Regrettably, the IIHA must announce that the U20 Irish National Team has not been accepted into the IIHF Championship Program for this season.
The IIHA was recently informed that it has not been accepted into the U20 category because Ireland does not meet the minimum participation standards required to enter a team in that category.
The IIHA was hoping that the IIHF would allow Ireland an exception in this regard. However, following much discussions regarding the minimum participation standards and the championship program itself, the IIHF will not be permitting Ireland to enter a team in the U20 category this season.
This is unfortunate but the IIHA have been planning for this and will now look to arrange another event for the team to take part in this season in preparation for its future participation in international competition. The Executive Committee will work extremely hard with the General Manager, Jim Pepper, and Head Coach, Kenny Redmond, to ensure that this team becomes an integral part of the IIHA’s seasonal plans starting this season.