France

France is a country in Western Europe. Paris is the capital and largest city.

History of hockey in France
The first official ice hockey team in Europe, Club des Patineurs de Paris, was founded in 1903. They played their first international game against Prince's Ice Hockey Club of Great Britain.

The French Ice Hockey Federation was founded in 1907, and France was one of the founding members of the Ligue Internationale de Hockey Sur glace (present-day IIHF) in 1908.

The national championship was first contested in 1907. It was the second European country to establish a national championship after Great Britain, which staged its first national championship in 1904. Chamonix Hockey Club has won the most French championships, with 30. The FFHG Division 1 is the second level league, the FFHG Division 2 is the third level league, and the FFHG Division 3 is the fourth and lowest level league. The Coupe de France was first contested in 1975, and has been held annually since 2002. The Coupe de la Ligue and Match des Champions have both been held yearly since 2007.

The men's national team made its international debut in 1909, playing in the first Coupe de Chamonix, in which they finished second. They finished third at the LIHG Championships in 1913 and 1914. They participated in the European Championships four times, in 1923, 1924, 1926, and 1932. They won a gold medal in 1924, and a silver medal in 1923. In 1930, they made their debut at the World Championships, finishing in a tie for sixth place. Between 1951 and 1991, they did not make an appearance in the top division of the World Championships. From 1992-2000, and 2008-2012, they have played in the top division yearly. The men's national team has participated in the Olympic Games 10 times, with the first of them coming in 1920. Their best finishes came in 1920, 1924, and 1928, where they finished between fifth and sixth place.

The women's national team participated in the Women's European Championship Qualification in 1989, playing two games against Czechoslovakia. They played in the Women's European Championships in 1991, 1993, 1995, and 1996. They first participated in the Women's World Championships in 1999. The women's U18 national team has played in the Women's World U18 Championships since 2009.

The junior national team first appeared in the World Junior Championships in 1979, finishing second in Pool B. They finished in 10th place in the top division in 2002.