A closely contested vote has seen a German official elected as the new president of the International Ice Hockey Federation, securing victory over a Czech candidate in a tight race. The result marks a leadership transition following the departure of the outgoing president, who had served for a decade. With ice hockey’s global governance now in new hands, the decision could shape the sport’s future policies and priorities. Supporters of both candidates have already begun weighing in on what this shift may mean for the federation’s direction.

German official Franz Reindl was the winner of the International Ice Hockey Federation presidential vote, narrowly beating Petr Bříza as the successor of Luc Tardif.