This is a ranking of the best countries in Ice Hockey according to the IIHF.

Ranking system

The ranking is based on the standings of the last Winter Olympics and the last four IIHF World Championships. The results of more recent tournaments have a higher weight in the ranking. The ranking is used to determine the seeding of the teams for the next World Championship and to select the teams which can participiate in Winter Olympics without playing in the qualifying round. The first ranking was released in 2003, based on the results of 2002 Olympics and World Championships from 2000 to 2003.

Men's 2004 ranking (change from 2003)

1. Canada (-) Canadian national men's hockey team
2. Sweden (-) Swedish national men's ice hockey team
3. Slovakia (+2) Slovak national ice hockey team
4. Czech Republic (-1) Czech national ice hockey team
5. Finland (-1) Finnish national men's ice hockey team
6. United States (+1) American national men's hockey team
7. Russia (-1) Russian national ice hockey team
8. Germany (-) German national ice hockey team
9. Switzerland (-)
10. Latvia (-) Latvian national ice hockey team
11. Austria (+1)
12. Ukraine (-1)
13. Belarus (-)
14. Denmark (-)
15. Japan (-)
16. Slovenia (-)
17. Kazakhstan (+4)
18. France (-)
19. Italy (-2)
20. Poland (-1)
21. Norway (-1)
22. Hungary (-)
23. Netherlands (+2)
24. Estonia (-)
25. United Kingdom (-2)
26. Romania (-)
27. Lithuania (-)
28. People's Republic of China (-)
29. Serbia and Montenegro (-)
30. South Korea (+2)
31. Croatia (-)
32. Bulgaria (-2)
33. Belgium (-)
34. Spain (-)
35. Australia (+1)
36. Israel (-1)
37. North Korea (+4)
38. South Africa (-1)
39. Iceland (-1)
40. New Zealand (-)
41. Mexico (-2)
42. Luxembourg (-)
43. Turkey (-)
44. Republic of Ireland (N/A)
45. Armenia (N/A)

Women's 2005 ranking (change from 2004)

1. Canada (-) (Canadian national women's hockey team)
2. United States (-) (American national women's hockey team)
3. Finland (-) (Finnish national women's ice hockey team)
4. Sweden (-) (Swedish national women's ice hockey team)
5. Germany (+1) (German national women's ice hockey team)
6. Russia (-1) (Russian national women's ice hockey team)
7. People's Republic of China (-) (Chinese national women's ice hockey team)
8. Kazakhstan (+1) (Kazakhstani national women's ice hockey team)
9. Switzerland (-1)
10. Japan (-)
11. Czech Republic (-)
12. France (+1)
13. Latvia (-1)
14. Denmark (+2)
15. Norway (-1)
16. North Korea (-1)
17. Italy (-)
18. Slovakia (-)
19. Netherlands (-)
20. United Kingdom (+1)
21. Slovenia (+1)
22. Australia (-2)
23. Belgium (+1)
24. Hungary (-1)
25. Austria (+1)
26. Romania (-1)
27. South Korea (-)
28. South Africa (-)
29. New Zealand (N/A)
30. Israel (N/A)