Swiss Ice Hockey

What Swiss Ice Hockey does

Swiss Ice Hockey Federation (SIHF) is the statutory national governing body for ice hockey in Switzerland, headquartered in Glattbrugg (postal address Flughofstrasse 50, CH-8152) and operating as a private federation under Swiss law. Founded in 1908 and employing 51-100 people, SIHF organizes the full Swiss ice hockey ecosystem across three regional committees (West/Central/East Switzerland), four core divisions — Sport (national teams and youth development), Leagues & Cup, Officiating, and Education — and runs or coordinates the National League, Sky Swiss League, MyHockey League, PostFinance Women's League, Junior Leagues (U20-U14), and the National Cup. It manages all senior and junior Swiss national teams, the Swiss Women's Hockey Academy (in partnership with OYM Kompetenzzentrum in Cham), the Swissmadehockey FTEM-based development framework, and the Pat Schafhauser Foundation (est. December 1995) for accident-related disability support. Its technology footprint is a Game Center digital platform aggregating schedules, results, statistics, and standings, plus electronic game reports and goal-area webcam systems, with no public-facing API.

SIHF's revenue model is a multi-stream federation model anchored by sponsorship and broadcasting rights, with secondary contributions from ticket sales (National League, Swiss League, PostFinance Women's League, National Cup, and National Team games including VIP/hospitality packages), membership and benefactor fees for the Pat Schafhauser Foundation (CHF 20-500+ annually), donations, and merchandise through the official Fan Shop. Major enterprise sponsors include PostFinance (title sponsor of the Women's League), Tissot (official watch partner), Swiss International Airlines, Swiss Life, Volvo, Denner, and KPT; broadcasting is distributed across SRG SSR (public broadcaster), Sky Switzerland, and RED (Ringier Sport). Go-to-market operates through a sales-led federation model: SIHF coordinates leagues with clubs and regional bodies, sells directly through ticketing and hospitality partners, and maintains long-term sponsorship agreements with Swiss household brands. Recognition programs (Hall of Fame, annual Swiss Ice Hockey Night awards) and international competitive success — including the 2025 IIHF World Championship Silver (Men's) and 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Bronze (Women's) — anchor brand value and stakeholder engagement.

Name

Swiss Ice Hockey

Legal name

Swiss Ice Hockey Federation

Website

https://sihf.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1908

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Swiss Ice Hockey Federation (SIHF) is the national governing body for ice hockey in Switzerland, organizing professional, amateur, women's, and junior leagues, running all national teams from U14 to senior, and managing officiating, coaching education, and player welfare foundations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Federation Governance

NAICS

Spectator Sports (71121), Sports Teams and Clubs (711211)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

National Governing Bodies (NGBs) (MPAKAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ice Hockey Leagues (MPAKAAAE), Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK)

Keywords

• Ice hockey governance
• National sports federation
• Professional league management
• Athlete development programs
• Ice hockey event management

Headquarters

HQ city

Opfikon

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from arena tickets and VIP/hospitality packages for games organized by SIHF including National League, Swiss League, PostFinance Women's League, Junior Leagues, National Cup, and National Team games.
2. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees for the Benefactors' Association ranging from CHF 20-50 for active members (players, referees, coaches, staff) and CHF 25 for passive members. Benefactor contributions start from CHF 500.
3. Sponsorship and Broadcasting Rights: Sponsorship revenue from official sponsors including Denner, KPT, Swiss, Swiss Life, Tissot, Volvo, and broadcasting deals with SRG SSR, Sky, and RED.
4. Donations: Donations to support the Pat Schafhauser Foundation's efforts for accident prevention and rehabilitation in ice hockey.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Swiss Ice Hockey Federation (SIHF) is the umbrella organization for Swiss ice hockey, governing all competitive ice hockey from amateur to professional levels. It organizes national teams (men's, women's, and junior U14-U20), multiple professional and amateur leagues (National League, Sky Swiss League, MyHockey League, PostFinance Women's League, Junior Leagues), the National Cup, and provides supporting functions including officiating, coach education, and youth development. Revenue is generated through ticket sales, sponsorships, broadcasting rights, and membership fees.

Product overview

Swiss Ice Hockey Federation (SIHF) is the governing body for ice hockey in Switzerland, operating a multi-tiered competitive structure and national team program. The organization runs both professional leagues (National League, Sky Swiss League) and amateur/developmental competitions (MyHockey League, PostFinance Women's League, Junior Leagues, National Cup). The Sport division manages all national teams from senior men's and women's levels down to U14 youth categories. Supporting functions include Officiating (referee development), Education (coach certification, e-learning), and youth development programs like Swissmadehockey and the Swiss Women's Hockey Academy. A Game Center digital platform provides game statistics, schedules, and results across all competitions. The federation also operates recognition programs (Hall of Fame, Swiss Ice Hockey Night awards), a foundation for player welfare (Pat Schafhauser Foundation), and an official Fan Shop.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• National Teams Program Sport division managing all Swiss national ice hockey teams including Men's National Team, Women's National Team, and junior teams (U20, U18, U17, U16, U14), covering selection, training, competitions, and international tournament participation such as IIHF World Championships and Olympic Games.
• National League Switzerland's top professional ice hockey league, organized under SIHF's ecosystem with its own governance structure.
• Sky Swiss League Switzerland's second-tier professional ice hockey league, operated under SIHF's Leagues & Cup division.
• MyHockey League Amateur league structure covering recreational and competitive amateur ice hockey across Switzerland.
• PostFinance Women's League Switzerland's premier women's ice hockey league, sponsored by PostFinance, featuring elite women's teams competing for the national championship.
• Junior Leagues Youth development leagues for various age categories (U20, U18, U17, U16, U14) covering talent, ambition, and animation/engagement levels of Swiss junior hockey.
• Junior Women's League U16 Newly launched U16 girls' youth league introduced in April 2026 to strengthen girls' ice hockey development in Switzerland.
• National Cup National cup competition for both men's and women's teams, providing additional knockout tournament structure beyond regular league play.
• Game Center Digital platform providing game schedules, results, standings, statistics, player search, and playoff information across all SIHF leagues and national teams.
• Officiating Program Referee management division responsible for training, certification, and assignment of referees across all Swiss ice hockey competitions, including the 'Werde Schiedsrichter' (Become a referee) program and referee courses.
• Education Program Training and development division encompassing coach education (Trainerbildung), e-learning programs, webinars, workshops, and the Respect program for integrity in sport. Targeted at coaches, players, and staff within Swiss ice hockey.
• Swiss Women's Hockey Academy Elite development program providing professional training conditions for talent and elite women's players, operated in partnership with OYM Kompetenzzentrum in Cham, including development pools, guest player programs, and U18 national team support.
• Swissmadehockey Comprehensive development framework and sports concept for Swiss ice hockey, including FTEM (Foundations, Talent, Elite, Mastery) methodology, coach development, and age-appropriate training pathways.
• Swiss Ice Hockey Hall of Fame Recognition program honoring players, referees, coaches, officials, and teams who have made significant contributions to Swiss ice hockey, preserving the sport's heritage and celebrating excellence.
• Swiss Ice Hockey Night (Awards Ceremony) Annual awards ceremony recognizing athletes, players, and personalities in Swiss ice hockey across multiple categories, with nominees and winners determined by an expert jury.
• Pat Schafhauser Foundation Foundation established to support ice hockey players who suffer accident-related disabilities, finance accident prevention projects, and promote health in ice hockey. Created after former HC Lugano defenseman Pat Schafhauser was paralyzed in December 1995.
• Swiss Ice Hockey Fan Shop Official merchandise store offering Swiss Ice Hockey branded merchandise including jerseys, apparel, and accessories, operated via dfshop.com.

Quantifiable outcome

• Women's National Team won Olympic Bronze Medal in 2026 Milano Cortina
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor, core and title sponsor.

• DennermajorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial sponsor of Swiss Ice Hockey. Denner logo appears on website sponsorship banner with link to denner.ch. Also associated with Denner Swiss Ice Hockey Day youth initiative.
• KPTmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial sponsor of Swiss Ice Hockey. KPT logo displayed on website with link to kpt.ch. Associated with health and safety awareness campaigns.
• Swiss (Swiss International Airlines)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Sponsor of Swiss Ice Hockey. Swiss logo displayed on website as official sponsor with link to swiss.com.
• Swiss LifemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Swiss Ice Hockey with logo displayed on website linking to swisslife.ch.
• TissotmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Sponsor and official watch partner of Swiss Ice Hockey. Tissot logo displayed on website with link to tissotwatches.com.
• VolvomajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Swiss Ice Hockey with logo displayed on website linking to volvocars.com.
• SRG SSR (Swiss Broadcasting Corporation)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Broadcaster of Swiss Ice Hockey. SRG SSR logo displayed on website as official broadcaster with link to srgssr.ch.
• SwisslosminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsoring partner with banner advertising on sihf.ch website linking to swisslos.ch.
• Swiss Olympic AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Swiss Olympic Academy displayed prominently on sihf.ch homepage with link to academy.swissolympic.ch.
• Sky SwitzerlandmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerBroadcasting partner for Sky Swiss League and other competitions. Sky logo appears on league branding and streaming banners.
• RED (Ringier Sport)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial broadcaster and streaming partner for amateur leagues, junior leagues, and various competitions. Promotional banners for RED Ice Hockey Gamepass appear throughout the website.
• PostFinancetitle sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerMain partner and title sponsor of PostFinance Women's League. PostFinance logo prominently displayed on Women's League website and materials with link to postfinance.ch/eishockey.
• OYM (Kompetenzzentrum für Weltklasse-Athletiktraining)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner competency center for world-class athletic training and research located in Cham. Provides professional training facilities, health management, scientific testing, and nutrition programs for Swiss Women's Hockey Academy athletes and national team programs.
• KA-EXminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Partner & Supplier for PostFinance Women's League. KA-EX logo displayed on sponsors page linking to ka-ex.ch.
• SwissChargeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Swiss Ice Hockey with focus on electric vehicle charging. Logo displayed on website linking to swisscharge.ch.
• Burger KingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Swiss Ice Hockey with promotional offers linked through website banner.
• International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational governing body for ice hockey. SIHF is a member of IIHF and participates in IIHF-organized events including World Championships, Olympic tournaments, and youth competitions.
• Champions Hockey League (CHL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational club competition. SIHF participates with link to championshockeyleague.com on website navigation.
• EHC (European Hockey Club cooperation)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean hockey club cooperation organization. Link to eurohockeyclubs.com provided on SIHF website.
• HC LuganominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founder of Pat Schafhauser Foundation alongside SIHF, established after Pat Schafhauser suffered spinal cord injuries during a championship game with HC Lugano in 1995.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hockey Austria: National federation for ice hockey in Austria. Comparable as a smaller-market European federation running national teams, the ICE Hockey League participation, and youth development with similar revenue mix and challenges to SIHF.
• Czech Ice Hockey Association (Český svaz ledního hokeje): National federation for ice hockey in the Czech Republic. Comparable federation overseeing Extraliga, national teams, and youth development; traditional IIHF powerhouse and frequent IIHF competitor to Switzerland.
• French Ice Hockey Federation (FFHG): National federation for ice hockey in France. Comparable European federation operating Ligue Magnus and national teams; a less competitive hockey market than Switzerland, useful as a peer benchmark for federation economics in similar-sized markets.
• USA Hockey: The national governing body for ice hockey in the United States. Comparable as a federation managing national teams, junior development (NTDP), and broad amateur-to-elite pipelines; significantly larger scale than SIHF.
• Ice Hockey Canada: National governing body for ice hockey in Canada. Comparable federation structure overseeing national teams, junior leagues, and grassroots development; the largest hockey market globally, providing scale benchmark for federation economics.
• Swedish Ice Hockey Association (Svenska Ishockeyförbundet): National federation for ice hockey in Sweden. Operates HockeyAllsvenskan and SHL, organizes national teams, and runs youth development with similar structure to SIHF; Sweden and Switzerland frequently meet at IIHF and Olympic events.
• Finnish Ice Hockey Association (Jääkiekkoliitto): National federation for ice hockey in Finland, a top-tier ice hockey nation. Comparable in governing men's and women's national teams, organizing Liiga, and managing youth development pathways; Finland is a frequent IIHF competitor to Switzerland.
• Deutscher Eishockey-Bund (DEB): The official national governing body for ice hockey in Germany. Directly comparable as a fellow European national federation organizing professional leagues, national teams, and youth development with similar sponsorship and broadcasting structures.

Broad incumbents

• International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF): The international governing body for ice hockey worldwide and SIHF's strategic partner. Not a direct competitor but a structurally related incumbent whose IIHF World Championships and Olympic tournament formats directly drive SIHF's national team commercial and competitive cycle.

Others

• Champions Hockey League (CHL): Pan-European club competition in which Swiss National League clubs participate. Comparable only as a co-organizer/co-marketing entity linked via SIHF's website and club network, not as a like-for-like peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLrPxwa2VOkUn7r3K1_eqSv4h1fZ2Jn-SN
• Instagraminstagram.com/swissicehockeymen
• Xx.com/SwissIceHockey
• Facebookfacebook.com/SwissIceHockey
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sihf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Swiss Ice Hockey