Günther Sabetzki (4 June 1915 in

Düsseldorf Düsseldorf ( , , ; often in English sources; Low Franconian and Ripuarian language, Ripuarian: ''Düsseldörp'' ; archaic nl, Dusseldorp ) is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second- ...

, German Empire – 21 June 2000) was an

executive Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive dir ...

for several

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...

leagues and organizations. Sabetzki was one of the founding members of the

German Ice Hockey Federation The German Ice Hockey Federation (), commonly abbreviated as DEB, is the governing federation of German ice hockey associations. It was established on 16 June 1963 in Krefeld. Until 1990 it served only the old Federal Republic of Germany and West ...

in 1963. He would become the organization's first co-president along with Ludwig Zametzer. In 1966 he was elected as a member of the

International Ice Hockey Federation The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF; french: Fédération internationale de hockey sur glace; german: Internationale Eishockey-Föderation) is a worldwide governing body for ice hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 83 ...

, an organization he would lead as president, from 1975 to 1994. While president of the IIHF, he was instrumental in bridging the gap between European and North American hockey powers, and helped bring Hockey Canada back into the Olympic fold in 1980. In 1982, Sabetzki formed the first German women’s hockey league. It was formed in North Rhine-Westphalia. During his tenure as IIHF president, membership in the IIHF rose from 31 countries to 50.

Awards and honors

Sabetzki was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1995.

References

External links

* 1915 births 2000 deaths Commanders Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany German ice hockey executives Hockey Hall of Fame inductees Recipients of the Olympic Order Sportspeople from Düsseldorf International Ice Hockey Federation executives IIHF Hall of Fame inductees {{Germany-icehockey-bio-stub