The Royal Belgian Ice Hockey Federation (RBIHF) has successfully concluded its annual Competition Meetings with Belgian clubs, officially launching the preparations for the 2026-2027 season.
Last Thursday, the federation presented the Youth Competitions, including the U8, U10 and U12 Development Competitions, which will continue in the successful format of previous seasons, alongside the U14, U16 and U18 championships. Clubs were also introduced to the brand-new U23 Competition, designed to bridge the gap between youth and senior hockey.
On Monday, all Belgian clubs gathered to review the proposed Senior Competitions, covering Division 1 through Division 5.
A Stable Structure with New Opportunities
The overall competition structure remains largely unchanged. The main innovation is the introduction of the U23 Competition, with games planned primarily during morning ice slots, while Division 1 games will, where possible, be scheduled in the evenings. This will allow players to participate in both competitions and continue their development.
Another important change is that Division 2 will become a contact league, joining Division 1 as Belgium's two senior contact competitions. Divisions 3 and 4 will continue as recreational non-contact leagues, while Division 5 will remain a flexible friendly-games competition using the RBIHF competition systems, including eSheet and RBIHF TV. This also creates opportunities for disciplines such as Sledge Hockey to benefit from these services.
In addition to the league competitions, the RBIHF intends to organize a Belgian Cup for interested Division 1 clubs, while playoffs will be organized for selected competitions where appropriate.
Final Formats to Be Confirmed
The competition structures presented during the meetings are based on the available competition opportunities. The final format of each league will depend entirely on the number of teams registering for each competition. As clubs have until 1 August to confirm their participation, it is currently not yet possible to announce the detailed competition formats, number of games, pools or playoff structures.
Following the registration deadline, the Competition Committee will finalize the league structures and aims to publish a draft calendar by mid-August, followed by the final competition calendars on 1 September.
The RBIHF would like to thank all clubs for their constructive participation and looks forward to another exciting season of Belgian ice hockey. Together, we continue building a stronger future for our sport.