 The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European Championships , the precursor to the World Championships , were first held in 1910 . The tournament held at the 1920 Summer Olympics is recognized as the first Ice Hockey World Championship . Between 1920 and 1968 , the Olympic hockey tournament was also considered the World Championship for that year . The first World Championship that was held as an individual event was in 1930 in which twelve nations participated . In 1931 , ten teams played a series of round @-@ robin format qualifying rounds to determine which nations participated in the medal round . Medals were awarded based on the final standings of the teams in the medal round . This basic format would be used until 1992 ( although small variations were made ) . In 1951 , thirteen nations took part and were split into two groups . The top seven teams ( Pool A ) played for the World Championship . The other six ( Pool B ) played for ranking purposes . During a congress in 1990 , the IIHF introduced a playoff system . As the IIHF grew , more teams began to participate at the World Championships , so more pools ( later renamed divisions ) were introduced . 
