John Francis "Bunny" Ahearne (19 November 1900 – 11 April 1985) was a British ice hockey administrator and businessman. He served rotating terms as president and vice-president of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) from 1951 to 1975, and was the secretary of the British Ice Hockey Association from 1934 to 1971, and later its president until 1982. He began in hockey by managing the last Great Britain team to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympic Games, before moving to the international stage. He implemented business reforms at the IIHF, oversaw the growth of ice hockey to new countries, and expanded the Ice Hockey World Championships. He was inducted into both the Hockey Hall of Fame and the British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame during his lifetime and was posthumously inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame.
Early life
Ahearne was born on 19 November 1900, in Kinnagh, County Wexford, Ireland. He spent the majority of his life residing in England working as a travel agent, and never played ice hockey.
British ice hockey
Ahearne was secretary of the British Ice Hockey Association (BIHA) from 1934 to 1971, and served as the association's president from 1971 to 1982. During this time he was also the United Kingdom's delegate to meetings of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). During this time he hired Pat Marsh as his secretary, who later took over as the BIHA secretary when Ahearne became president.
Ahearne was the head coach of the Great Britain ice hockey team which won a bronze medal at the 1935 Ice Hockey World Championships.
Prior to Ahearne's involvement in the national team, it was composed of current and former army officers. He decreed that the national team needed to play at least four British-born players, and augmented the roster with imports. Ahearne went to Canada in 1935 with team captain Carl Erhardt to find the best available players. The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) reluctantly agreed to allow permission for any player wishing to transfer, as long as the BIHA would only use such players who were properly transferred.
Ahearne served as vice-president of the IIHF from 1951 to 1957, then as president from 1957 to 1960, then as vice-president again from 1960 to 1963, returned to the presidency from 1963 to 1966, returned to vice-presidency from 1966 to 1969, and then president again from 1969 to 1975. The other IIHF presidents during that time were Robert Lebel from Canada (1960 to 1963), and William Thayer Tutt from the United States (1966 to 1969).
During his time with the IIHF, Ahearne is credited with improving its finances, cooperating with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and helping to develop and introduce hockey to new countries. He retired as IIHF president in 1975, and was replaced by Günther Sabetzki. He died on 11 April 1985, at his home in Toddington, Gloucestershire, due to heart failure. and the AHAUS citation award in 1949. He was named an honorary president of the IIHF in 1975.