IIHF World Ranking

The IIHF World Ranking is a ranking of the performance of the national ice hockey teams of member countries of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). It is based on a formula giving points for each team's placings at IIHF-sanctioned tournaments over the previous four years. The ranking is used to determine seedings and qualification requirements for future IIHF tournaments. The current leader in rankings is Canada in both men's and women's play.

Top 20 rankings as of May 2023[1]
Men's
RankChange*TeamPoints
1Increase 1 Canada4150
2Decrease 1 Finland4080
3Steady Russia4050
4Steady United States3940
5Increase 4 Germany3835
6Decrease 1 Sweden3800
7Steady  Switzerland3775
8Decrease 2 Czech Republic3735
9Decrease 1 Slovakia3690
10Increase 1 Latvia3610
11Decrease 1 Denmark3500
12Steady Norway3270
13Steady France3240
14Steady Belarus3175
15Increase 1 Kazakhstan3170
16Decrease 1 Austria3135
17Increase 2 Slovenia2990
18Decrease 1 Italy2970
19Increase 1 Hungary2950
20Decrease 2 Great Britain2945
Women's
RankChange*TeamPoints
1Steady Canada4250
2Steady United States4220
3Increase 1  Switzerland3965
4Decrease 1 Finland3920
5Increase 1 Czech Republic3890
6Decrease 1 Russia3885
7Steady Japan3775
8Steady Sweden3665
9Increase 1 Germany3515
10Decrease 1 Hungary3515
11Steady Denmark3420
12Steady France3375
13Increase 1 Austria3245
14Increase 2 China3210
15Decrease 2 Norway3205
16Decrease 1 Slovakia3125
17Increase 1 Netherlands3040
18Decrease 1 Italy2955
19Steady South Korea2935
20Steady Poland2920

Description

The system was approved at the IIHF congress of September 2003.[2] According to former IIHF President René Fasel, the system was designed to be simple to understand and "reflect the long-term quality of all national hockey programs and their commitment to international hockey".[3]

The ranking is used to determine the seeding of the teams for the next World Championship and to select the teams which can participate in Winter Olympics without playing in the qualifying round. For example, for the 2022 Winter Olympics, the first eight teams of the Men's World Ranking and the first six of the Women's World Ranking were pre-qualified. Qualification for the men's tournament at the 2022 Winter Olympics was structured around the 2019 ranking. Twelve spots were made available for teams. The top eight teams in the World Ranking after the 2019 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships received automatic berths into the Ice Hockey event. All IIHF teams had an opportunity to qualify for the event. Teams that wished to participate ranked below 36th played in two preliminary qualifications in November 2019. The two winners of the first preliminaries and teams ranked 27–36th were divided in three groups to play in the second pre-qualification round in December 2019. The three winners of those preliminaries joined teams ranked 18–26th for the third pre-qualification round of three groups in February 2020. The winner of each of these pre-qualification groups and teams ranked 9–17 were divided in three groups to play in the final qualification in August 2021. The winner of each group then joined the eight top-ranked teams plus the host in the Olympics in 2022.

The women's tournament uses a similar qualification format. The top six teams in the IIHF Women's World Ranking after the 2020 IIHF Women's World Championship received automatic berths into the ice hockey event. Lower ranked teams had an opportunity to qualify for the event. Teams ranked 16th and below were divided into three groups where they played in a preliminary qualification round in the October 2021. The three group winners from the round advanced to the final qualification round, where the teams ranked seventh through fifteenth joined them.[4]

Formula

The world ranking is based on the final positions of the last four Men's or Women's IIHF World Championships and last Olympic ice hockey tournament. Points are assigned according to a team's final placement in the World Championship or the Olympic tournament. The world champion receives 1600 points and then a 20-point interval is used between teams. However, a 40-point interval is used between gold and silver, silver and bronze, fourth and fifth, and eighth and ninth. This is used as a bonus for the teams who reach the quarter-finals, the semi-finals, the final and for winning the gold medal.[1] Prior to 2023, the world champion received 1200 points, with other teams receiving the same point interval decreases.

Place 1234567891011121314151617181920...
Points 16001560152015001460144014201400136013401320130012801260124012201200118011601140...

Points awarded in the current year are valued at the full amount. Points award in the prior years decline linearly by 25% until the fifth year when they are dropped from the calculation. Under this formula, any year with a World Championship and an Olympics will be counted twice in the tables[lower-alpha 1], for a maximum ranking (gold medal in all five events) of: 5600 points at the completion of an Olympic year, 5200 points at the completion of the following year, 4800 points the next year, and 4400 points in the year before the next Olympics. For example, if after the 2026 Championship a team had won the gold medal in the last four championships and the last Olympic tournament, their score would be 5600:[lower-alpha 2]

Competition Valuation
coefficient
Points
2026 IIHF World Championship100%1600
2026 Winter Olympics100%1600
2025 IIHF World Championship75%1200
2024 IIHF World Championship50%800
2023 IIHF World Championship25%400
2022 IIHF World Championship0%0
2022 Winter Olympics0%0
Counts Five Tournaments from Four Latest Years5600
  1. From April 2014 to August 2022, Women's rankings counted Olympics points twice, to be on same formula as Men's rankings, as no Women's top division World Championship was held in Olympic years. This changed with the Women's top division starting to be held in Olympic years in 2022..
  2. Due to the point value change from 2023, tournaments from 2020-2022 will still use the 1200 point values in the formula.

Men's rankings

The Men's 2023 ranking is based on the performance at the World Championships of 2023, 2022, 2021, and 2020, and at the Olympic Ice Hockey tournament of 2022.

All tournaments in 2020 were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, teams were awarded points based on their seeding for their respective tournaments. The Championship division received points based on the 2019 World Ranking, while the remaining divisions received points based on the previous year's results. For a fairer ranking and point distribution, the IIHF Council decided that the points for 2021 in case of tournament cancellations are given according to the ranking position of each team in the 2021 Pre-Championship Report – taking into consideration the results in 2018, 2019 and 2020 – rather than by seeding as in the past.[5]

For the 2022 Winter Olympics, Russia was still under a 2019 ban by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) because of that country's state-sponsored doping scheme.[6] On 19 February 2021, the International Olympic Committee announced that individual athletes from Russia, who had consistently passed ongoing anti-doping tests, could compete under the acronym "ROC" (the full name "Russian Olympic Committee" could not be displayed), and that the flag of the Russian Olympic Committee would be used for the COVID-19 pandemic-delayed 2020 Summer Olympics and the unchanged 2022 Winter Olympics.[7]

Russia and Belarus were expelled from competing in the 2022 and 2023 World Championships because of their invasion of Ukraine. They were, however, granted the points of the positions they would have been seeded based on their 2021 ranking: in 2022, Russia in third place received 1120 points, and Belarus in 14th place received 860 points. Several nations withdrew from the 2022 World Championships over COVID-19 concerns. These nations similarly received the points of the positions they would have been seeded within their respective tournaments: Australia as second place in IIA received 560 points, New Zealand as third place in IIB received 440 points, North Korea as first place in IIIA received 360 points, Hong Kong as second place in IIIB received 220 points, and the Philippines as fourth place in IV received 100 points. [8]

The following table lists the full breakdown of ranking following the 2022 Men's Ice Hockey World Championships,[9] and the calculations of the rankings following the 2023 Men's Ice Hockey World Championships. Scores in italics represent minimum possible scores for unfinished tournaments. All tournament's points have their full value displayed, while the ranking is calculated by adding the current year's tournament points to the depreciated previous three years' tournament points as explained above. The depreciated percentages are shown in the column headings, first for the current total, then for the new total. The "Total" columns are the sums of the current tournament points and the depreciated values for past tournaments. The "+/–" columns indicate the increase or decrease in ranking since the last tournament. A dash in a tournament column indicates that the country did not participate.

2023
Rank
2022
Rank
Team WC division
(as of 2023)
WC2023
(—)
(100%)
WC2022
(100%)
(75%)
OLY2022
(100%)
(75%)
WC2021
(75%)
(50%)
WC2020
(50%)
(25%)
WC2019
(25%)
(0%)
2023
Total
+/− 2022
Total
+/−
12 CanadaChampionship1600116010401200120011604150Increase 13990Steady
21 FinlandChampionship1420120012001160112012004080Decrease 14130Steady
33 RussiaExpelled1520112011601060116011204050Steady3935Steady
44 United StatesChampionship1500110010601120104010203940Steady3775Steady
59 GermanyChampionship156010209401100102010403835Increase 43555Steady
65 SwedenChampionship144010401100960110010603800Decrease 13675Steady
77  SwitzerlandChampionship1460106010001040100010003775Steady3590Increase 2
86 Czech RepublicChampionship140011209601020106011003735Decrease 23650Increase 1
98 SlovakiaChampionship13601000112010009609603690Decrease 13590Steady
1011 LatviaChampionship15209409209209409403610Increase 13255Steady
1110 DenmarkChampionship134096010209009009203500Decrease 13335Steady
1212 NorwayChampionship12808808808809209003270Steady3105Steady
1313 FranceChampionship13009008608408008403240Steady3000Steady
1414 BelarusExpelled12608608408408807803175Steady2965Steady
1516 KazakhstanChampionship13208607009408408003170Increase 12885Decrease 1
1615 AustriaChampionship12609208007807808203135Decrease 12900Increase 2
1719 SloveniaChampionship12208008207407407402990Increase 22730Steady
1817 ItalyDivision I A11608407408208608602970Decrease 12840Decrease 1
1920 HungaryChampionship12407807807207207202950Increase 12640Increase 1
2018 Great BritainDivision I A12008206608608208802945Decrease 22755Steady
2121 South KoreaDivision I A11407407207607607602805Steady2600Decrease 1
2222 PolandDivision I A11807007607006606602790Steady2480Steady
2324 RomaniaDivision I A11207206406607006802645Increase 12375Decrease 1
2423 LithuaniaDivision I A11007606006806807002630Decrease 12385Increase 1
2525 JapanDivision I B10806806806406406402580Steady2320Steady
2626 ChinaDivision I B10406009005004804802535Steady2235Increase 1
2727 UkraineDivision I B10606606206006006002470Steady2180Increase 1
2828 EstoniaDivision I B10206405806206206202400Steady2150Decrease 2
2929 NetherlandsDivision I B10005805605805605802285Steady2000Steady
3030 SerbiaDivision I B9806205005605805602245Steady1970Steady
3131 CroatiaDivision II A9205605405405405402150[lower-alpha 1]Steady1910Steady
3232 SpainDivision II A9605405205205005002140Steady1825Steady
3333 IsraelDivision II A8805204204604604401930[lower-alpha 1]Steady1625Increase 1
3434 IcelandDivision II A8604804804404204201905[lower-alpha 1]Steady1605Decrease 1
3536 AustraliaDivision II A9005604805205201690[lower-alpha 1]Increase 11310Steady
3637 BulgariaDivision II B8004203803403403201655Increase 11305Steady
3735 MexicoDivision II B7404003604003603601600Decrease 21330Steady
3838 TurkeyDivision II B7603404603003003001585Steady1250Steady
3941 GeorgiaDivision II A9404603803803801570[lower-alpha 2]Increase 21030Increase 2
4043 United Arab EmiratesDivision II B8403603202002202001505Increase 3990Increase 1
4140 BelgiumDivision II B8204404204404601470Decrease 11090Decrease 1
4239 Chinese TaipeiDivision III A7203004402402402401455Decrease 31100Increase 1
4342 New ZealandDivision II B7804403604004001390Decrease 11010Steady
4444 LuxembourgDivision III A6402803002802602601280Steady985Decrease 3
4546 ThailandDivision III A6602203401401601601190Increase 1785Increase 1
4648 TurkmenistanDivision III A7003202602802801140Increase 2725Steady
4749 KyrgyzstanDivision III B6001604001001001001095Increase 2710Increase 1
4847 Hong KongDivision III B5602202801801801801070Decrease 1770Decrease 1
4950 Bosnia and HerzegovinaDivision III B5802002601601401401040Increase 1685Decrease 1
5051 South AfricaDivision III A6802402202002201020Increase 1560Increase 1
5152 KuwaitDivision IV44080240120120120770Increase 1500Decrease 1
5255 SingaporeDivision III B54012040650Increase 3150Steady
5353 MalaysiaDivision III B5001008080635Steady200Steady
5456 IranDivision III B520140625Increase 2140new
5554 PhilippinesDivision IV4801006060600Decrease 1175Steady
5645 North KoreaDivision III A360320320340510Decrease 11845Steady
5757 MongoliaDivision IV460460new
58 IndonesiaDivision IV420420new
  1. The IIHF rankings omit Georgia's result, giving these teams 20 extra points.
  2. The IIHF rankings omit Georgia's result.

Women's rankings

The Women's 2023 ranking is based on the performance at the World Championships of 2023, 2022, 2021, and 2020, and at the Olympic Ice Hockey tournament of 2022.

Most of the tournaments in 2020 were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, teams were awarded points based on their seeding for their respective tournaments. The Championship division received points based on the 2019 World Ranking, while Divisions IA, IB, and IIA received points based on the previous year's results. Divisions IIB and III were completed and scored as scheduled.

For the 2022 Winter Olympics, Russia was still under a 2019 ban by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) because of that country's state-sponsored doping scheme.[6] On 19 February 2021, the International Olympic Committee announced that individual athletes from Russia, who had consistently passed ongoing anti-doping tests, could compete under the acronym "ROC" (the full name "Russian Olympic Committee" could not be displayed), and that the flag of the Russian Olympic Committee would be used for the COVID-19 pandemic-delayed 2020 Summer Olympics and the unchanged 2022 Winter Olympics.[7]

The following table lists the ranking following the 2022 Women's Ice Hockey World Championships,[9] and the calculations of the rankings following the 2023 Women's Ice Hockey World Championships. Scores in italics represent minimum possible scores for unfinished tournaments. All tournament's points have their full value displayed, while the ranking is calculated by adding the current year's tournament points to the depreciated previous three years' tournament points as explained above. The depreciated percentages are shown in the column headings, first for the current total, then for the new total. The "Total" columns are the sums of the current tournament points and the depreciated values for past tournaments. The "+/–" columns indicate the increase or decrease in ranking since the last tournament. A dash in a tournament column indicates that the country did not participate.

2023
Rank
2022
Rank
Team WC division
(as of 2023)
WC2023
(—)
(100%)
WC2022
(100%)
(75%)
OLY2022
(100%)
(75%)
WC2021
(75%)
(50%)
WC2020
(50%)
(25%)
WC2019
(25%)
(0%)
2023
Total
+/− 2022
Total
+/−
11 CanadaChampionship1560120012001200116011204250Steady4160Steady
22 United StatesChampionship1600116011601160120012004220Steady4090Steady
34  SwitzerlandChampionship1400110011001100106010603965Increase 13820Steady
43 FinlandChampionship1460104011201120112011603920Decrease 13850Steady
56 Czech RepublicChampionship1520112010201020102010403890Increase 13675Increase 1
67 JapanChampionship1420106010401040104010003775Increase 13650Decrease 1
75 RussiaExpelled1340110010601060110011003765Decrease 23780Steady
88 SwedenChampionship1440102010009609209603665Steady3440Steady
910 GermanyChampionship14009608601000100010203515Increase 13325Decrease 1
109 HungaryChampionship136010009209609409203515Decrease 13340Increase 2
1112 FranceChampionship13409208809209009403375Increase 13175Steady
1211 DenmarkDivision I A12209409409409609003340Decrease 13290Decrease 1
1313 NorwayDivision I A12209008408808808803185Steady3060Increase 1
1314 AustriaDivision I A12208609008608608603185Steady3050Decrease 1
1515 SlovakiaDivision I A12208808208408408403125Steady2960Steady
1616 ChinaDivision I A12208209607407407403110Steady2890Increase 1
1718 NetherlandsDivision I A12208407407808208003000Increase 12775Increase 1
1817 ItalyDivision I B11607808008208008202955Decrease 12800Decrease 1
1919 South KoreaDivision I B12007407808007807802935Steady2705Decrease 1
2020 PolandDivision I B11808007607607607602920Steady2700Steady
2122 SloveniaDivision I B11407206806807006802705Increase 12430Steady
2221 KazakhstanDivision I B11007606607207207202705Decrease 12500Steady
2323 Great BritainDivision I B11207007206606606602680Steady2410Steady
2424 SpainDivision II A10606607006406406402560Steady2320Steady
2525 MexicoDivision II A10406206406206206202450Steady2190Steady
2626 Chinese TaipeiDivision II A10206406205405805602380Steady2095Steady
2727 IcelandDivision II A10005806005205405202280Steady1970Steady
2828 TurkeyDivision II B8605405805805005002115Steady1930Steady
2929 LatviaDivision II A10806807006807002110Steady1720Steady
3030 Hong KongDivision III A8403605604603403801845Steady1530Steady
3133 AustraliaDivision II B9405605605605801780Increase 21405Steady
3234 LithuaniaDivision III A8004405203403601780Increase 21395Increase 2
3332 BulgariaDivision III A7604205403603803601755Decrease 11510Steady
3435 New ZealandDivision II B9205405005205401705Increase 11310Decrease 1
3536 CroatiaDivision II B8805004804804801615Increase 11220Decrease 1
3639 BelgiumDivision II B9604604004204201610Increase 31075Steady
3737 South AfricaDivision II B9005204204404001610Steady1155Increase 1
3838 UkraineDivision III A8204603804604401470Steady1085Increase 2
3940 RomaniaDivision III A7804204404004601415Increase 11065Decrease 3
4031 North KoreaDivision II A6206006006001315Decrease 91520Steady
4141 EstoniaDivision III A7403403201155Steady580Steady
4242 Bosnia and HerzegovinaDivision III B6803003001055Steady525Steady
4343 SerbiaDivision III B720320960Steady320new
4444 IsraelDivision III B700280910Steady280new

See also

References

  1. "IIHF – World Ranking". iihf.com. IIHF. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  2. Hockey Canada (30 September 2003). "IIHF Introduces World Ranking and Ranks Canada First in Men's and Women's Hockey". Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  3. Edvinsson, Jan-Ake, ed. (November 2003). "News release–Hockey fans are the best in the world" (PDF). Ice Times. International Ice Hockey Federation. 7 (5): 7. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  4. "Olympic Winter Games". International Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  5. "IIHF – Groups for 2022". iihf.com. IIHF. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  6. Ruiz, Rebecca R.; Panja, Tariq (5 December 2017). "Russia Banned From Winter Olympics by I.O.C." The New York Times.
  7. "Olympics: Russia to compete under ROC acronym in Tokyo as part of doping sanctions". Reuters. 19 February 2021. Archived from the original on 20 February 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  8. "Finland Stays #1 in World Ranking". iihf.com. IIHF. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  9. "IIHF - World Ranking". IIHF International Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
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