Franz Reindl Wins IIHF Presidency in Close Vote
Franz Reindl is the new president of the International Ice Hockey Federation, securing a narrow victory over Czech candidate Petr Bříza by just three votes during the congress on Tenerife, sportnet.sme.sk reported. Reindl replaces outgoing French chief Luc Tardif (73), who did not run for re-election. Reindl is also the first German in this position since Günther Sabetzki, who headed the organization from 1975 until 1994. The seventy-one-year-old Reindl became the fifteenth chief of the IIHF and will lead it for the next four years. The election required two rounds of voting after nine original candidates entered the race and six withdrew before Friday’s ballot.
How the Five-Round Ballot Unfolded
The election process proved deeply competitive across multiple rounds of voting. In the opening round, Petr Bříza led with 48 votes, Franz Reindl collected 36, and Aivaz Omorkanov of Kyrgyzstan secured 33, according to sportnet.sme.sk. Because no candidate crossed the 50 percent threshold, the contest narrowed to a runoff between the top two contenders. In the second and decisive presidential round, Reindl garnered 60 votes, representing 51.28 percent of the total, while Bříza finished with 57 votes, or 48.72 percent, sportnet.sme.sk reported. Czech commentator Robert Záruba noted that Reindl picked up significant support in the second round from delegates who initially backed Omorkanov. Simultaneously, the congress held a dramatic five-round election for regional vice-president for Europe and Africa, where Slovak official Igor Nemeček triumphed over Finland’s Heikki Hietanen, sport.aktuality.sk reported. The opening round saw Sweden’s Anders Larsson lead with 30 votes (25.64%), closely followed by Nemeček with 29 votes (24.79%). A third Finn, Hietanen, gathered 21 votes (17.95%), and fourth-place Danish candidate Henrik Bach Nielsen received 17 votes (14.53%). Zsuzsanna Kolbenheyerová (7 votes; 5.98%), Clifton Wrottesley (6 votes; 5.13%), Frank Gonzalez (5 votes; 4.27%), and Marta Zawadzká of Poland (2 votes; 1.71%) completed the initial field. Following the first count, Zawadzká was eliminated and Wrottesley decided to withdraw his candidacy. The second round brought a tie at the top, with both Larsson and Nemeček collecting 34 votes each (29.06%). Hietanen improved to 26 votes (22.22%), while Bach Nielsen dropped to 15 (12.82%). Gonzalez, with three votes (2.56%), had to leave the voting room, and Kolbenheyerová (5 votes; 4.27%) decided to step down. Slovak under-20 ice hockey players will subsequently face Sweden, USA, Germany, and Finland in Group A of the World Junior Championships. A key turning point occurred in the third round, where Nemeček took the initiative with 43 votes (36.75%), moving ahead of Hietanen (34 votes; 29.06%) for the first time. Former leaders Larsson (33 votes; 28.21%) and Bach Nielsen (7 votes; 5.98%) began to lose ground. The fourth round meant a clear narrowing at the top positions. The Slovak candidate pulled away further from competitors with 54 votes (46.15%), while Hietanen recorded 42 votes (35.90%). Surprisingly, the previous favorite Larsson was eliminated, as his 21 votes (17.95%) were not enough to advance to the final. Votes from the eliminated Swedish candidate decided the winner in the final fifth round. In it, Igor Nemeček clearly dominated, gaining 68 votes (58.12%) and leaving Hietanen behind with 49 votes (41.88%).
Franz Reindl Brings Decades of Playing and Executive Experience
Born on November 24, 1954, in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Reindl brings an extensive background in both international play and hockey administration. He played 181 matches for the West German national team, appearing at nine world championships, three Olympic Games, and the Canada Cup. In 1976, he was part of the team that won bronze at the Innsbruck Olympics. Following his playing career in 1988, Reindl began coaching in the German league. He also served as the general secretary of the organizing committees for the world championships in 2001 and 2010, and participated in organizing the 2017 World Championships in Germany and France. In 2015, the NHL and NHLPA named him president of Team Europe for the 2016 World Cup. He has served within IIHF structures since 1998. He was first elected to the IIHF Council in 2016 and defended his mandate in 2021. He had already competed for the presidential post five years ago, when he lost in the final round of the vote to Luc Tardif by a score of 39 to 67. During his tenure leading the German federation, the national team captured a historic silver medal at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. He also helped found Germany's top domestic league, the DEL, and organized multiple world championships.
Future Priorities and Communication with the National Hockey League
Following his election, Reindl said the National Hockey League communication must improve to avoid past scheduling conflicts. Reindl told the DPA agency that he views the fact that a person behaves differently when they do not have to strive for re-election as an advantage. He stated after his election: We must prevent dramas like those always before the start of the Olympics.
He was referring to negotiations regarding the participation of players from the professional league under the five rings.
Frequently Asked Questions About the IIHF Leadership Election
What was the vote count in the decisive presidential round between Franz Reindl and Petr Bříza?
In the second and final round, Franz Reindl received 60 votes (51.28 percent), defeating Petr Bříza, who received 57 votes (48.72 percent), according to sportnet.sme.sk.
Which country’s candidate did Igor Nemeček defeat to become regional vice-president for Europe and Africa?
Igor Nemeček defeated Finnish candidate Heikki Hietanen in a five-round vote that concluded with 68 votes for Nemeček and 49 for Hietanen, sport.aktuality.sk reported.
