European Hockey.Net News, UK
May 12 2007
IIHF tackling late season transfer movement
– ihwc.net
New rule sees transfer deadline change. Meanwhile Armenia gets banned
as the IIHF announced more news after a congress meeting.
With the World Championships in its final stages, the International
Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has its annual sit together in congress
to discuss several hot items for the (near) future.
When the doors opened the following news was announced:
* The proposal to introduce the four-man officiating system was
approved. It will be implemented as of the 2007-2008 IIHF
championship season and include the top division in each of the
IIHF’s four categories, men’s, women’s, U20 and U18 and also the
European cup competitions. NOTE: Implementation of the four-man
officiating system at the 2008 IIHF World Championship in Canada
depends on the success of this system earlier during the
2007-2008-season.
* The General Congress approved the women’s and men’s Olympic format,
for both the qualifications and the Olympic tournament in Vancouver
2010. The IIHF announced the format on March 30.
* The international transfer deadline between IIHF member association
countries has been changed to January 31 of the applicable season.
(For countries in the southern hemisphere the deadline will be July
31).
`This was a necessary change,’ says René Fasel. `It has almost become
a routine that players whose teams have been eliminated from their
national playoffs, transfer to another country and continue to play
in the playoffs there. This is not good for the credibility. By
installing the deadline, we will prevent this late-season movement.’
* The executive board of the IIHF announced its decision to ban
Armenia from all IIHF tournaments for the next two years. This is due
to the fact that Armenia, in the last four years, did not ice a team
in two different tournaments in which it was scheduled to compete.
Armenia has the option of appealing this decision.
* Other IIHF World Championship allocations
2008
IIHF World Championship Division I, Group A: Innsbruck, Austria
IIHF World Championship Division I, Group B: Sapporo, Japan
IIHF World Championship Division II, Group A: Brasov/Miercurea Ciuc,
Romania
IIHF World Championship Division II, Group B: Newcastle, Australia
IIHF World Championship Division III: Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
IIHF World Women Championship: China (decided previously)
IIHF World Women Championship, Division I: Latvia (city TBA)
IIHF World Women Championship, Division II (no applicants)
IIHF World Women Championship, Division III (no applicants)
IIHF World U20 Championship Division I, Group A: Germany (city TBA)
IIHF World U20 Championship Division I, Group B: Riga, Latvia
IIHF World U20 Championship Division II, Group A: Italy (city TBA)
IIHF World U20 Championship Division II, Group B: Tallinn, Estonia
IIHF World U20 Championship Division III: Belgrade/Novi Sad, Serbia
IIHF World U18 Championship Division I, Group A: Poland (city TBA)
IIHF World U18 Championship Division I, Group B: Riga, Latvia
IIHF World U18 Championship Division II, Group A: Lyon, France
IIHF World U18 Championship Division II, Group B: Tallinn, Estonia
IIHF World U18 Championship Division III: Mexico City, Mexico
IIHF World U18 Championship Division III, Qualifications: Turkey
(city TBA)
IIHF World Women U18 Championship: Canada (city TBA)
2009
IIHF World U18 Championship: USA
2010
IIHF World U20 Championship: Canada
2011
IIHF World U20 Championship: USA
2012
IIHF World Championship: Helsinki, Turku, Finland.
IIHF World Women Championship: USA