Franz Reindl was elected as the new president of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) on Friday with a narrow victory in the second round of voting. In this round of elections, he secured 60 votes against 57 votes for Petr Bira from the Czech Republic.
Victory in the Second Round of Voting
Reindl was behind in the first round of the election, where he received 48 votes compared to Bira's 36 votes, but managed to win by garnering crucial votes after the elimination of Ayovaz Umurkanov from Kyrgyzstan. Six out of the nine candidates withdrew before the elections.
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Reindl's Background and Achievements
Reindl, who is 71 years old, has been a member of the IIHF Council since 2016 and will succeed Luc Tardif, the previous president of the federation, who announced in March that he would not run for this position again. Reindl's election comes five years after he finished second to Tardif in the 2018 elections. His term as president will last until 2030.
Reindl has played a significant role in the history of ice hockey in Germany, having served as both a player and a coach. He also served as the first CEO of the German Ice Hockey League (DEL) from 1994 to 1996. Reindl was responsible for organizing three World Championship events in 2001, 2010, and 2017, and he served as the president of the German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB) from 2014 to 2022. Under his leadership, the German men's national team won the silver medal at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.
Frank Lutz, the current president of DEB, stated that Reindl has shaped ice hockey in Germany for several decades and that the international hockey community entrusting him with the leadership of IIHF is a testament to his work.
Reindl is also recognized as a bronze medalist at the 1976 Olympics, having participated in the Olympics held in Lake Placid with the West German team. He played 669 games in the domestic German ice hockey league and scored 423 goals.
Tardif's presidency at IIHF was marked by two significant events: the return of NHL players to the Olympic ice in Milan-Cortina and the exclusion of Russia from international competitions due to the country's war with Ukraine in 2022.
Reindl is the second German to be elected as president of IIHF, following Gunter Sabatowski, who held the position from 1975 to 1994.
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