The Hockey Development Summit 2026 is delighted to announce its next guest speaker: Kalle Väliaho, Development Manager for Europe & Africa at the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF).
Kalle made history in 2022 by becoming the first-ever IIHF Development Director – a pioneering role in which he played a foundational part in establishing the federation’s official Development Department, structuring global player pathways and building sustainable growth models for member nations across the world.
In his current role, alongside his regional responsibilities for Europe and Africa, Kalle holds global accountability for the strategic development of the IIHF Coach Education Framework – driving the advancement of coaching competencies, knowledge-sharing and education tools worldwide.
Prior to his international career, Kalle spent 13 years with the Finnish Ice Hockey Association, including five years as National Youth Hockey Manager.
His work in Finland was instrumental in refining the country’s celebrated youth development systems, with a focus on club, coach and player development, as well as the importance of long-term continuous development models.
We’re thrilled that Kalle will be joining us in Sheffield from 26th to 28th June 2026 and look forward to sharing more speaker announcements in the coming days.
Tickets for the Summit (26th–28th June 2026), which will bring together Club Chairs, Head Coaches and senior stakeholders from the UK’s youth hockey system, can be found here: https://ukihf.org/event/summit.