LIHG Championships

The LIHG Championship was an international tournament featuring national teams that existed from 1912-1914. It was organized by Ligue International de Hockey sur Glace (LIHG), the present day IIHF.

History

The tournament was created in 1912 by LIHG president Louis Magnus as an alternative to the European Championships. The 1912 European Championship was a debacle, with the final game between Bohemia and Germany ending in controversy, and the tournament being annulled due to Austria not being an IIHF member at the time. The LIHG tournament allowed imports from North America, unlike the European Championships, as such, it was played at a higher level than the European Championships.

Due to a feud between the French Louis Magnus and the Belgian Henri Van den Bulcke, who became LIHG president in 1912 after Magnus resigned following the European Championship, the 1913 and 1914 LIHG Championships were boycotted by Belgium, and the 1913 and 1914 European Championships were boycotted by France.

The first tournament was won by Germany, with the Oxford Canadians finishing second, and Belgium finishing third. France finished fourth, and Switzerland finished fifth and last. It was held in Brussels, Belgium, from March 20-24, 1912.

The second LIHG tournament took place in St. Moritz, Switzerland, from January 22-24, 1913. Germany again won the tournament, finishing 4-0-0. Great Britain took second place, and France took third. Bohemia and Switzerland finished fourth and fifth respectively.

The third and final LIHG tournament was held from January 20-22, 1914, in Chamonix, France. This year, it was also known as the Coupe de Chamonix. Great Britain unseated the Germans as champions, finishing 3-0-0, including a 3-2 win over Germany. Germany finished as runner-ups, France claimed third place, and Bohemia finished in fourth and last place.

Winners

Year	Gold	Silver	Bronze
1912	Germany	Oxford Canadians	Belgium
1913	Germany	Great Britain	France
1914	Great Britain	Germany	France