# 2025 IIHF World Championships Conclude, NHL Stars Ready for 2026 Olympic Ice Hockey – GY Hockey’s Certified Gear Sets Safety Benchmark

## 2025 IIHF World Championships: Fierce Competition and Historic Team Performances

The 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships wrapped up with intense action across men’s and women’s elite and division-level tournaments, showcasing the sport’s rapid growth across the globe, especially in Asia.

In the **Women’s World Championship Division IA** (hosted in Shenzhen, China), Team China put on a valiant show, narrowly losing 3-2 to France in a penalty shootout and securing their division status with a young and promising lineup. Austria claimed promotion to the top division after a dramatic 3-2 overtime win against the Netherlands, while Denmark dominated Slovakia with a 2-0 victory in the key group stage match. The tournament highlighted the rising competitiveness of women’s ice hockey, with goalkeepers like Team China’s Zhan Jiahui delivering a stellar 94.1% save rate— a testament to the critical role of **high-performance goalie masks** in elite play.

In the IB Division of the Men's World Championship (Tallinn, Estonia), the Lithuanian team successfully defended their title and qualified for the next round. Meanwhile, the Chinese team completed the task of avoiding relegation by winning two 4-3 matches (defeating Croatia and Spain respectively). During this competition, 9 new players made their debut representing the national team. The Chinese men's team has opened a new chapter in the development of young players. The young athletes engaged in safe and intense games using specially designed ice hockey helmets and protective cages for teenagers.

## NHL’s 2026 Olympic Return: A Game-Changer for Elite Ice Hockey

In a landmark announcement for the sport, the National Hockey League (NHL) confirmed that its top players will return to the Olympic ice hockey tournament at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games— marking their first appearance since the 2014 Sochi Olympics, a 12-year hiatus. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) hailed the decision as a “triumph for ice hockey fans worldwide”, as the world’s best professional players will now compete for Olympic gold, raising the bar for athletic performance and equipment safety.

For the various ice hockey teams in North America, Europe and Asia, the resumption of the NHL season means intense pre-Olympic training and upgrading of equipment. Top-level ice hockey requires extremely durable protective gear, which must meet strict international safety standards. This includes everything from ice hockey protective goggles with anti-fog and anti-scuff coatings, to ice hockey helmet frames and goalkeeper masks designed for high-intensity competitions.

## Global Safety Standards: The New Benchmark for Ice Hockey Protective Gear

As ice hockey’s competitiveness rises, global and national bodies are elevating safety standards for protective equipment to protect athletes at all levels. China has led the charge in aligning domestic standards with international benchmarks, releasing 42 national standards for winter sports gear since the 2022 Beijing Olympics— including 5 dedicated to ice hockey protectors that mandate ergonomic design, non-toxic materials, and green manufacturing processes. These standards mirror global benchmarks like **EN ISO 10256** (the international gold standard for ice hockey head and face protection), ensuring that gear for both professional and youth players delivers maximum safety without compromising performance.

In Europe and North America, regulatory bodies like the EU’s PPE Directive 89/686/EEC and IIHF equipment guidelines further require third-party certification for all ice hockey protective gear— a requirement that has become the foundation for elite tournament participation.

## GY Hockey: Certified Protective Gear for Elite and Youth Ice Hockey

For the past 15 years, GY Hockey has been dedicated to manufacturing ice hockey protective products that meet the ISO and CE certification standards, focusing on providing head and facial protection equipment that complies with the most stringent global standards. As one of the earliest institutions in China to engage in the research and production of ice hockey helmets, GY Hockey has a 10,000-square-meter production base, over 20 professional R&D personnel, and exports to more than 20 countries. As a result, it has become a reliable partner for ice hockey teams, clubs and athletes all over the world.

### GY Hockey’s Core Elite-Level Products

All GY Hockey products are tested and certified to **EN ISO 10256** (2003/2004/2016/2018 editions) and comply with EU PPE Category II requirements, with key offerings including:

- **Ice Hockey Player Helmets** (GY-PH08-C, GY-PH098-V): Foam-lined PP helmets with optional polycarbonate visors/faceguards, available in adult and junior sizes, certified by SATRA and ITC Zlin.

- **Goalie Masks** (GY-GH8000C, GY-GH6000-C4): High-impact goalie masks for ice hockey, engineered for maximum facial protection and tested to CSN EN ISO 10256:2004 standards.

- **Ice Hockey Visors & Cages** (GY-HV2022-M117, GY-PC018): Anti-fog, anti-scratch polycarbonate visors and durable metal cages— including junior XS sizes for young athletes— with hybrid visor-cage combos for all playing levels.

- **Floorball Masks** (GY-FM6000-C4): IFF-certified floorball goalie masks meeting SPCR 011:2022 and RISE MET 5681:2022 standards, with a 2023 EU certification valid until 2028.

- **3D Printed Accessories**: Customizable 3D-printed helmet cages and chin cup replacement parts, compatible with most international helmet brands, ideal for team equipment upgrades.

GY Hockey’s commitment to quality extends beyond certification: the brand offers one-stop support from mold design and custom production to after-sales service, with a dedicated testing lab featuring aging and high/low temperature testing zones to ensure gear durability in extreme gameplay conditions.

## Looking Ahead: 2026 Olympics and the Future of Ice Hockey Protection

As the world gradually moves towards the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics and the preparation stage of the next round of the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships, the level of attention to "safe and high-performance ice hockey equipment" will only deepen further. GY Hockey Company has been at the forefront of this transformation, continuously developing innovative protective products that combine international safety standards with ergonomic design - from the ice hockey protective cages used to train young players, to the top goalkeeper masks designed for the National Hockey League of the United States and Olympic athletes.

With its roots in international collaboration (the brand’s first export order was 20,000 helmets and cages for a Russian customer in 2009), GY Hockey remains dedicated to powering global ice hockey growth, one certified protective product at a time.

### Connect with GY Hockey for Your Ice Hockey Protection Needs

- **Email**: info@gyhockey.com

- **Website**: https://www.gyhockey.com/

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