the Soviet Red Army dynasty of the 1970’s that won Summit Series, Olympic and World Championship titles, passed away at the age of 73.
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🇷🇺 Ilya Nikulin Announces Career Is Over At Age 38
Russian defender Ilya Nikulin, who was a mainstay on the Russian blueline for nearly two decades, today confirmed his career is over after not having played since 2018-19, when he captained Dynamo Moscow of the KHL.
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🇨🇳 🇮🇹 NHL, NHLPA Agrees To Olympic Return In 2022 & 2026
With both the National Hockey League and NHL Players Association today ratifying both their return to play proposal to complete the 2019-20 NHL season, as well as extend their latest Collective Bargaining Agreement, one major clause of the plan is the return of NHL players to the Winter Olympics, marking the return of the world’s top professional players for the first time since 2014, pending IOC and IIHF approval.
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🇺🇸 🇨🇦 IHLC Classics: America’s First (And So Far Only) Worlds Gold
From time to time, TheIHLC.com will feature detailed recaps and boxscores of some of the most legendary games in international hockey history, considered to be “IHLC Classics.” Today, in honour of Independence Day in the United States, we feature Team USA’s first (and so far only) World Championship title, all the way back from 1933.
🇺🇸 United States 2-1 Canada 🇨🇦 (OT)
World Championship Gold Medal Game
Zimní stadion Štvanice, Prague 🇨🇿
Sunday, 26 February 1933
In the early days of international hockey, Canada was all but invincible. It won the first four Olympic tournaments (1920, 1924, 1928, 1932) and the first two World Championships (1930 and 1931) without losing a single game.
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🇨🇦 🇫🇮 IHLC Classics: Canada’s Record Double Dozen
From time to time, TheIHLC.com will feature detailed recaps and boxscores of some of the most legendary games in international hockey history, considered to be “IHLC Classics.” Today, in honour of Canada Day, we feature Canada’s record 24th World Championship Gold Medal, which they captured over Finland in 2007.
🇨🇦 Canada 4-2 Finland 🇫🇮
World Championship Gold Medal Game
Arena Khodynka, Moscow 🇷🇺
Sunday, 13 May 2007
Here’s an incredible bit of trivia: By winning the 2007 IIHF World Championship, Canada earned its 24th gold medal, more than any other nation. Canada’s seven Olympic gold medals are also tops (tied with the Soviet Union).
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🇨🇦 Melody Davidson Leaves Hockey Canada After 26 Years
Melody Davidson, the Canadian management official who has helped to revolutionize women’s hockey and turn Canada into the international juggernaut they are, announced she will be leaving Hockey Canada, an organization she has been with since 1994.
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🇨🇦 🇸🇰 Hockey Hall Of Fame Announces Class Of 2020
The Hockey Hall Of Fame today announced the newest members that will join as the Class of 2020, with two first-ballot inductees joining a trio of Canadian players who have long awaited their call to the Hall in Toronto.
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2020 IIHF Extraordinary Congress Sets Future Calendar
With the scheduled 2020 IIHF Congress that was set for Zürich during the now-cancelled 2020 World Championships, today the International Ice Hockey Federation held their Extraordinary Congress virtually (due to the COVID-19 pandemic), setting the schedule for both the 2020-21 international hockey calendar, as well as for the 2022 Olympic qualification.
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🇨🇿 Martin Erat Retires From Kometa Brno At Age 38
Czech winger Martin Erat, who spent twenty years professionally in the NHL, KHL and Czech leagues, as well as representing the Narodnitym many times, today announced his retirement from his final club, HC Kometa Brno.
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🇷🇺 🇨🇦 IHLC Classics: The Red Army Stuns Canada…And The World
From time to time, TheIHLC.com will feature detailed recaps and boxscores of some of the most legendary games in international hockey history, considered to be “IHLC Classics.” Today, in honour of Russian National Day, we feature the Red Army’s first major international title, and their debut IHLC matchup, against Canada to finish the 1954 World Championship.
🇷🇺 Soviet Union 7-2 Canada 🇨🇦
World Championship Final Round
Stockholms Olympiastadion, Stockholm 🇸🇪
Sunday, 07 March 1954
There is no question that 1954 was the start of the modern era of international hockey. Prior to the World Championship in Stockholm, Sweden, that year, Canada ruled the ice lanes uncontested. Indeed, from 1920 to 1954, it lost only two significant games, one to the United States at the 1933 World Championship and one to Great Britain at the 1936 Olympics.
But in 1954, the Soviet Union made its first appearance in international hockey, and it did so in a blaze of glory. The Soviets had only started playing “Canadian hockey” (as opposed to European bandy) in 1946, and just eight years later that nation’s top players and managers believed they were ready to play against the world – and win.
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