Each year, USA Hockey sends its teams to compete in tournaments from as near as its own backyard to such hockey destinations as Russia, the Czech Republic, Sweden and Finland. The IIHF sanctions the World Junior Championship, which opens each calendar year, followed by the Women's Under-18 World Championship, the Women's World Championship, the World Under-18 Championship and the Men's World Championship -- but there are many more. Check out the links to the left for more.
The U.S. Men's National Team finished the 2011 IIHF World Men's Championship in Kosice and Bratislava, Slovakia, with a 3-0-1-3 (W-OTW-OTL-L) record.
Tournament links: U.S. Roster | Media GuideMen's team blog | Team USA video |Stats
Player FeaturesYoung squad earns valuable experienceWhat jet lag? van Riemsdyk chips in right awayRewarding return to Slovakia for StastnyMiele has strong debut against FranceQ&A with IIHF PresidentConklin shines in hard-fought shootout loss
Jeff Halpern played in five World Championships and is now a veteran of 12 NHL seasons with five teams. At the 2004 World Championships in Prague, Team USA brought home bronze, the only medal Halpern has in his international career.
.
The list of veteran Team USA forward and hockey star Julie Chu’s accomplishments is as long as a hockey stick.
The International Ice Hockey Federation awarded USA Hockey the right to host four upcoming World Championships. In addition to two championships that had previously been granted to the United States, a total of six IIHF events will be held on U.S. soil in the next 10 years.
Global leaders of hockey convened for a three-day Molson Canadian World Hockey Summit in Toronto from Aug. 23-26, 2010. The attendees dissected the current state of hockey and collaboratively identified and addressed key concerns and issues facing the game today as well as opportunities to further grow and develop the sport.
Links:World Hockey Summit SiteNews and Features:Women's hockey plots future courseDarren Eliot: Let them play not so simpleNHL in no hurry to commit players to 2014 Sochi GamesDay 1: Skills, safety and checking take the stageOlympic clock is ticking for NHL playersKeeping hockey fun a major concernBrian Burke opens up during panelWorld Hockey Summit returns to center stageUSA Hockey's Dave Ogrean touts best on bestWho's who of hockey world to gather in TorontoU.S. contingent eager for SummitAudio of call introducing WHS leadership
International Ice Hockey Federation - www.iihf.com
The IIHF, founded on May 15, 1908 in Paris, France, is the governing body of international ice hockey and inline hockey. The IIHF features 65 member associations, each of which is the national governing body of the sport in its nation. The IIHF also presides over ice hockey in the Olympic Games, and over the IIHF World Championships at all levels, men, women, juniors under-20, juniors under-18 and women under-18. Each season, the IIHF in collaboration with its local organising committees, runs around 25 different World Championships in the five different categories.
Champions Hockey League - www.championshockeyleague.com
IIHF President René Fasel and IIHF General Secretary Horst Lichtner announced the launch of the IIHF Champions Hockey League that will involve the national champion teams playing for European club hockey supremacy annually. The inaugural 2008-2009-campaign will coincide with the 100 Year Anniversary season of the IIHF.
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/likebox.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2F%23%21%2FUSAHockey&width=182&colorscheme=light&connections=0&stream=false&header=true&height=55"> </a>T