Bunny Ahearne

John Francis "Bunny" Ahearne (19 November 1900 – 11 April 1985) was a British ice hockey administrator and businessman. Between 1951 and 1975, he held alternating roles as president and vice-president of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). He also served as secretary of the British Ice Hockey Association from 1934 to 1971, and later as its president until 1982. His involvement in hockey began when he managed the last Great Britain team to win an Olympic gold medal, after which he moved into international administration.

Born in Kinnagh, County Wexford, Ireland, Ahearne lived most of his life in England, working as a travel agent. He never played the sport. As secretary of the British Ice Hockey Association from 1934, he also acted as the UK’s delegate to the IIHF. He hired Pat Marsh as his secretary; she later succeeded him as BIHA secretary when he became president. Ahearne coached Great Britain to a bronze medal at the 1935 World Championships, then handled the team’s business management for three more years, appointing Percy Nicklin as coach. Before Ahearne’s involvement, the national team consisted mostly of current and former army officers. He insisted that at least four British-born players be on the roster and strengthened the team by recruiting players living in Canada who could claim British citizenship through ancestry. In 1935, he travelled to Canada with captain Carl Erhardt to find the best available talent. The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association reluctantly allowed transfers as long as the BIHA used only properly transferred players. The combined work of Ahearne, Nicklin, and Erhardt led to an Olympic gold medal and two silver medals over the next three years: gold at the 1936 Winter Olympics (which also counted as the 1936 World and European Championships), and silver at the 1937 and 1938 World Championships, with European titles both times.

On the international stage, Ahearne was part of an IIHF delegation that went to North America in 1947 to persuade the CAHA and the Amateur Hockey Association of the United States to rejoin the federation. He welcomed the Soviet Union Ice Hockey Federation as an IIHF member in 1952. Until 1952, he served as the CAHA’s representative in Europe, arranging tours and accommodations for the Canadian national team.