New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. Wellington is the capital, and Auckland is the largest city.

History of hockey in New Zealand
The first organized tournament was held in Opawa in 1937. The New Zealand Ice Skating Association was founded in 1937, and ice hockey was given a division within the association. The New Zealand Ice Hockey Federation wasn't founded until 1988. New Zealand joined the IIHF on May 2, 1977.

The New Zealand Ice Hockey League was founded as the country's national league in 2005. Prior to that, a national championship made up of teams from the various regions of the country was contested.

The men's national team made its international debut in 1987, playing in the D Pool of the World Championships. They finished in third place out of four teams, beating Hong Kong twice. One of their games at the tournament was a 58-0 loss to Australia. In 2007 and 2009, they won the Division III World Championships. In 2011, they finished second in the Division IIA tournament.

The women's national team first appeared on the international scene in 2005, playing in Division IV of the Women's World Championships. They won the Division IV tournament in 2011, and finished in fourth place in Division IIA in 2012.

The junior national team first played in the World Junior Championships in 2004, playing in Division III. They won the Division III tournament in 2008.