History
Ice hockey playing started in Turkey in the beginning of 1980s at Atatürk ice rink and on the frozen pool of Youth Park in Ankara and Korukent ice rink in Istanbul. The first ice hockey match dates back to January 9, 1988 played at Atatürk ice rink in Ankara between the teams of Ankara and Istanbul, which were coached by an American officer Glenn Brown and Sinisha Tomic from Yugoslavia respectively.
By February 1989, the "Buz Pateni Sarayı" (literally "Ice Skating Palace"), country's first Olympic size hockey rink was opened in Ankara, which initiated the ice hockey in Turkey. Founding of an ice hockey school the same year by Cüneyt Kozan and Fahri Paslı was one of the most basic and important steps in the development of this sport branch in Turkey. Some of the sportspeople, who learnt playing ice hockey at this school, are still members of the national team.
Ankara Buz Pateni Sarayı hosted the first match ever played in compliance with the international rules and regulations end of 1989 between Ankara Tarım Kredi Spor and Istanbul Paten Kulübü teams.
By January 1990, ice hockey sport was subordinated to the Turkish Ski Federation, and the first official championship ever was organized among two teams from Ankara and two from Istanbul.
With the foundation of the Turkish Ice Sports Federation in 1991, ice hockey sport separated from the Turkish Ski Federation and came along with figure skating sport under the authority of the new organization. Turkey became member of the International Ice Hockey Federation IIHF the same year, and formed the national team to participate at the 1992 World championships Group C tournaments.
The rising interest in ice hockey effected the increasing number of players and then the teams. Rino Ouellette, a Canadian diplomat in Ankara, who coached two teams consecutively, contributed much to the development of ice hockey sport in Turkey. A tournament, organized in 1992, laid the ground stone for the establishment of Turkey's first ice hockey league in 1993.
As of March 2013, the total number of ice hockey players is 790 consisting of 310 men's, 320 juniors and 160 women's. From 1992 on, the federation conducted regularly courses for referees and trainers. There are a total of 110 referees as of March 2013.
Under increasing competition pressure, the teams were forced to transfer valuable players from countries with ice hockey tradition like Canada, Russia, Ukraina etc. The presence of the foreign sportspeople contributed considerable to the enhancement of this sport resulting in Turkey's first international win in 1997 against New Zealand.
In the end of 2006, ice hockey sport detached on International Skating Union's recommendation from the Turkish Ice Sports Federation establishing its own organization.
Read more about this topic: Turkish Ice Hockey Federation
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