Ice Hockey UK is excited to be part of the IIHF’s launch of Officially Cool – a campaign aimed to drive awareness, interest and greater understanding of the roles of game officials. The initiative, which will support the 83 Member National Associations (MNAs) in recruitment opportunities around the world, is part of the IIHF’s Strategic Plan called ICE26. Ice hockey is one of the fastest team sports in the world where game officials are at the heart of the action. The MNAs – including Ice Hockey UK – recruit, educate and develop game officials to the point where they can be selected by the IIH ..read more

News release from UKAD UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) has today confirmed that ice hockey player Nicky Watt will serve an additional 18-month ban from sport following a breach of the terms of his original ban. Mr Watt had been serving an eight-year ban from sport effective from 17th June 2014 for two anti-doping rule violations. In 2019, UKAD became aware that Mr Watt, while serving his ban, had been assisting athletes registered with the English Ice Hockey Association. Contrary to the terms of his ban, Mr Watt was providing these athletes with both general fitness training and off-ice sport specific ..read more

Great Britain are set to be based in Prague in Group B for the 2024 World Championship following the announcement of the tentative groups by the IIHF. Pete Russell’s side will come up against the world’s number two ranked side Finland, as well as USA, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Denmark, Norway and Austria. Matches will take place in the 17,383-seater 02 Arena. Canada, Sweden, Germany, Slovakia, Latvia, France, Kazakhstan and Poland are in Group A in Ostrava, with games being held in the 10,000-seater Ostravar Arena. The IIHF have said the groups are tentative and minor changes for organisati ..read more

UK official Liam Sewell is one of the referees for today’s bronze-medal game at the 2023 Ice Hockey World Championship in Finland. Sewell forms part of the four-man officiating team for the match between USA and Latvia at the Nokia Arena in Tampere (13:20 UK time face-off). The 32-year-old has been one of 32 officials – 16 referees and 16 linesmen – from 12 different nations at this year’s tournament. After officiating during the group stages, Sewell took charge of one of the quarter-finals as USA beat Czechia 3-0 on Thursday. Ice Hockey UK Referee-in-Chief, Colin Davidson, said: “It’s an abso ..read more

Former Great Britain netminder Jimmy Foster has been officially inducted into the IIHF Hall Of Fame in Finland this morning. Members of his family and delegates from Ice Hockey UK attended a special ceremony in Tampere ahead of today’s medal games at the 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Foster was one of the world’s finest goaltenders in the 1930s, backstopping Great Britain to their momentous gold medal at the 1936 Winter Olympics. He was born in Glasgow, Scotland on 13th September 1905 and died in Winnipeg, Manitoba on 4th January 1969. Throughout the 1930s, the keeper was a mainstay ..read more

The IIHF have confirmed the venues for next year’s World Championship tournaments. The schedule for 2024 was rubber-stamped at the annual Congress, taking place this year in Finland. Great Britain Women will travel to Riga for the World Championship Division I Group B in late March/early April 2024, with specific dates still to be confirmed. They’ll face Italy, Poland and Slovenia, as well as hosts Latvia who were promoted from Division II Group A. There’s still one slot to be filled which is the relegated team for the Division I Group A tournament taking place in August. GB Under-20 Men will ..read more

The Elite Ice Hockey League’s 10 member teams have agreed and confirmed the roster regulations for the 2023-24 season. The number of players on a gameday roster will remain at 20, comprised of 18 skaters and two netminders. A maximum of 15 non-homegrown players (imports) will be permitted on each team’s gameday roster in the 2023-24 season. There is no change to the overall roster size for the season which remains at 29 players including two-way players, but excluding injured reserve cover. The total number of non-homegrown players a team may sign in one season (excluding injured reserve cover ..read more

Ice Hockey UK have appointed Tom Manners to the role of Commercial, Marketing and Communications Director. Manners has worked in multiple senior commercial, marketing and communications positions across sport and leisure, including a number of years as Group Sales & Marketing Director at The Jockey Club, as well as various marketing and commercial director roles with Gala Coral. IHUK Chairman, Clifton Wrottesley, said: “Tom will bring much-needed expertise in areas that are going to be vital to our growth going forward. “For years now Ice Hockey UK, and to an extent the sport as a whole in ..read more

Ice Hockey UK (IHUK) is seeking to appoint four (4) Independent Non-Executive Directors (INED). IHUK is recognised both nationally and internationally as the national governing body responsible for developing elite ice hockey in the UK, with a clear focus on developing successful GB teams, supporting the Home Nations’ league structure, international relations and large scale-events. IHUK has recently entered into a new partnership with UK Sport to put plans for GB to compete successfully at major championships including the Olympic Games, in the next 8-12 years. Click here for full details ..read more

Colin Davidson has been appointed as Ice Hockey UK’s new Referee-in-Chief to replace the outgoing Simon Kirkham. Davidson has been involved in hockey for over 45 years from playing to officiating prior to taking up a management role with Scottish Ice Hockey and more recently the IHUK Referee Section. Kirkham has been part of the sport on and off the ice for the past 35 years at both national and international level – and felt the time was right to take a step away to peruse other interests. Clifton Wrottesley, Chair of Ice Hockey UK, said: “On behalf of IHUK, I’d like to thank Simon for his de ..read more