Canada, long regarded as a dominant force in international ice hockey, failed to secure any seats on the International Ice Hockey Federation’s (IIHF) council during elections held Friday at the federation’s semi-annual congress in Tenerife, Spain.

Hockey Canada president and chief executive officer Katherine Henderson was a candidate for one of the council’s minimum three female positions but was eliminated in the second round of voting. The seats were ultimately awarded to Hungary’s Zsuzsanna Kolbenheyer, Turkey’s Merve Tunali, and Poland’s Marta Zawadzka.

Although no Canadian was elected to a council seat, the country will continue to have regional representation through Mike Trimboli of the United States, who was elected vice-president for the Americas and Oceania. Trimboli ran unopposed and takes over from former Hockey Canada president and CEO Bob Nicholson, who had served in the role since 2012 but chose not to seek re-election. Nicholson succeeded Murray Costello, who held the vice-presidential position for five years prior.

The election results also highlight increased involvement from countries not traditionally known for ice hockey. In addition to Tunali, representatives like Andy Mills from New Zealand and Aivaz Omorkanov from Kyrgyzstan will serve on the council, reflecting the IIHF’s recent push to broaden the sport’s global reach.

Meanwhile, Germany’s Franz Reindl was elected to replace outgoing IIHF president Luc Tardif, who represents France but was born and raised in Quebec. Petr Briza of Czechia was re-elected as senior vice-president.

Canada’s absence from the IIHF council marks a rare lapse; the nation has had continuous representation since 1978, with a brief gap from 1994 to 1998. The recent election underscores shifting dynamics within the federation as it seeks to promote greater diversity in its governance structure.