photo: © IIHF
All hockey players know the feeling: you’ve worked hard, you’re in great shape, and you’ve prepared for the game as best you can – but you can’t be sure how it will go.
For IIHF President Luc Tardif, the “game” was the IIHF Global Hockey Forum, held in Nice, France, last week.
“We promised to do it because it is a part of our strategy but as this was the first edition of this kind of format, we were a bit nervous. However, as soon as I saw the beginning, I was confident it would be a success,” Tardif said.
The forum struck the right chord from the start when Cassie Campbell-Pascall and Henrik Lundqvist took the stage on opening night and shared stories of their hockey beginnings and journeys to the top of the sport.
Campbell-Pascall told a story about how, in her first year of hockey, no one knew she was a girl until the year-end trip to the swimming pool, while Lundqvist shared that his first connection with the game came in kindergarten, when teachers took the class to play hockey. As Tardif noted, they were just like all the other children at the start.
“We wanted to bring together people from around the world and discuss three different topics — development, marketing, and women’s hockey. We wanted a friendly, constructive atmosphere, and we were happy to bring up Cassie and Henrik. They didn’t speak like stars, because our stars are humble and approachable — and that makes hockey special.
“The top nations are ambassadors for the sport, and they strengthen the IIHF’s ability to support others. I’m happy that the big nations and stars like Campbell-Pascall and Lundqvist are so eager to give back,” he said.
During the two days, there were dozens of panel discussions and presentations, with top experts from around the world sharing their insights, expertise, and experience.
“Hockey is more international than ever”
But the most important thing the Global Hockey Forum did was bring together people who can now hit the ground running when they return home, thanks to their new contacts, new knowledge, and new inspiration.
“We had 485 people from 71 countries here, and sometimes we may forget the people who do the everyday work, but we’ve got them here,” Tardif said.
“The most important aspect of events like this is the transfer of knowledge between the big hockey nations and the smaller ones, and engaging in conversations,” Tardif said.
The fact that more than seventy countries were represented at the Global Hockey Forum is a testament to the global appeal of the game. While the challenges and circumstances may differ, the love of the game remains the same.
“Hockey is more international than ever, and the door is more open than ever before,” Tardif noted.
Serendipitous meetings between people from different backgrounds are considered vital for creativity, and Tardif hopes those took place in Nice as well. In fact, he’s sure they did.
“When you meet other people, you can be surprised at how much you can learn from others just by hearing what they’re doing. During coffee breaks, I saw a lot of exchanges and conversations taking place, and that’s exactly what I wanted and liked to see,” he said.
“Now that I’ve seen what took place here, I’m glad the IIHF invested in this event. I didn’t expect this level of success, but… I’m a happy president now,” he said with a smile.
The Global Hockey Forum was organized with the support of Région Sud, an official partner of the IIHF for this event. The IIHF would like to thank Région Sud for their valuable contribution.
For IIHF President Luc Tardif, the “game” was the IIHF Global Hockey Forum, held in Nice, France, last week.
“We promised to do it because it is a part of our strategy but as this was the first edition of this kind of format, we were a bit nervous. However, as soon as I saw the beginning, I was confident it would be a success,” Tardif said.
The forum struck the right chord from the start when Cassie Campbell-Pascall and Henrik Lundqvist took the stage on opening night and shared stories of their hockey beginnings and journeys to the top of the sport.
Campbell-Pascall told a story about how, in her first year of hockey, no one knew she was a girl until the year-end trip to the swimming pool, while Lundqvist shared that his first connection with the game came in kindergarten, when teachers took the class to play hockey. As Tardif noted, they were just like all the other children at the start.
“We wanted to bring together people from around the world and discuss three different topics — development, marketing, and women’s hockey. We wanted a friendly, constructive atmosphere, and we were happy to bring up Cassie and Henrik. They didn’t speak like stars, because our stars are humble and approachable — and that makes hockey special.
“The top nations are ambassadors for the sport, and they strengthen the IIHF’s ability to support others. I’m happy that the big nations and stars like Campbell-Pascall and Lundqvist are so eager to give back,” he said.
During the two days, there were dozens of panel discussions and presentations, with top experts from around the world sharing their insights, expertise, and experience.
“Hockey is more international than ever”
But the most important thing the Global Hockey Forum did was bring together people who can now hit the ground running when they return home, thanks to their new contacts, new knowledge, and new inspiration.
“We had 485 people from 71 countries here, and sometimes we may forget the people who do the everyday work, but we’ve got them here,” Tardif said.
“The most important aspect of events like this is the transfer of knowledge between the big hockey nations and the smaller ones, and engaging in conversations,” Tardif said.
The fact that more than seventy countries were represented at the Global Hockey Forum is a testament to the global appeal of the game. While the challenges and circumstances may differ, the love of the game remains the same.
“Hockey is more international than ever, and the door is more open than ever before,” Tardif noted.
Serendipitous meetings between people from different backgrounds are considered vital for creativity, and Tardif hopes those took place in Nice as well. In fact, he’s sure they did.
“When you meet other people, you can be surprised at how much you can learn from others just by hearing what they’re doing. During coffee breaks, I saw a lot of exchanges and conversations taking place, and that’s exactly what I wanted and liked to see,” he said.
“Now that I’ve seen what took place here, I’m glad the IIHF invested in this event. I didn’t expect this level of success, but… I’m a happy president now,” he said with a smile.
The Global Hockey Forum was organized with the support of Région Sud, an official partner of the IIHF for this event. The IIHF would like to thank Région Sud for their valuable contribution.