 The Ice Hockey European Championships , first held in Les Avants , Switzerland in January 1910 , were the precursor to the World Championships . It was the first official tournament meant for national teams , the participating nations were Great Britain , Germany , Belgium and Switzerland . In North America , professional hockey was continuing to grow , the National Hockey League ( NHL ) , the largest professional hockey league in the world , was formed in 1917 . The European Championships were held for five consecutive years but were not held between 1915 and 1920 due to World War I. 
