On Thin Ice
The International Ice Hockey Federation Union Board of Directors, 1970
International ice hockey is facing a crisis
“Delegates will find that this committee is as much a geopolitical challenge as a sporting one. ”
International ice hockey is facing a crisis. For over 50 years, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has only allowed “amateur” players to compete in IIHF tournaments. As such, NHL players, who were mostly Canadian, were barred from representing Canada at international events, while Soviet and European federations were allowed to use permanent full-time players who were positioned on paper as regular factory workers who played for allegedly amateur social sports clubs. As a result of this double standard, Canada, the birthplace of hockey and the sport’s most influential country, has threatened to withdraw its national team from all IIHF tournaments until it can ice its best players on equal footing with the rest of the world, throwing the legitimacy of international hockey into serious question.
Delegates will find that this committee is as much a geopolitical challenge as a sporting one. The Cold War casts a long shadow over every debate, and the North American bloc and the Soviet-European bloc bring fundamentally different interests, incentives, and definitions of fairness to the table. Resolving the eligibility crisis without fracturing the federation, or losing Canada permanently, will require delegates to navigate institutional politics, Cold War tensions, and competing visions of what international hockey is supposed to represent.
Welcome to The IIHF
Delegates must navigate institutional politics, Cold War tensions, and competing visions of what international hockey is supposed to represent.
What will you do?
Meet the Team
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Ryan Li
CHAIR
Ryan Li is a Public Policy and Economics double major in the Class of 2028 from Vancouver, Canada. Ryan has been involved in the Canadian and American MUN and debating circuits for eight years, further entangling himself in the model UN universe through his work with GIRA Global. As a Canadian, it is a no-brainer why Ryan is so enthusiastic about staffing this committee, and he looks forward to finally having a good excuse to talk about Canada all weekend. Outside of MUN, Ryan can be found exploring all of DC’s wonderful attractions and (free) museums, playing on Georgetown’s club ultimate frisbee team, and cheering on his hometown Vancouver Canucks.
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Katherine Chow
CRISIS MANAGER
Katherine Chow is a junior in the School of Foreign Service from Rockville, Maryland majoring in Science, Technology, and International Affairs with a certificate in Diplomatic Studies. This is her 8th year doing Model UN and she is so excited to staff NCSC again. Katherine is extremely fond of historical crisis committees and has a fondness towards Cold War era committees in particular despite not knowing why…the combination of history, science/technological innovation, and great power competition simply does something to her inner MUN nerd. Katherine is a big hockey fan (go Penguins!! and Canucks!!), so she loves this committee for blending historical politics with her favorite sport. Outside of Model UN, Katherine can be found supporting Georgetown’s sports teams with the Pep Band, loitering in theater rehearsal rooms that never see the light of day, and rolling burgers every Friday afternoon with the Grilling Society. She also loves exploring all DC has to offer and regularly abuses the ability to study in the Smithsonians or local cafes. Katherine is so excited to welcome everyone to Washington, DC this November! Please reach out to kjc129@georgetown.edu if you have any questions regarding the committee or simply want to talk about hockey or local food recommendations!
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ASSOCIATED STAFF
OTHER MEMBERS
Director: Rik Chakravarty
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Manvi Tripathi
UNDER SECRETARY-GENERAL
Manvi Tripathi is a member of Georgetown University’s College of Arts and Sciences, class of 2028, majoring in Justice and Peace Studies and Government, with a minor in Technology, Ethics, and Society. She is super excited to be USG of Boards & Agencies and see you all in the Fall!
