READY TO GRADE NOW




Welcome to the IIHF's opening ceremony! I'm Coach Biz and ill be your post written host! and while we are all dreaming about gold medals and nationalistic pride, its been quite a while since someone has put together an all-encompassing report on the leagues most illustrious tournament... This absence has left gaps of information about the IIHF lost to its fan base. So on our tournaments 20th anniversary let's try and bridge that gap as we review the current state of affairs of the International Ice Hockey Federation for season 41!

Each season 12 sovereign nations of all sizes choose there 20 best players to compete in a 10 game round robin tournament. 8 of those 12 teams will advance to the medal rounds in an exciting 1 game elimination contest for a chance at league immortality!  Unlike the SHL where you can ease into a 50 game schedule.. International play is 1 week of high stakes hockey with the pressure mounting as soon as you step on the ice!


The Transfer process:
Now a players birth place determines which nation they will play for. Each player also has an option to transfer 1 time during the course of their career...."as long as they have not played in a game with their original nation."

The transfer process has been a hot debate topic for IIHF die hards. The eligible player list for the bigger nations run 4 to 1 on the smaller countries so their needs to be a system in place to allow a broader playing field.  Some don't mind it, they look at that 1 transfer as a player having duel eligibility who gets to make a choice on which country to play for. .. others feel that any player movement waters down the excitement of international play. I am not here to sway any opinions but to explain the strategics and gameplay that the current system offers.

In the IIHF the managerial experience is determined heavily by what nation you represent. if you are a small nation.. your job is to play offense!  to stay active.. to make sure that your 1 transfer each season is useful and try to turn your country into a place that players want to play at!... and if you're a big country your playing defense until the tourney.. as you strategize which of your many choices to lock in.. and how to sell your country to those players on your roster who are waiting for a oppertunity.

The cat and mouse strategics for these young new players has grown fierce over the past few seasons as new and engaged GM's join the IIHF eager to make a name for themselves and their countries!  I'm here to let it be known that there is a growing rivalry between federation heads.  Internally debates have heated up,  Some managers have made strides on the ice and in there locker rooms which has made other teams annoyed .. and some are finding creative new ways to engage the audience which has sparked some jealousy.. you put that together and what we have here is an IIHF that's begun to simmer from within.. which has created a new energy that's moving to into the leagues collective consciousness.

Lets take a look at our nations and the federation heads that lead them....