Turkish Ice Hockey Federation

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Turkish Ice Hockey Federation (Turkish: Türkiye Buz Hokeyi Federasyonu, TBHF) is the governing body of the ice hockey sport in Turkey. It was established in 1991 as the Turkish Ice Sports Federation (Turkish: Türkiye Buz Sporları Federasyonu, TBSF). It is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). The TBHF is based in Ankara and its current chairman is A. Kadir Dökmeci.^[1]

TBHF conducts two ice hockey leagues for men's, one for juniors /U20) and since February 2007 one for women's teams. The federation organizes also the national teams for men's, women's, juniors U20 and U18.

1 History
2 Domestic events and teams
3 International events
4 Coach
5 See also
6 External links
7 References

[edit] History

Ice hockey playing started in Turkey in the beginning of 1980s at Atatürk ice rink and on the frozen pool of Youth Park in Ankara and Korukent ice rink in Istanbul. The first ice hockey match dates back to January 9, 1988 played at Atatürk ice rink in Ankara between the teams of Ankara and Istanbul, which were coached by an American officer Glenn Brown and Sinisha Tomic from Yugoslavia respectively.

By February 1989, the "Buz Pateni Sarayı" (literally "Ice Skating Palace"), country's first olympic size hockey rink was opened in Ankara, which initiated the ice hockey in Turkey. Founding of an ice hockey school the same year by Cüneyt Kozan and Fahri Paslı was one of the most basic and important steps in the development of this sport branch in Turkey. Some of the sportspeople, who learnt playing ice hockey at this school, are still members of the national team.

Ankara Buz Pateni Sarayı hosted the first match ever played in compliance with the international rules and regulations end of 1989 between Ankara Tarım Kredi Spor and Istanbul Paten Kulübü teams.

By January 1990, ice hockey sport was subordinated to the Turkish Ski Federation, and the first official championship ever was organized among two teams from Ankara and two from Istanbul.

With the foundation of the Turkish Ice Sports Federation in 1991, ice hockey sport separated from the Turkish Ski Federation and came along with figure skating sport under the authority of the new organization. Turkey became member of the International Ice Hockey Federation IIHF the same year, and formed the national team to participate at the 1992 World championships Group C tournements.

The rising interest in ice hockey effected the increasing number of players and then the teams. Rino Ouellette, a Canadian diplomat in Ankara, who coached two teams consecutively, contributed much to the development of ice hockey sport in Turkey. A tournement, organized in 1992, layed the ground stone for the establishment of Turkey's first ice hockey league in 1993.

From 1992 on, the federation conducted regularly courses for referees and trainers.

Under increasing competition pressure, the teams were forced to transfer valuable players from countries with ice hockey tradition like Canada, Russia, Ukraina etc. The presence of the foreign sportspeople contributed considerable to the enhancement of this sport resulting in Turkey's first international win in 1997 against New Zealand.^[2]

In the end of 2006, ice hockey sport detached on International Skating Union's recommendation from the Turkish Ice Sports Federation establishing its own organization.^[3]

[edit] Domestic events and teams

The TBHF conducts in the 2006-2007 season four leagues and an outdoor ice hockey tournement.^[4] In the Turkish Super League, 8 teams compete. Turkish First League compromise 5 teams. In the Juniors (U20) League, there are 11 teams.^[5] The Turkish women's league debuted in Februray 2007 with 7 teams.^[6]

Turkish Super League

Anka S.K., Ankara
Ankara Büyükşehir Belediyesi S.K., Ankara
Başkent Yıldızları Buz Pateni ve Buz Hokeyi S.K., Ankara
İstanbul Paten Klübü, Istanbul
Kocaeli Büyükşehir Belediyesi Kağıt Spor, Kocaeli
Polis Akademisi ve Koleji S.K., Ankara
Şampiyon S.K., Ankara
TED Ankara Kolejliler S.K., Ankara

Turkish First League

Ankara Emniyetspor, Ankara
Ankara Truva Paten S.K., Ankara
İstanbul TED Kolejliler S.K., Istanbul
Kızılkaplan S.K., Ankara
ODTÜ S.K., Ankara

Turkish Juniors (U20) League

Anka S.K., Ankara
Ankara Büyükşehir Belediyesi S.K., Ankara
Ankara Emniyetspor, Ankara
Ankara Truva Paten S.K., Ankara
Başkent Yıldızları Buz Pateni ve Buz Hokeyi S.K., Ankara
İstanbul Ted Kolejliler S.K., Istanbul
İzmit Buz Sporları Paten Klübü Derneği, Kocaeli
İzmit Çenesuyu S.Ki, Kocaeli
İzmit Şirintepe, Kocaeli
Kocaeli Büyükşehir Belediyesi Kağıt Spor, Kocaeli
Şampiyon S.K., Ankara

Turkish Women's League

Anka S.K.i Ankara
Başkent Yıldızları Buz Pateni ve Buz Hokeyi S.K., Ankara
Kocaeli Büyükşehir Belediyesi Kağıt Spor, Kocaeli
Milenyum Paten Kulübü, Ankara
ODTÜ S.K., Ankara
Polis Akademisi ve Koleji S.K., Ankara
Truva Paten S.K, Ankara

[edit] International events

Turkish national ice hockey teams will take part in 2007 at following events:

World Men's Championships, Division II Group A tournament in Zagreb, Croatia from April 8 through April 14
World Women's Championships, Division IV tournement in Miercurea Ciuc, Romania between March 26 through April 1
World Junior (U20) Championships, Division III tournement in Ankara, Turkey from January 8through January 14 - 5th place
World Escoir (U18) Championships, Division III tournement in Beijing, China between March 5 through March 11

[edit] Coach

The national team's head coach is Clive R. Tolley from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada, who was appointed for a term of 4 years with a trial period of January-June 2007.^[7] His assistants are Tuncay Kılıç, Göktürk Taşdemir and Anıl Uyar.^[8]