As part of the proposed merger between Ice Hockey UK, England Ice Hockey and Scottish Ice Hockey, the organizations have committed to Professionalise to Perform – building a single, best-in-class business model that better supports clubs, players, coaches, officials and volunteers.
Together, the organizations have made an important commitment within this principle, namely the recruitment of several new positions to serve the sport more effectively. An example of this is the plan for the Officiating program.
Why civil servants are central to ‘Professionalization to perform’
The development, growth and professionalism of referees in Great Britain are a core component of the proposed governing body, as a whole.
Officiating in the UK is currently managed by the Ice Hockey UK Referee Section, which provides officials for all competitions in the UK, as well as selected international tournaments. The section acts as a subsidiary of Ice Hockey UK and supplies officials to IHUK, the Elite League, England and Scotland.
The section is run by well-regarded, hard-working volunteers – without whom the sport simply wouldn’t work – who dedicate their time and expertise to the game.
The proposed merger will build on their success and, given the importance of performance within the sport, will involve openly recruited, paid and accountable professionals, working alongside the volunteer officials who serve the game. Subject to approval of the merger, the governing body has committed to making this a reality within twelve months of a successful vote on the merger.
What the merged entity will bring to the civil service
By merging all three organizations and aligning structures, standards and resources, we can:
- Create paid, responsible roles within a newly formed Officiating Section, including a full-time Officiating Lead.
- Ensure that this Officiating Lead reports directly to the CEO on a daily basis, within the new professional structure.
- Deliver strategic, targeted activities to recruit and retain more officers than ever before, with clear pathways from entry level to elite.
- Provide greater support, training and development for all officers, including structured education, mentorship and performance appraisal, to improve career development and on-ice standards.
- Invest in official development as a core part of the sport’s performance system – recognizing that better-supported officials improve the experience for players, coaches, clubs and fans.
A stronger governance partnership with civil servants
Professionalization Performing civil service is not just about roles and resources, it is also about governance and voice.
Under the merged structure, the following officers will act:
- Formally embedded in the new governance framework, with clear lines of responsibility and representation;
- Consulted as a key partner on rules, competitive structures and player safety issues; And
- Supported by systems and processes that ensure that decisions are made together with civil servants, and not just about civil servants.
This governance partnership aims to make Officiating more resilient, transparent and better connected to the rest of the game.
Henry Staelens, Chief Executive Officer at Ice Hockey UK and England Ice Hockey, said: “Our ambition is not simply to maintain our existing numbers and processes, but to raise standards through more proactive and professional recruitment, retention, training and development. This applies across the sport, but in this case it will greatly improve the experience for our officials, leagues and clubs.
“The merger will enable us to create paid positions to oversee the officiating section, whose remit will be clear day in and day out. It will also enable a single point of contact and consultation from all corners of the British ice hockey system.
“Volunteers who have worked within the refereeing section have done a fantastic job. It is sometimes a thankless job, we all know that. It is our duty, as a sport, to support them to get better every week, and that requires paid, accountable resources and good governance at the heart of refereeing in Britain.”
About the ice hockey merger between Great Britain, England and Scotland
Led by their respective Chairmen and the sport’s first Chief Executive Officer appointed, IHUK, EIH and SIH have worked to find a way to work together, share resources to grow the game and take British ice hockey to the top.
After months of consultation, collaboration with other IIHF members and a passionate, newly appointed Executive Team, the boards of the IHUK, EIH and SIH have all unanimously approved the merger of the three bodies to bring everyone together as one.
Ahead of a general meeting on December 17, where IHUK, EIH and SIH will encourage their members to vote in favor of the vote, a number of meetings will be held with key stakeholders and groups from the sport to ensure the merger delivers improvement and certainty in relation to their requirements.
Full information and updates on the proposed merger will be shared via the English Hockey Channels and the Scottish Ice Hockey Channels. Members can submit questions or comments about the merger in advance to memberservices@englandicehockey.com for England and media@scottishicehockey.co.uk for Scotland. The England Ice Hockey and Scottish Ice Hockey staff will ensure that all questions are answered during the sessions or in follow-up material.
Voting process explained
A General Members’ Meeting will be held on December 17 for both English ice hockey and Scottish ice hockey.
The formal notice sent to the members, directors and auditors will set out a proposed special resolution asking the members to agree to the formation of a merged entity.
If approved, this will be followed by an extensive period of detailed consultation, funded by UK Sport, with all sections using the five guiding principles to reshape the sport’s operations and delivery.
England Ice Hockey and Scottish Ice Hockey will each invite their registered members (their affiliated clubs and teams), any honorary members, together with their respective boards, to attend the General Meeting.
In accordance with their articles of association, each member has the right to convene, attend and cast one vote at the meeting (provided he is duly registered and all fees have been paid).
For the special resolution to be adopted, at least 75% of the votes cast on that day must be in favor. Members have the right to appoint a proxy (or proxies) up to 48 hours before the meeting.
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