Franz Reindl takes over as International Ice Hockey Federation president in close vote, tell me about this news today

German sports administrator Franz Reindl was elected the 15th president of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) following an extremely tight vote at the IIHF Congress in Tenerife, Spain.

• The Vote Breakdown: The presidential race required two rounds of voting. In the first round, Czech candidate Petr Bříza led with 48 votes, followed by Reindl with 36 votes, and Kyrgyzstan’s Aivaz Omorkanov with 33 votes. After Omorkanov was eliminated, Reindl staged a comeback in the runoff, narrowly defeating Bříza 60 to 57a margin of just three votes.

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• Succession: Reindl succeeds Frenchman Luc Tardif, who chose not to seek re-election. Reindl had previously finished as runner-up to Tardif during the 2021 presidential election.

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• Historical Significance: Reindl is the first German to serve as IIHF president since Günther Sabetzki held the office from 1975 to 1994.

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• Background & Priorities: The 71-year-old Reindl is an Olympic bronze medalist (competing as a forward for West Germany in 1976) and a longtime ice hockey executive who previously led the German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB) and served as president of Team Europe at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. A major priority for his administration will be maintaining and strengthening communication and collaboration with the NHL regarding Olympic participation and premier international tournaments.

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