Ice hockey may not be the most popular sport in Israel, but it rivals any in terms of passion.
For the hundreds of those who spend their time on the gleaming chilly surface or stand behind the boards watching their kids trying to handle the puck with a stick while balancing on skates, it is not a revelation that the national federation in Israel has recently passed through a very difficult period of turbulence.
Financial misbehavior, corruption, and other unwelcome misdoings crept into the game, forcing the government to take external control of all the hockey activities in the country. The federation’s management was dismissed, and for a few long years everybody – well, almost everybody – had to forget about developing an Olympic sport in a country where the sport has been cultivated since the 1980s. Putting internal housekeeping things in order became the top priority.
But now the wait is over. The new management team of the Ice Hockey Federation of Israel (IHFI) has been selected and the organization can return to its primary mission – taking the local game to new heights.
New Board of Directors
A competent Board of Directors, under the guidance of the new president Basil Gamsu, will help ensure that no infringements are possible, a volunteer-based professional operations unit led by new CEO Mikhael Horowitz will take care of the hands-on, day-to-day activities, and a renewed Professional Committee led by Pavel Levin will advise and direct on the professional side.
Levin and Horowitz are by no means new to this game and they have many notches on their belts which prove their competence. Pavel is one of the founders of OneIce Arena, the country’s best ice facility located in Tnuvot just outside of Netanya, and Mikhael, an Israeli-born hockey manager, has international experience and education both in North America and Europe and has been involved in hockey within Israel for more than 20 years. Heading the organization as the president, Gamsu is an experienced financial leader who anticipates guiding the organization to prosperity..
“We have gone through difficult times in previous years,” noted Horowitz. “The global pandemic alongside internal misdoings have taken us many steps back. But we have held strong. As Christine Caine stated: ‘Sometimes when you’re in a dark place you think you’ve been buried, but you’ve actually been planted.’ That’s the attitude we have. That’s the attitude that allowed us to have a breakthrough season this year.”
In a very short period of time, the new processes led by renewed IHFI management definitely have borne fruit. Starting in January in Turkey, where the U20 team reached the final of its divisional tournament but had to settle for silver after losing to Australia. Then in March in Iceland, the U18 team made it a step further winning gold in Division 3A and being promoted to an upper tier for the first time since 2008.
Later in March, OneIce Arena hosted the Women’s World Championship in Division 3B – the first International Ice Hockey Federation level event to be hosted in the country. On home ice, the blue-and–white ladies accomplished their first-ever victory, defeating Bosnia and Herzegovina, and brought home their first medal as they finished ranked second.
Finally, in April in Spain, the men’s team successfully secured a spot in Division 2A after a heroic mini-miracle-on-ice, last-second win vs Iceland in its final game – yet another unprecedented feat.
IHFI success has been greatly influenced by OneIce Arena’s support and involvement as a strategic partnership has developed between the federation and the venue. The facility, which had run independently from the IHFI in previous years, has fully opened its doors for the first time to IHFI activities.
Since opening in 2019, OneIce Arena has sponsored national team activity, merged its league with the national league and brought know-how to operations. Having survived the COVID-caused hiatus the arena now operates around the clock welcoming everybody who shares the owners’ passion for ice sports.
OneIce co-hosts, alongside with the northern Canada Center facility in Metula and a smaller rink in the Holon - Ice Peaks - the renewed Israel National Hockey Leagues (INHL). The INHL is the federation’s national league which provides leagues for youth, juniors, adults, and masters, the veterans who refuse to give up the game.
OneIce Arena is home to the OneIce Hockey Academy which runs programs for kids and adults of all ages and levels - from those who just put their skates on for the first time until those who become (semi)professionals.
What’s next? After all the positive overhaul, the future of Israeli ice hockey seems as bright as ever. New management knows that there is a lot of hard work to be done and they are very happy they can rely on their close colleagues and friends for support.
“I would like to thank everyone who has given back to hockey this year,” said Horowitz. ”We are running a huge volunteer-based operation. I would like to acknowledge Felix Kozak and Steven and Natalie Maksin as they have been a huge help throughout the years.
“Through his work as an attorney, Felix knows everything about sponsorship and fundraising, which is an invaluable support for the national teams program. The Maksin couple and their company, Moonbeam Capital Investments, also proved themselves as devoted and reliable partners – and, most importantly, true friends who share a passion for the game and are always ready to help tackle any problem and overcome any barrier, just like good teammates do.
“With friends like these anything is possible.”