A merged Ice Hockey UK, England Ice Hockey and Scottish Ice Hockey will create a single, modern national governing body that can protect, grow and represent the sport for decades to come.
To lead the sport in its new era, a governance framework will be established that is clear in its accountability, fair in how it shares responsibility, and robust enough to meet the expectations of players, clubs, funders and partners.
Under the proposed merger, together as one, the new national governing body will be designed to:
- Provide clear accountability at board level.
- Empower sections and councils to run day-to-day hockey in their area.
- Align with the UK Sport Code for Sports Governance and best practice from leading federations.
- Preserve the identity and voice of key parts of the game – Rec, juniors, women & girls, senior men/NIHL, para, officials and coaching.
How the new governance model will work
- One NGB, many sections
- A single incorporated body, recognised as the NGB for the whole of the UK.
- Underneath it, clearly defined sections – for example Rec, juniors, women & girls, senior men/NIHL, para, officials and coaching – each with real voice and real responsibility.
- Board sets strategy; councils run the sport
- The board retains ultimate legal, financial and governance responsibility – this is essential for transparency and for meeting the UK Sport Code.
- Section councils and sport-wide councils (e.g. an Officiating Council, Performance Council, Participation Council) hold day-to-day oversight and make recommendations or decisions within clearly delegated authority, so that the people closest to the game help to run the game.
- Aligned, not identical
- All sections operate within a single national framework – shared Articles, regulations, safeguarding policies and discipline processes.
- Within that framework, each section can tweak its Rules of Competition (ROC) where appropriate (for example Rec rules, women’s rules), aligned as far as possible to IIHF standards and to each other for safety, experience and efficiency.
- A voice for those who play, coach, officiate and volunteer
- Councils are populated by people from within each section, chosen through transparent processes.
- There will be structured routes for feedback from clubs, leagues, players, officials and volunteers into those councils – and through them, into the board.
- This ensures that decisions are made with the community, not just about the community.
Why this matters for members
This governance model gives us:
- Robust, transparent decision-making that investors and partners respect.
- A structure where home nations and sections keep their identity and influence, but work within a single, joined-up system.
- A genuine member-centric approach, where those who play, coach, officiate and volunteer have clearer mechanisms to shape the future of the sport.
Henry Staelens, chief executive officer at Ice Hockey UK and England Ice Hockey, said: “Over the past two years we’ve worked hard to put strong foundations in place. IHUK and England Ice Hockey have already achieved Code compliance with UK Sport and Sport England, and we have built robust boards with the experience and capability to set strategy and direction for the sport.
“The next step is to make sure that member voices are heard regularly and clearly, and that they are integrated across all sections – not working in silos.
“A single NGB with empowered councils and clear accountability allows us to do exactly that: strong governance at the top, and strong member voice throughout the game.”
This is what Sustainability for Generations to Come looks like in practice:
A single, accountable national governing body, built on strong sections, strong councils and strong member voice – all pulling in the same direction, Together As One.
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