Scoring

Explanation

The ranking is based primarily on the annual World Championship and the Olympic Games. For men, the system reflects differences in the strength of international tournaments based on the availability of the world's leading NHL players, with events featuring unrestricted NHL participation carrying a higher point value.

The ranking also includes other major tournaments featuring NHL players, most notably the historic Canada Cup, the World Cup of Hockey, and the 4 Nations Face-Off. The women's ranking is based primarily on the Olympic Games and the World Championship, complemented by selected historically significant international competitions.

Scoring system

ContestDisciplineCategoryPeriod12345678
Olympic Gameswith NHL-PlayersMen1998-20262515964321
Olympic Gamesw/o NHL playersMen1920-202216106421
Canadian Cupwith NHL-PlayersMen1976-1991106421
World Cupwith NHL-PlayersMen1996-2016106421
World Championshipw/o NHL playersMen1920-202685321
4 Nations Face-Offwith NHL-PlayersMen2025-2025531
Summit Serieswith NHL-PlayersMen1972-19723
Olympic GamesWomen1998-20261610654321
World ChampionshipWomen1990-202585321
World TournamentWomen1987-19877421
4 Nations CupWomen1996-201821
World Championship Recap

World Championship Recap

NHL.com | 31.05.2026

Olli Määttä and Finland captured gold at the 2026 IIHF Men's World Championship, downing host Switzerland in overtime.

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The Olympics showcased everything that’s magical about hockey

The Olympics showcased everything that’s magical about hockey

DailyFaceoff.com | 22.02.2026

You couldn’t have scripted a more exciting end to the men’s Olympic hockey tournament in Milano.

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All-Time Czech Team

All-Time Czech Team

IIHF.com | 28.09.2022

The first European nations to really establish itself as a world hockey power, the Czechs have had three main eras of dominance. The first was in the late 1940s but that was cut short when several players were arrested and imprisoned on trumped-up charges by the Communist government of the time. In addition to cutting short many promising careers, it’s also difficult to compare players from a time when the game was so different.

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