Association | Ice Hockey Federation of the Republic of Azerbaijan |
---|---|
Head coach | Aleksandr Blinov |
Assistants | Zaur Mammadaliyev |
Home stadium | Heydar Aliyev Sports and Concert Complex |
Team colors | Blue, Red, Green |
The Azerbaijan national ice hockey team is the national men's ice hockey team of Azerbaijan. The team is controlled by the Ice Hockey Federation of the Republic of Azerbaijan and has been a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) since 6 May 1992. Azerbaijan is currently not ranked in the IIHF World Ranking. [1] [2]
The first ice rink in Azerbaijan opened in 1990 but was soon thereafter closed. Despite being a member of the IIHF since 1992, the association has never played a game and only assembled for its first training session on 13 February 2024. The first training was held at the Heydar Aliyev Sports and Concert Complex and included eighteen players. The training was part of head coach Aleksandr Bilinov's long-term plan for the team and development of the sport in Azerbaijan, which included playing in a major international competition within the next five years. [3] [4] The creation of the team was announced by Mariana Vasileva, the country's Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, earlier that month. [5]
The Baku Flames, a club team representing Azerbaijan, made its international debut at the ADIHIC Cup in Kazan, Russia between May 11–15, 2024. [6]
Ice hockey is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hockey sticks to control, advance, and shoot a closed, vulcanized, rubber disc called a "puck" into the other team's goal. Each goal is worth one point. The team which scores the most goals is declared the winner. In a formal game, each team has six skaters on the ice at a time, barring any penalties, one of whom is the goaltender. Ice hockey is a full contact sport, and is considered to be one of the more physically demanding team sports. It is distinct from field hockey, in which players move a ball around a non-frozen pitch using field hockey sticks.
The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual international men's ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European Championships, the precursor to the World Championships, were first held in 1910. The tournament held at the 1920 Summer Olympics is recognized as the first Ice Hockey World Championship. From 1920 to 1968, the Olympic hockey tournament was also considered the World Championship for that year.
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The IIHF Hall of Fame is a hall of fame operated by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). It was founded in 1997, and has resided at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto since 1998. Prior to 1997, the IIHF housed exhibits at the International Hockey Hall of Fame in Kingston, Ontario. Inductions are made annually at the medal presentation day of the Ice Hockey World Championships. As of 2024, the IIHF has inducted 253 members.
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The International Ice Hockey Federation is a worldwide governing body for ice hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 82 member countries.
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