IIHF World Championship Division III

Last updated
IIHF World Championship Division III
Most recent season or competition:
2025 IIHF World Championship Division III
Sport Ice hockey
Founded1987 (Pool D)
2003 (Division III)
No. of teams12
Most recent
champion(s)
Flag of Thailand.svg  Thailand
Most titlesFlag of North Korea.svg  North Korea (3)

Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria (3)

Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand (3)
Promotion to Division II
Relegation to Division IV
Official website IIHF.com

The IIHF World Championship Division III are an annual sports event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). It was the lowest level of the IIHF World Championships until the formation of Division IV for 2020.

Contents

Organization

When the IIHF reorganized its World Championships hierarchy in 2001, which included replacing "pools" with "divisions", nations outside of the top 40 were placed in Division II Qualification, trying to qualify for participation in the following year's Division II championship. This qualifier was not deemed a championship tournament by the IIHF, but was simply used to determine the teams that would replace the two teams relegated out of the Division II championship. The bottom two nations from the 2000 Pool D championship, Luxembourg and Turkey, had been relegated and were slated to compete in the 2001 Division II Qualification, against other nations attempting to reach the 2002 Division II championship. When no other nations submitted their names to enter the 2001 qualifier, there was no need for Luxembourg and Turkey to meet, and both were promoted to Division II for 2002. Three teams met in the last, 2002, Division II Qualification.

In 2003, the Division II Qualification was officially replaced by the Division III Championship, with the winner of the tournament now being declared a champion, and the top two finishers still earning promotion to the following year's Division II Championship, to be replaced in Division III by the two teams relegated down from Division II.

In 2011, the IIHF allowed eight teams, rather than the previous year's six, to compete. The teams were divided into two groups, with the winner of each group declared co-champion and promoted to the following year's Division II tournament. While Division III returned to a six team competition in 2012, reorganization of the Division II system meant that only the champion of Division III was promoted, replacing the single team from Division II Group B that was relegated.

In 2013, the IIHF again had eight teams interested in contesting the Division III Championship. The decision was made to hold a four team qualifier, with the bottom two teams from 2012 plus two new invitees, to determine two teams to qualify for that year's Division III Championship. As with the earlier Division II Qualifications, the 2013 Division III Qualification was not a championship. The Division III Championship did not have this preliminary qualifier after the 2013 event.

In 2018, the IIHF reintroduced the Division III Qualification, but used it to determine a single team that would be invited to compete in the following year's Division III Championship, replacing the team relegated out of Division III a variation from the 2013 Division III Qualification. This process was repeated in 2019.

Results

From 2003 until 2011, the Division III champion and the second-place finisher were promoted to Division II, replacing the two teams from Division II that were relegated to the Division III. From 2012 until 2017, only the Division III champion was promoted, to Division II Group B. From 2003 to 2010, and again from 2012 to 2016, no teams were relegated from Division III; the 2012 exception, noted above, was the IIHF holding a four team qualifier with the previous year's bottom two teams and two new invitees. By 2017, the demand from teams wishing to compete had grown to the point where the bottom team of 2017 was relegated to the newly introduced 2018 Division III Qualification, where the top qualifier earned a spot in the following year's Division III championship. The Division III Qualification was expanded in 2019, and interest had grown enough that a new Division IV Championship, rather than qualifiers, was added for 2020. In addition, the Division III Championship was expanded to two groups for 2020.

YearPromoted
Champion2nd Place
2003 Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand Flag of Luxembourg.svg  Luxembourg
2004 Flag of Iceland.svg  Iceland Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey
2005 Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
2006 Flag of Iceland.svg  Iceland Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey
2007 Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland
2008 Flag of North Korea.svg  North Korea Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
2009 Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey
2010 Flag of North Korea.svg  North Korea Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland
2011 Flag of Israel.svg  Israel Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
2012 Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey Flag of North Korea.svg  North Korea
2013 Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa Flag of North Korea.svg  North Korea
2014 Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria Flag of North Korea.svg  North Korea
2015 Flag of North Korea.svg  North Korea Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey
2016 Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
2017 Flag of Luxembourg.svg  Luxembourg Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria
2018 Flag of Georgia.svg  Georgia Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria
2019 Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey
2022 Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg  United Arab Emirates Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey
2023 Flag of Chinese Taipei for Olympic games.svg  Chinese Taipei Flag of Turkmenistan.svg  Turkmenistan
2024 Flag of Thailand.svg  Thailand Flag of Kyrgyzstan.svg  Kyrgyzstan
2025 Flag of Kyrgyzstan.svg  Kyrgyzstan Flag of Turkmenistan.svg  Turkmenistan
YearPromotedRelegated
To Division II BTo Division IIITo Division III Qualification
2018 Flag of Georgia.svg  Georgia (Division III)Flag of Turkmenistan.svg  Turkmenistan (Division III Qualification)Flag of Hong Kong.svg  Hong Kong
2019 Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg  United Arab Emirates (Division III Qualification)Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
YearPromotedRelegated
To Division II BTo Division III ATo Division III BTo Division IV
2020 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [1]
2021 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2022 Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg  United Arab Emirates Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
2023 Flag of Chinese Taipei for Olympic games.svg  Chinese Taipei Flag of Kyrgyzstan.svg  Kyrgyzstan Flag of North Korea.svg  North Korea Flag of Malaysia.svg  Malaysia
2024 Flag of Thailand.svg  Thailand Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg  Bosnia and Herzegovina Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico Flag of Iran.svg  Iran
2025 Flag of Kyrgyzstan.svg  Kyrgyzstan Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico Flag of Luxembourg.svg  Luxembourg Flag of Singapore.svg  Singapore

Pool D

Champions (1987–2000)

YearNational team
1987Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
1989Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium
1990Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain
1992^Flag of Spain.svg  Spain
1994^Flag of Estonia.svg  Estonia
1995^Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia
1996Flag of Lithuania (1988-2004).svg  Lithuania
1997Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia
1998Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria
1999Flag of Spain.svg  Spain
2000Flag of Israel.svg  Israel

^ – In 1992, 1994, and 1995, there was no Pool D. However, Pool C was divided in two tiers where the winner of 'C2' was promoted to 'C1', essentially making C2 the same as D. Accordingly, the winners (Spain, Estonia and Croatia) are listed here.

Summary of participation

TeamTimesFirstLastGoldSilverBronzeTotalBest finish (first/last)Hosted
Flag of Armenia.svg  Armenia 4 2004 2010 00113rd (2006)1
Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 9 1987 2000 12251st (1987)1
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 9 1989 2000 11021st (1989)1
Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg  Bosnia and Herzegovina 9 2008 2025 00005th (2016, 2025)2
Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria 6 1996 2019 32051st (1998/2019)2
Flag of Chinese Taipei for Olympic games.svg  Chinese Taipei [N1] 5 2017 2023 10011st (2023)0
Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia 3 1994 1997 20021st (1995/1997)0
Flag of Estonia.svg  Estonia 1 1994 10011st (1994)0
Flag of Georgia.svg  Georgia 5 2013 2018 10121st (2018)0
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 2 1989 1990 10121st (1990)1
Flag of Greece.svg  Greece 10 1992 2013 01122nd (2010)0
Flag of Hong Kong.svg  Hong Kong 10 1987 2025 00004th (1987/2017)0
Flag of Iran.svg  Iran 2 2023 2024 000011th (2023)0
Flag of Iceland.svg  Iceland 4 1999 2006 20021st (2004/2006)3
Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland 8 2004 2013 11021st (2010)1
Flag of Israel.svg  Israel 9 1992 2011 21141st (2000/2011)0
Flag of Kuwait.svg  Kuwait 2 2018 2019 000010th (2018)0
Flag of Kyrgyzstan.svg  Kyrgyzstan 4 2019 2025 11021st (2025)1
Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania 2 1995 1996 11021st (1996)1
Flag of Luxembourg.svg  Luxembourg 21 1992 2025 119111st (2017)3
Flag of Malaysia.svg  Malaysia 1 2023 000012th (2023)0
Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico 5 2000 2025 10121st (2005)2
Flag of Mongolia.svg  Mongolia 6 2007 2025 00005th (2007)0
Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 9 1987 2009 30141st (2003/2009)2
Flag of North Korea.svg  North Korea 8 2008 2025 33061st (2008/2015)0
Flag of the Philippines.svg  Philippines 2 2024 2025 000010th (2024)0
Flag of Romania.svg  Romania 1 1989 01012nd (1989)0
Flag of Yugoslavia (1992-2003); Flag of Serbia and Montenegro (2003-2006).svg  Serbia and Montenegro [N2] 2 1996 1997 01012nd (1996)0
Flag of Singapore.svg  Singapore 3 2023 2025 000010th (2023)0
Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa 20 1992 2025 14271st (2013)7
Flag of South Korea.svg  South Korea 5 1987 1997 02132nd (1987/1997)0
Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 8 1989 1999 21471st (1992/1999)1 [N3]
Flag of Thailand.svg  Thailand 4 2019 2024 10011st (2024)0
Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey 17 1992 2025 264121st (2012/2016)3
Flag of Turkmenistan.svg  Turkmenistan 6 2018 2025 02242nd (2023, 2025)0
Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg  United Arab Emirates 8 2010 2022 10011st (2022)1

See also

References

  1. Steiss, Adam. "2020 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship cancelled". iihf.com. IIHF. Retrieved 21 March 2020.