The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), the sport’s global governing body, has launched a new European national team competition debuting in 2026.

The inaugural season of the European Cup of Nations will take place during the traditional November, December, and February international breaks, with 18 national teams competing in groups of three and four across the continent.

It will be staged in addition to the annual World Championships and is intended to give the international matches more value.

The participating countries will be: Germany, Slovakia, Latvia, Norway, Denmark, Austria, Hungary, Poland, France, Slovenia, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Estonia, Spain, Romania, and Ukraine.

All games will be broadcast live on the IIHF TV OTT platform.

The move is among the core initiatives set out under the IIHF’s ICE26 strategic plan, with the governing body stating that the new tournament “marks a major step forward for the development of the sport across Europe.”

The IIHF added that it will continue to build the European Cup of Nations together with member national associations, “with the long-term goal of developing a sustainable, marketable product that supports both player development and fan engagement between major tournaments.”

IIHF president Luc Tardif has now said: “This is a huge step for European hockey. For years, our member national associations have asked for a framework that brings consistency and purpose to national team breaks.

“With the European Cup of Nations, we’re finally delivering a product that has the potential to grow the game - competitively and commercially - across the region.”

Meanwhile, the IIHF has named Denmark as the host nation of the 2026 Women’s World Championship.

The tournament is scheduled to be played from November 6 to 16 next year in Herning and in another - as yet unnamed - city.

The World Championships are typically staged in April, but will be played later in 2026 due to the Winter Olympics taking place in February.

Denmark previously hosted the event in 2022, with matches played in Herning and Frederikshavn.