National team appearances in the Ice Hockey World Championships

In this article we are going to delve into the world of National team appearances in the Ice Hockey World Championships, a topic that has captured the attention of many people and that arouses great interest in today's society. Along these lines we will explore the different aspects related to National team appearances in the Ice Hockey World Championships, from its history and evolution, to its impact today. In addition, we will analyze the possible implications and consequences that National team appearances in the Ice Hockey World Championships may have in different areas, as well as the opinions and perspectives of experts in the field. Without a doubt, National team appearances in the Ice Hockey World Championships is a topic that leaves no one indifferent, so it is essential to examine it carefully and reflect on its importance in today's world.

This article lists the performances of each of the 62 national teams which have made at least one appearance in the Ice Hockey World Championships, an annual international men's ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), including the Olympic ice hockey tournament was also considered the World Championship for that year, and was held before the first Ice Hockey World Championship as an individual event in 1930. With the exception between 1940 and 1946, when no championships were held during World War II, nor were held during the Olympic years 1980, 1984, and 1988. In 2020, the IIHF announced that all World Championship tournaments have been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions-related issues.[1][2]

Sweden has appeared in 82 out of 87 tournaments to date, with Canada, having participated in 77, and Finland in 70. The United States has appeared in 75 top division tournaments and five in lower divisions. Although the U.S. went winless at the 1969 World Championship, finishing in last place in Group A (now Top Division) after losing all ten games. This marks the first time in men's worlds history, the United States was relegated to Group B (now Division I) until the 1970 World Championship, the U.S. bounced back and finished in first place in Group B (7th overall) after winning all seven games and was promoted back to Group A.

Czechia is the current World Champion, defeating Switzerland in the gold medal game at the 2024 IIHF World Championship. Since the IIHF introduced a playoff system in 1992, Switzerland has appeared in the World Championship final three times, but they lost every game, including twice to Sweden. The United States has never reached a World Championship gold medal game, having lost in the semi-final round twelve times since the IIHF introduced a playoff system in 1992; including six semi-finals appearances in ten tournaments from 2013 through 2023, and three consecutive in 2021, 2022, and 2023.

Debut of teams

A total of 62 national teams have participated for at least one IIHF World Championship through the 2024 event, and two debuted in 2023. Each successive IIHF World Championships has had at least one team appearing for the first time, in alphabetical order per year. Teams in parentheses are considered successor teams by the IIHF.

Notes:

  • Between 1920 and 1968, the Olympic ice hockey tournament was also considered the World Championship for that year.
  • Each of the national teams have made their debut that participate in the lower division of the World Championship.[a]

Key:

  •   †   – The Summer Olympic Games Ice Hockey Tournament held that year counted as the World Championship
  •   *   – The Winter Olympic Games Ice Hockey Tournament held that year counted as the World Championship
Year Debutants Successor teams
Teams Number CT
1920 †  Belgium,  Canada,  Czechoslovakia,[b]  France,  Sweden,   Switzerland,  United States 7 7
1924 *  Great Britain 1 8
1928 *  Austria,  Germany,[c]  Hungary,  Poland 4 12
1930  Italy,  Japan 2 14
1931  Romania 1 15
1932 * None 0 15
1933  Latvia 1 16
1934 None 0 16
1935  Netherlands 1 17
1936 * None 0 17
1937  Norway 1 18
1938  Lithuania 1 19
1939  Finland, Yugoslavia[d] 2 21
1940 No tournaments were held during World War II
1941
1942
1943
1944
1945
1946
1947 None 0 21
1948 *
1949  Denmark 1 22
1950 None 0 22
1951 Yugoslavia (Group B)[d]
1952 *
1953 West Germany[c]
1954  Soviet Union[e] 1 23
1955 None 0 23
1956 * East Germany (Group B)[c] 1 24
1957 None 0 24
1958
1959
1960 *  Australia 1 25
1961  South Africa (Group C) 1 26
1962 None 0 26
1963  Bulgaria (Group C) 1 27
1964 * None 0 27
1965
1966
1967
1968 *
1969
1970
1971
1972  China (Group C) 1 28
1973 None 0 28
1974  North Korea (Group C) 1 29
1975 None 0 29
1976
1977  Spain (Group C) 1 30
1978 None 0 30
1979  South Korea (Group C) 1 31
1980 No tournaments were held during the 1980 Winter Olympic Games
1981 None 0 31
1982
1983
1984 No tournaments were held during the 1984 Winter Olympic Games
1985 None 0 31
1986
1987  Hong Kong (Group D),  New Zealand (Group D) 2[f] 33
1988 No tournaments were held during the 1988 Winter Olympic Games
1989 None 0 33
1990
1991  Germany[c]
1992  Greece (Group C2),  Israel (Group C2),  Luxembourg (Group C2),  Turkey (Group C2) 4 37  Russia[e]
1993  Belarus (Group C),  Croatia (Group C),  Estonia (Group C),  Kazakhstan (Group C),  Slovenia (Group C),  Ukraine (Group C) 6 43  Czechia[b]
1994  Slovakia (Group C1) 1 44
1995 None 0 44  FR Yugoslavia (Group C)[d]
1996
1997
1998
1999  Iceland (Group D) 1 45
2000  Mexico (Group D) 1 46
2001 None 0 46
2002
2003  Serbia and Montenegro (Division II A)[d]
2004  Armenia (Division III),  Ireland (Division III) 2 48
2005 None 0 48
2006
2007  Mongolia (Division III) 1 49  Serbia (Division II A)[d]
2008  Bosnia & Herzegovina (Division III Q) 1 50
2009 None 0 50
2010  United Arab Emirates (Division III) 1 51
2011 None 0 51
2012
2013  Georgia (Division III Q) 1 52
2014 None 0 52
2015
2016
2017  Chinese Taipei (Division III)[f] 1 53
2018  Kuwait (Division III Q),  Turkmenistan (Division III Q) 2 55
2019  Kyrgyzstan (Division III Q),  Thailand (Division III Q) 2 57
2020 Tournaments were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2021 All lower division tournaments were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2022  Iran (Division IV),  Malaysia (Division IV),  Singapore (Division IV) 3 60
2023  Indonesia (Division IV),  Philippines (Division IV) 2 62
2024 None 0 62
2025  Uzbekistan (Division IV) 1 63
2026 TBD TBD TBD
2027
2028
2029
2030

With 62 national teams to have participated through the 2023 event, the IIHF World Championships is the third most participated men's world championship, behind the FIFA World Cup (80), and the FIBA Basketball World Cup (65), and ahead of the FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship (60), the IHF World Men's Handball Championship (58), the Rugby World Cup (26), the Men's FIH Hockey World Cup (25), the World Baseball Classic (23), and the Cricket World Cup (20).

Ranking of teams by number of appearances

Team Number of appearances Debut Most recent Best result
 Sweden 82 1920 2024 Champions (11 times)
 Canada 77 1920 2024 Champions (28 times)
 United States 75 (5 in lower divisions) 1920 2024 Champions (1933, 1960)
 Finland 70 1939 2024 Champions (1995, 2011, 2019, 2022)
  Switzerland 56 (25 in lower divisions) 1920 2024 Runners-up (1935, 2013, 2018, 2024)
 Norway 39 (31 in lower divisions) 1937 2024 4th place (1951)
 Austria 35 (42 in lower divisions) 1928 2024 3rd place (1931, 1947)
 France 35 (34 in lower divisions) 1920 2024 6th place (1920, 1924, 1928, 1930)
 Italy 32 (38 in lower divisions) 1930 2024 4th place (1953)
 Latvia 32 (4 in lower divisions) 1933 2024 3rd place (2023)
 Poland 30 (45 in lower divisions) 1928 2024 4th place (1931, 1932)
 Slovakia 28 (2 in lower divisions) 1994 2024 Champions (2002)
 Denmark 22 (34 in lower divisions) 1949 2024 8th place (2010, 2016)
 Belarus 20 (8 in lower divisions) 1993 2021 6th place (2006)
 Great Britain 19 (42 in lower divisions) 1924 2024 Champions (1936)
 Hungary 13 (54 in lower divisions) 1928 2024 5th place (1937)
 Belgium 12 (46 in lower divisions) 1920 2024 7th place (1920, 1924, 1950)
 Kazakhstan 12 (19 in lower divisions) 1993 2024 10th place (2021)
 Japan 11 (47 in lower divisions) 1930 2024 6th place (1930)
 Slovenia 10 (20 in lower divisions) 1993 2024 13th place (2002, 2005)
 Ukraine 9 (21 in lower divisions) 1993 2024 9th place (2002)
 Romania 8 (57 in lower divisions) 1931 2024 7th place (1947)
 Netherlands 4 (57 in lower divisions) 1935 2024 8th place (1950, 1981)
 Australia 1 (38* in lower divisions) 1960 2024 9th place (1960)
 South Korea 1 (37 in lower divisions) 1979 2024 16th place (2018)
 Lithuania 1 (30 in lower divisions) 1938 2024 10th place (1938)
 Bulgaria 0 (53 in lower divisions) 1963 2024 14th place (8th in Group B) (1970)
 China 0 (45 in lower divisions) 1972 2024 15th place (6th in Group B) (1982)
 Spain 0 (40 in lower divisions) 1977 2024 22nd place (5th in Group C) (1977)
 Israel 0 (31 in lower divisions) 1992 2024 28th place (6th in Division I A) (2006)
 South Africa 0 (31 in lower divisions) 1961 2024 19th place (3rd in Group C) (1966)
 Croatia 0 (30 in lower divisions) 1993 2024 24th place (4th in Division I A) (2001)
 Estonia 0 (30 in lower divisions) 1993 2024 19th place (3rd in Group B) (1998)
 New Zealand 0 (28 in lower divisions) 1987 2024 27th place (3rd in Group D) (1987)
 Turkey 0 (28 in lower divisions) 1992 2024 32nd place (6th in Group C2) (1992)
 North Korea 0 (28 in lower divisions) 1974 2024 21st place (5th in Group C) (1990)
 Iceland 0 (23 in lower divisions) 1999 2024 30th place (2nd in Division II A) (2014)
 Luxembourg 0 (23 in lower divisions) 1992 2024 31st place (5th in Group C2) (1992)
 Mexico 0 (23 in lower divisions) 2000 2024 35th place (4th in Division II B) (2008)
 Greece 0 (12** in lower divisions) 1992 2013 29th place (3rd in Group C2) (1992)
 Georgia 0 (10** in lower divisions) 2013 2024 30th place (2nd in Division II A) (2023)
 Ireland 0 (10 in lower divisions) 2004 2013 40th place (6th in Division II B) (2008)
 United Arab Emirates 0 (10** in lower divisions) 2010 2024 31st place (3rd in Division II A) (2024)
 Hong Kong 0 (9 in lower divisions) 1987 2024 28th place (4th in Group D) (1987)
 Bosnia & Herzegovina 0 (8 in lower divisions) 2008 2024 44th place (3rd in Division III B) (2022)
 Mongolia 0 (7** in lower divisions) 2007 2024 45th place (5th in Division III) (2007)
 Chinese Taipei 0 (6⸿ in lower divisions) 2017 2024 39th place (5th in Division II B) (2024)
 Armenia 0 (5 in lower divisions) 2004 2010 43rd place (3rd in Division III) (2006)
 Kuwait 0 (5 in lower divisions) 2018 2024 49th place (5th in Division IV) (2022)
 Turkmenistan 0 (5 in lower divisions) 2018 2024 39th place (3rd in Division III A) (2022)
 Kyrgyzstan 0 (4 in lower divisions) 2019 2024 42nd place (2nd in Division III A) (2024)
 Thailand 0 (4 in lower divisions) 2019 2024 41st place (1st in Division III A) (2024)
 Iran 0 (3 in lower divisions) 2022 2024 46th place (2nd in Division IV) (2022)
 Malaysia 0 (3 in lower divisions) 2022 2024 48th place (4th in Division IV) (2022)
 Singapore 0 (3 in lower divisions) 2022 2024 47th place (3rd in Division IV) (2022)
 Indonesia 0 (2 in lower divisions) 2023 2024 55th place (3rd in Division IV) (2024)
 Philippines 0 (2 in lower divisions) 2023 2024 50th place (4th in Division III B) (2024) 
*Including participation in official qualifying competition for 1964 World Championships/Olympics.
**Including participation in Division III qualification 2013 Men's World Championships.
Not including participation in unofficial Group E 1997 Men's World Championships.
⸿Not including unofficial participation in Group D 1987 World Championships.
Breakdown of successor teams
Team Number of appearances Debut Most recent Best result
 Czechia (1993–) 31 1993 2024 Champions (7 times)
 Czechoslovakia (1920–1992) 52 1920 1992 Champions (6 times)
Team Number of appearances Debut Most recent Best result
Germany (1928–1939), (1952 Winter Olympics), (1991–) 41 (3 in lower divisions) 1928 2024 Runners-up (1930, 2023)
United Team of Germany (1956–1964) 3 1956 1964 6th place (1956, 1960)
West Germany (1951–1990) 24 (9* in lower divisions) 1953 1990 Runners-up (1953)
East Germany (1951–1990) 14 (16** in lower divisions) 1956 1990 5th place (1957, 1965, 1966, 1970) 
*Including participation in 3 official qualifying competitions for World Championships/Olympics 1956, 1960, 1964 where United Team of Germany played.
**Including participation in 2 official qualifying competitions for World Championships/Olympics 1960, 1964 where United Team of Germany played (1956 counted as usual as East Germany played in the Pool B at 1956 World Championships).
Team Number of appearances Debut Most recent Best result
 ROC[g] (2021) 1 2021 2021 5th place (2021)
 Russia (1992–2019) 28 1992 2019 Champions (5 times)
 Soviet Union (1954–1991) 34 1954 1991 Champions (22 times)
Team Number of appearances Debut Most recent Best result
 Serbia (2007–) 0 (16 in lower divisions) 2007 2024 26th place (5th in Division I B) (2022)
 Serbia and Montenegro (2003–2006) 0 (4 in lower divisions) 2003 2006 31st place (2nd in Division II Group A) (2003)
 FR Yugoslavia (1995–2002) 0 (7 in lower divisions) 1995 2002 28th place (8th in Group C) (1995)
Yugoslavia (1939), (1951–1991) 1 (30 in lower divisions) 1939 1991 13th place (1939)

Also Switzerland "B" team played at the 1953 Ice Hockey World Championships in the Pool B, West Germany "B" team played at the 1955 Ice Hockey World Championships in the Pool B, Czechoslovakia "B" team played at the 1959 Ice Hockey World Championships in the Pool B, and Yugoslavia "B" team played at the 1966 Ice Hockey World Championships in the Pool C, but its results were not official and not counted in the final tables.

Results of host nations

Results of defending champions

Medal table

National teams in italics no longer compete at the World Championships.[4]

Rank National team[h] Gold Silver Bronze Total
1  Canada 28 16 9 53
2  Soviet Union[i] /  Russia[j] 27 10 10 47
3  Czechoslovakia[k] /  Czechia[l] 13 13 22 48
4  Sweden 11 19 18 48
5  Finland 4 9 3 16
6  United States 2 9 9 20
7  Great Britain 1 2 2 5
8  Slovakia[m] 1 2 1 4
9   Switzerland 0 4 8 12
10  Germany[n] /  West Germany[o] 0 3 2 5
11  Austria 0 0 2 2
12  Latvia 0 0 1 1
Totals (15 nations) 87 87 87 261


Droughts

This section is a list of droughts associated with the participation of men's national ice hockey teams in the IIHF World Championships, including final appearance and world champion droughts up to and including the 2023 IIHF World Championship. Those teams which have not participated in any World Championship are listed by the year that they entered the IIHF tournaments.

Note:

  • Does not include droughts between 1940 and 1946, when no championships were held during World War II, nor were held during the Olympic years 1980, 1984, and 1988, and 2020 championships were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Longest active final droughts

Does not include two teams that made the 2024 Final: Czechia and Switzerland.

Team Last appearance in the final Subsequent semifinal losses Drought
 United States Never (IIHF introduced a playoff system in 1992) 12 (1994, 1996, 2001, 2004, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023) 33 years
 Latvia Never (IIHF introduced a playoff system in 1992) 1 (2023) 33 years
 Slovakia 2012 0 12 years
 ROC[g] 2015 3 (2016, 2017, 2019) 9 years
 Sweden 2018 1 (2024) 6 years
 Finland 2022 0 2 years
 Canada 2023 1 (2024) 1 year
 Germany 2023 0 1 year

Longest all-time final droughts

     Active final drought is highlighted

Team Prev. appearance in the final Intervening semifinal losses Next appearance in the final Drought
 United States Never (IIHF introduced a playoff system in 1992) 12 (1994, 1996, 2001, 2004, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023) active 33 years
 Latvia Never (IIHF introduced a playoff system in 1992) 1 (2023) active 33 years
 Germany Never (IIHF introduced a playoff system in 1992) 2 (2010, 2021) 2023 31 years
  Switzerland Never (IIHF introduced a playoff system in 1992) 2 (1992, 1998) 2013 21 years
 Czechia 2010 5 (2011, 2012, 2014, 2019, 2022) 2024 13 years
 Slovakia 2012 0 active 12 years
 ROC[g] 2015 0 active 9 years
 Sweden 2018 1 (2024) active 6 years
 Canada 2009 0 2015 5 years
1997 0 2003
 Finland 2001 1 (2002) 2006 4 years

Longest active champion droughts

Does not include the most-recent World Champion: Czechia.

Team Last Champion Subsequent Final losses Drought
  Switzerland Never (debut in 1920) 3 (2013, 2018, 2024) 105 years
 Germany Never (debut in 1928) 1 (2023) 97 years
 Great Britain 1936 Never 88 years
 United States 1960 Never 64 years
 Slovakia 2002 1 (2012) 22 years
 ROC[g] 2014 1 (2015) 10 years
 Sweden 2018 0 6 years
 Finland 2022 0 2 years
 Canada 2023 0 1 year

Longest all-time champion droughts

     Active champion drought is highlighted

Team Prev. champion Intervening final losses Next champion Drought
  Switzerland Never (debut in 1920) 3 (2013, 2018, 2024) active 104 years
 Germany Never (debut in 1928) 1 (2023) active 96 years
 Great Britain 1936 Never active 87 years
 United States 1960 Never active 63 years
 Canada 1961 Never 1994 32 years
 Sweden 1962 Never 1987 24 years
 Slovakia 2002 1 (2012) active 21 years
 Finland 1995 4 (1998, 1999, 2001, 2007) 2011 15 years
 ROC[g] 1993 1 (2002) 2008 14 years
 Czechia 2010 0 2024 13 years

Longest active appearance droughts

Does not include teams that have not made their first appearance. Does not include droughts when all lower division tournaments were cancelled for two years (2020–2021) due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Team Last appearance WC Missed
 Armenia[p] 2010 (Division III B) 13
 Greece[q] 2013 (Division III) 10
 Ireland[r] 2013 (Division III) 10
 Belarus 2021 3
 ROC[g] 2021 3

Longest all-time appearance droughts

Only includes droughts begun after a team's first appearance and until the team ceased to exist. Updated to include participation for the 2024 World Championships.

     Active appearance drought is highlighted

Team Prev. appearance Next appearance WC Missed
 Lithuania[s] 1938 1993 (Group C) 44
 Latvia[s] 1939 1993 (Group C) 43
 Hong Kong 1987 (Group D) 2014 (Division III) 25
 South Africa 1966 (Group C) 1992 (Group C2) 22
 Japan 1936 1957 13
 Armenia 2010 (Division III B) active 13
 Denmark 1949 1962 (Group B) 12
 Hungary 1939 1959 (Group B) 12
 Australia 1962 (Group B) 1974 (Group C) 11
 Romania 1947 1959 (Group B) 11
 Greece 2013 (Division III) active 10
 Ireland 2013 (Division III) active 10
 Mongolia 2013 (Division III Q) 2023 (Division IV) 8
 North Korea 1993 (Group C) 2002 (Division II Q) 8
 Luxembourg 1992 (Group C2) 2000 (Group D) 7
 Canada[t] 1969 1977 7
 Great Britain 1953 (Group B) 1961 (Group B) 7
 Bosnia & Herzegovina 2008 (Division III Q) 2015 (Division III) 6
 New Zealand 1989 (Group D) 1995 (Group C2) 5
 Netherlands 1955 (Group B) 1961 (Group C) 5
 Germany[c] 1939 1952 5
 France 1937 1950 5
Yugoslavia 1939 1951 (Group B) 4
 China 1974 (Group C) 1978 (Group C) 3
 Bulgaria 1963 (Group C) 1967 (Group C) 3
 Norway 1938 1949 3
 Sweden 1931 1935 3
 Belarus 2021 suspended 3
 ROC[g] 2021 suspended 3
 United Arab Emirates 2010 (Division III A) 2013 (Division III) 2
 South Korea 1982 (Group C) 1986 (Group C) 2
 Italy 1961 (Group B) 1964 (Group B) 2
1956 1959
1936 1939
1930 1933
 Poland 1952 1955 2
 United States 1952 1955 2
1924 1931
 Belgium 1952 (Group B) 1955 (Group B) 2
 Czechoslovakia 1949 1952 2
 Finland 1939 1949 2
  Switzerland 1930 1933 2
 Turkey 2000 (Group D) 2002 (Division II A) 1
1994 (Group C2) 1996 (Group D)
 FR Yugoslavia[u] 1998 (Group C) 2000 (Group C) 1
 Spain 1986 (Group C) 1989 (Group D) 1
1979 (Group C) 1982 (Group C)
 Soviet Union 1961 1963 1
East Germany[c] 1961 1963 1
1957 1959
 Austria 1959 (Group B) 1961 (Group B) 1
1957 1959 (Group B)
1953 (Group B) 1955 (Group B)
1949 1951 (Group B)
1938 1947
1936 1938

Longest active top division appearance droughts

Team Last top division appearance Drought
 Lithuania 1938 86 years
 Belgium 1950 74 years
 Australia 1960 64 years
 Romania 1977 47 years
 Netherlands 1981 43 years
 Japan 2004 20 years
 Ukraine 2007 17 years
 South Korea 2018 6 years
 Belarus 2021 3 years
 Russia 2021 3 years
 Italy 2022 2 years

Teams with no IIHF World Championship appearances

21 out of 82 current IIHF members have not entered in any World Championship tournaments.

Nation IIHF Member since Notes
 Algeria* 2019 Participated in the Arab Cup in 2008 and the IIHF Development Cup in 2022.
 Andorra* 1995 Hosted the 1997 IIHF World Championship Group D tournament in Canillo. Participated in the IIHF Development Cup since 2017.
 Argentina* 1998 Participated in the now-defunct Pan American Tournament from 2014 to 2017, the Amerigol LATAM Cup since 2018 and the IIHF Development Cup since 2023.
 Azerbaijan 1992 There is no national team and Azerbaijan has not registered at least one player, nor entered in any IIHF tournaments due to lack of ice rinks and ice hockey activities in the country.
 Brazil* 1984 Participated in the now-defunct Pan American Tournament from 2014 to 2017 and the Amerigol LATAM Cup since 2018.
 Chile** 1999 Participated in the now-defunct Pan American Tournament in 2017. Currently an IIHF affiliate member and therefore only to participate in the now-defunct IIHF Inline Hockey World Championship. Their last appearance was 2015. Due to the cancellation of the 2019 IIHF Inline Hockey World Championship, the IIHF can no longer govern inline hockey.[5]
 Colombia* 2019 Participated in the now-defunct Pan American Tournament from 2014 to 2017, the Amerigol LATAM Cup since 2018 and the IIHF Development Cup since 2022.
 India 1989 Only participated in the IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia from 2009 to 2018. The national team has not been active since 2018.
 Jamaica* 2012 Jamaica became the first Caribbean nation to join the IIHF on 18 May 2012.[6] Participated in the Amerigol LATAM Cup in 2019.
 Lebanon* 2019 Played four exhibition games against other national teams in 2017. Participated in the Arab Cup in 2023.
 Liechtenstein* 2001 Played two exhibition games, lost twice to Luxembourg in 2003 and 2007. Participated in the IIHF Development Cup since 2022.
 Macau* 2005 Participated in the IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia from 2008 to 2019 and the Asian Winter Games in 2007 and 2017. The national team has not been active since 2019.
 Morocco* 2010 Participated in the Arab Cup in 2008 and the IIHF Development Cup in 2017. The national team has not been active since 2017.
   Nepal* 2016 Unknown
 North Macedonia* 2001 Played two exhibition games against Bosnia & Herzegovina over the weekend. They won the first game 8–7 and lost the second game 7–6 in overtime a day later.[7] Participated in the IIHF Development Cup in 2018.
 Oman* 2014 Participated in the GCC Gulf Championship from 2010 to 2016, the IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia from 2015 to 2019 and the Arab Cup in 2023.
 Portugal* 1999 Participated in the IIHF Development Cup since 2017.
 Puerto Rico* 2022 Participated in the Amerigol LATAM Cup since 2019.
 Qatar* 2012 Participated in the GCC Gulf Championship in 2014 and 2016, the IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia Division I in 2016 and the Asian Winter Games in 2017. The national team has not been active since 2017.
 Tunisia* 2021 Participated in the Arab Cup in 2023.
 Uzbekistan* 2019 Represented the Uzbek SSR at the Winter Spartakiad from 1978 to 1986. Uzbekistan has not been active since the USSR being dissolved in 1991 and therefore has not played an official game against other national team so far. 
*IIHF associate member
**IIHF affiliate member

Notes

  1. ^ The modern format for the World Championship features a minimum of 40 teams: 16 teams in the main championship group (Top Division), 12 teams in Division I, and 12 teams in Division II. If there are more than 40 teams, the rest compete in Division III, and the newly created Division IV.[3]
  2. ^ a b Czechoslovakia participated 52 times in the World Championship prior to being divided into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993. The IIHF considers the Czech Republic as the successor team of Czechoslovakia.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany since 1949, has been represented by the same governing body, Deutscher Eishockey-Bund (DEB), since 1909. After World War II, DEB was re-admitted to the IIHF as West Germany. East Germany fielded a team of its own before joining with West Germany and DEB in the German reunification. Thus, the IIHF considers Germany and West Germany as one entity and officially attributes all international results of the DEB team since 1909 to Germany, including the results of West Germany from 1951–1990.
  4. ^ a b c d e The Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1939) and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1951–1991) participated 31 times in the World Championship under the name "Yugoslavia" prior to its breakup by the secession of many of its constituent republics in 1992. The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia participated 7 times from 1995–2002 under the name "FR Yugoslavia", then changed its name to "Serbia and Montenegro" in 2003. The FR Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro are considered the predecessors of the current Serbia team by the IIHF, which first participated under that name in 2007. These national teams which resulted from the breakup of the SFR Yugoslavia in 1992 (Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and North Macedonia), are considered distinct entities from the Yugoslavia team of 1939, 1951–1991.
  5. ^ a b The USSR participated 34 times in the World Championship prior to being dissolved in 1991. The 15 nations that were former Soviet Republics. 7 out of 15 former Soviet Republics now compete separately until Armenia (2004), Georgia (2013), Turkmenistan (2018) and Kyrgyzstan (2019). The IIHF considers Russia as the successor team of the USSR.
  6. ^ a b Chinese Taipei competed unofficially in the 1987 World Championship Group D tournament in Perth, Australia. Due to the political status of Taiwan and related issues with China, the games were considered as exhibition games and the results does not count towards the standings of the tournament.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Russia was suspended by the IIHF due to the state-sponsored doping scandal, but they were allowed to participate in the 2021 IIHF World Championship as the ROC (Russian Olympic Committee).
  8. ^ The IIHF medal table is grouped by its member associations.
  9. ^ Soviet Union won 22 gold medals, 7 silver medals and 5 bronze medals (34 medals in total).
  10. ^ Russia, who succeseded the Soviet Union in IIHF competitions, won 5 gold medals, 3 silver medals and 5 bronze medals (13 medals in total). Russia is currently banned from participating in international tournaments due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
  11. ^ Czechoslovakia won 6 gold medals, 12 silver medals and 16 bronze medals (34 medals in total).
  12. ^ Czechia (also known as the Czech Republic) assumed the IIHF membership of the Czech Ice Hockey Association following the dissolution of Czechoslovakia, and have won 7 gold medals, 1 silver medal and 6 bronze medals (14 medals in total) since 1993. The Slovak Ice Hockey Federation was founded in 1993 and their medal totals do not include those won by Czechoslovakia as per the IIHF.
  13. ^ The Slovak Ice Hockey Federation was founded in 1993, and admitted as a member of the IIHF in the same year. As per the IIHF, their medal totals do not include those won by the Czech Ice Hockey Association represented by national team of Czechoslovakia.
  14. ^ Germany won 2 silver medals and 2 bronze medals (4 medals in total).
  15. ^ West Germany succeeded Germany in IIHF competitions, both of which were governed by the German Ice Hockey Federation. From 1949 until reunification of country in 1990, West Germany won 1 silver medal.
  16. ^ Armenia was suspended by the IIHF in April 2010 due to the use of ineligible players on their national team that participate in the 2010 World Championship Division III Group B. Thus, all their games were counted as forfeited 5–0 wins for the opposing teams and were not included in the final ranking of the tournament. The national team has not been active since 2010.
  17. ^ Greece is currently not active in any IIHF tournaments because they cannot fulfilled their minimum participation standards of having one operational indoor rink. The national team has not been active until the 2024 IIHF Development Cup, a tournament for non-competing IIHF countries.
  18. ^ Ireland is currently not active in any IIHF tournaments because with the closure of the Dundalk Ice Dome and they can no longer meet their minimum participation standards.
  19. ^ a b Participated as part of the USSR from 1954–1991.
  20. ^ Canada withdrew from IIHF tournaments from 1970–1976, and was later suspended after a dispute over allowing professional players at the tournament. Canada returned to the IIHF tournament in 1977.
  21. ^ The host Dutch government had suspended diplomatic relations with Yugoslavia due to the Kosovo War and did not allow the Yugoslavian team to participate in the 1999 tournament.

References

  1. ^ Steiss, Adam (2 March 2020). "IIHF cancels March tournaments". International Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  2. ^ Steiss, Adam (21 March 2020). "2020 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship cancelled". International Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  3. ^ "2014-2018 IIHF Statutes and Bylaws" (PDF). IIHF.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 May 2019. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
  4. ^ "IIHF - Medallists". Archived from the original on 2021-12-27. Retrieved 2022-02-21.
  5. ^ Merk, Martin (24 June 2019). "Statutes, Regulations amended". International Ice Hockey Federation. Archived from the original on 27 June 2019. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  6. ^ "Welcome Jamaica & Qatar". IIHF.com. 18 May 2012. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  7. ^ "Macedonia wins and loses in OT in Bosnia and Hercegovina". Eurohockey.com. 22 January 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2018.