No time to lose for Luc Tardif. Less than a week after being elected president of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), the French-Canadian leader is already making progress. One of his priorities is to impose a new discipline, 3×3 hockey, at the Olympic Winter Games. With a goal: the 2030 edition. Luc Tardif explained to Radio-Canada: “I think it would fit in well with the zapping generation. We have to look for new ways to play. 3×3 hockey was tried out at the 2020 Youth Games in Lausanne, with players from all nations playing in different teams, including a three-on-three competition. We experimented with the rules, looked at the notion of safety, and refined them a bit. The experience was conclusive. We are doing a colossal job for the Olympic Games, but for only six medals, three for the boys and three for the girls. We invest 15 million to bring the referees… The qualifications start a year and a half in advance. But I think that we are not considered at our true value. The impact of ice hockey is worth more. That’s why I say to myself: “We’re going to push the three-on-three, to be a bit more present.” Luc Tardif makes no secret of the fact that the IIHF will not be ready to impose this discipline at the Milan-Cortina Games in 2026. But the new president of the body believes in its chances for the next edition, which has not yet been awarded by the IOC. “The 2030 Winter Games could be a good time,” he suggests.
