Ice Hockey UK held two Town Hall meetings – one for England and Wales and one for Scotland and Northern Ireland – to answers questions from members. An outline of the two meetings is below…
England and Wales
- The merged organisation: The legal merger completed at the end of June 2026. Operational integration is the bigger task. A management committee is leading about 20 workstreams, including technology, websites, pathways, leagues and safeguarding. A single strategy is being written with a strong member focus. IHUK has about six full-time staff plus contractors and relies on volunteers. A monthly meeting with the Elite League and National League is being introduced.
- UK Ice Hockey Foundation: The Foundation is a separate charity and a key partner. A formal partnership agreement is nearly complete. Its five pillars are membership growth, goaltending, hockey development, athlete development, and shooting and scoring. Regional staff visit clubs, evaluate players, and are building a RinkNet database of British players at home and overseas.
- Fees and member services: Registration fees were kept the same as last season after the merger to avoid unintended effects. Harmonising fees across England and Scotland is a high priority. Tim Bratton apologised for slow or missed responses to member queries which are down to volume exceeding capacity.
- Player safety and conduct: Neck guards are mandatory, including in training, and enforcement will be tightened. Clubs were asked to respect officials and use the proper appeals process. Concern was raised about fighting in NIHL 1 and 2 filtering down to juniors.
- GB Programmes: GB Futures ran its first girls’ camp this summer. The senior women won two of three games in Poland. The senior men play in November. Glasgow hosts the men’s and women’s IIHF European Cup of Nations tournaments together in February 2027. IHUK is investing in the para programme for the first time and the women’s para team travels to Australia for the World Championships in November.
- Talent pathway: England Talent Programme camps are paused, not cancelled, pending the pathway review. The pause should have been communicated better. GB Prospects grows to three regional teams -England South, England North, Scotland – taking it from about 45 players to 60.
- Member questions: Other topics raised were provision for players with additional needs (only two UK teams exist), demand for women’s and recreational hockey outstripping ice, Rules of Competition ambiguities, British-trained eligibility, the transgender participation policy, and differing international player rules in England and Scotland. The transgender participation policy will not be reviewed. It follows the April 2025 Supreme Court ruling on the meaning of sex in the Equality Act 2010.
Scotland and Northern Ireland
- Ice Hockey UK’s current structure combines the GB Programme focus of legacy IHUK with the membership-led models of Scottish and English governing bodies, now further strengthened by the UK Ice Hockey Foundation as a key partner.
- Post-merger integration spans roughly 20 work streams, covering technology, HR, player programmes, marketing, websites, and rules of competition, with a target of a single brand, website and ruleset by next season.
- National player pathways in England (ENTP) and Scotland (National Development Programme) are under joint review, with a combined Ice Hockey UK pathway announcement expected before Christmas.
- Junior league structures are also under review, with a focus on age-appropriate development over competition. Scotland’s monthly development Sunday model was highlighted as a best-practice example.
- Registration and affiliation fees were left unchanged for the current season due to time constraints post-merger; a harmonised fee structure with clear communication is planned ahead of the 2027/28 season.
- Volunteer support is a stated priority: plans include optional CPD training, clearer governance around appointments and formal recognition awards for volunteers across regions and clubs.
- A new integrated game management system is planned to replace the current split between FlexView (Scotland) and the England system, described as a high-priority item.
- Kevin McLaughlin outlined the UK Ice Hockey Foundation‘s mission, increasing participation, developing coaches and building a sustainable elite pathway with an ambition to produce NHL draft picks and consistent top-12 GB national teams.
- Foundation staff are organised across five development pillars growth and recruitment, goaltending, hockey development, athlete development, and shooting/scoring divided across three UK regions, with several roles already filled and others still being recruited.
- Free access to Ice Hockey Systems has been provided to all UK youth coaches by the foundation, offering drills, practice plans, video resources and goaltending content.
- On the GB programme: Jonathan Phillips appointed as first National Teams Programme Director; European Cup of Nations coming to Glasgow’s Braehead Arena in February, combining men’s and women’s events across approximately 12 games.
- Regarding rink availability, the Foundation is actively collecting club-level data to identify where demand exceeds supply, with early-stage discussions around twin-sheet rink development and engagement with councils and professional team owners.