Henry Staelens, Chief Executive Officer of Ice Hockey UK (IHUK) and England Ice Hockey (EIH), has announced his intention to leave his position in early 2026.
Staelens joined Ice Hockey UK in March 2023 and became the first Chief Executive in the organization’s history. He then took on the role of CEO at England Ice Hockey through a shared services agreement.
During his tenure, the sport has implemented significant reforms, ensuring compliance with the Code for Sports Governance and strengthening the foundations that both UK Sport and Sport England need. This progress has been accompanied by a renewed focus on impact and growth, including high-profile partnerships such as NHL Street, record investment in GB Women and a strengthened strategic approach to athlete development through the restructuring of the GB Pathway.
In December 2025, the sport also took a major step forward with a historic merger vote, which allowed Ice Hockey UK, England Ice Hockey and Scottish Ice Hockey to enter detailed discussions on the formation of a single, progressive governing body for ice hockey in Great Britain.
Staelens said: “It has been an honor to lead this sport and I am very proud of the work and change we have delivered. This is not one of those stock comments you see so often – this is tangible, transformative change, for a sport that both needed and deserved it.”
“My desire to professionalise the sport, work together and be ready to seize the opportunities ahead has been realised. The next twelve months will be heavily focused on the legality and structure of the proposed merger. During this period, I strongly believe I can add more value by focusing on other crucial areas within the sport as this process continues.”
“This was far from an easy decision, but I have always been convinced that you do what is right for the sport at all times, and this is something that I have honored since day one. I thank the boards for their understanding that there must be a renewed structure in place by 2026 if we are to fully transform, protect and develop ice hockey while achieving the merger.
“My appreciation for the ice hockey community is immense. This sport is built on everyone’s desire and passion for the game, and it has been a privilege to play a role in harnessing that energy and using it to build an even brighter future for the sport.”
Staelens will be retained as Strategic Commercial Consultant, supporting the sport to maximize member value through partnerships, commercial development and wider opportunities.
Clifton Wrottesley, Chairman of Ice Hockey UK, said: “I would like to sincerely and unconditionally thank Henry for his exemplary leadership at Ice Hockey UK and England Ice Hockey. Henry brought speed, clarity and ambition at a time when the sport needed it most.
“He has been instrumental in modernizing the way we work, raising standards far beyond what was originally planned, and playing a key role in bringing the sport together with a single direction of travel. Fortunately, this is not a farewell, we are extremely pleased that Henry will continue to be involved in a strategic advisory role, to lead the commercialization of the sport, working closely with IHUK, EIH and SIH, and separately help the UK Ice Hockey Foundation fully realize its own commercial and partnership goals, as we drive the next entering a truly exciting phase in the development of our sport.
“To their great credit, Henry, working with our COO Grant King, has put in place a plan to restructure the sport’s executive leadership and operations, allowing resources and expertise to be deployed in the most effective way. The recent vote to pursue a merger of the sport’s governing bodies will allow the key people involved in the sport’s delivery to focus on unlocking the incredible, untapped value that is being created in ice hockey.
“Simply put, thanks to Henry’s vision and ability to deliver results, the future for our sport looks exceptionally bright.”
Duncan Hough, Chairman of England Ice Hockey, commented: “It has been a pleasure to work with Henry over the past two years and the past 18 months as CEO. As a board and executive, we have delivered what was needed during this period – major reforms across the board, with a clear vision for the future – and Henry’s leadership skills, and desire to bring people together and deliver change quickly, have been vital to that, as we now have the foundation needed for the next phase. I am very pleased that we can continue to work with Henry in a new capacity to pursue new opportunities for the sport, alongside the important merger discussions.”
Following a handover period in the coming weeks, Grant King, Chief Operating Officer of Ice Hockey UK and England Ice Hockey, will act as Interim Chief Executive Officer in 2026 and support the boards through the next phase of the merger and integration programme.
Grant King said: “It has been great to work closely with Henry over the past eighteen months. Under his leadership we have been able to make huge progress in governance, standards, innovation and ambition, which have been achieved through a collective effort from boards, staff, volunteers and stakeholders who care deeply about the sport. I thank Henry for his leadership, vision and impact on the sport, and we look forward to working with him in his commercial advisory role.”
A further update will be provided in due course with more details on the transition arrangements and the next steps in the merger and integration programme.
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