Reindl Wins IIHF Presidency; Canada Loses Council Seat

Germany’s Franz Reindl was elected IIHF president, defeating Czechia’s Petr Briza 60-57 in a runoff after trailing in the first round. Reindl replaces Luc Tardif and has served on the IIHF Council since 2016, including as Team Europe president at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. Canada no longer has a member on the IIHF Council after Katherine Henderson was eliminated, with seats going to Hungary, Turkey, and Poland.

Franz Reindl, 71, replaces Luc Tardif, who declined another term. Reindl lost to Tardif in 2021 and has served on the IIHF Council since 2016. He led Germany’s federation from 2014 to 2022 and was its national team GM for over two decades. He was Team Europe president at the 2016 World Cup.

In the runoff, Reindl erased a first-round deficit after Aivaz Omorkanov dropped out. Petr Briza, Czechoslovakia’s 1992 Olympic bronze-winning goalie, was re-elected senior vice-president. Canada’s Katherine Henderson missed a women’s council seat; Hungary, Turkey, and Poland won places. Bob Nicholson had held the Americas vice-president role since 2012, and Mike Trimboli now fills it.