Bunny Ahearne
A sharp-witted businessman who transformed international ice hockey from a niche sport into a global commercial enterprise.
1900–1985 (age 85)·British ice hockey administrator and businessman·Birthday: November 19·The Lost Generation
Biography
Bunny Ahearne’s journey in hockey began not on the ice, but behind a desk. A London-born insurance broker, he first managed the British team that unexpectedly won gold at the 1936 Winter Olympics. That taste of victory propelled him into administration, where he found his true calling. For decades, he was the pragmatic engine of British and international hockey, serving as secretary and later president of the British association while simultaneously holding sway at the International Ice Hockey Federation. Ahearne operated with a promoter’s flair and a bookkeeper’s precision, aggressively expanding the sport into new markets, particularly in Asia and Eastern Europe, and turning IIHF championships into viable financial ventures. His long, often autocratic reign saw the game grow in scale and professionalism, though his stubborn resistance to amateur rule changes eventually led to his ouster. He remained a formidable, polarizing figure until his death, a man who built modern hockey’s infrastructure with sheer force of will.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Bunny was born in 1900, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bunny Was Born
The biggest hits of 1900
Bunny's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1900Born
Boxer Rebellion in China
President: William McKinley
1905Started school
Einstein publishes the theory of special relativity
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1913Became a teenager
The Federal Reserve is established
President: Woodrow Wilson
1916Could drive
The Battle of the Somme claims over a million casualties
President: Woodrow Wilson
1918Could vote
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
1921Turned 21
First commercial radio broadcasts
President: Warren G. Harding"My Man" — Fanny Brice
1930Turned 30
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1940Turned 40
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1950Turned 50
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1960Turned 60
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1970Turned 70
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1980Turned 80
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1985Died at 85
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
Key Achievements
- Managed the last Great Britain ice hockey team to win an Olympic gold medal, at the 1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen Games.
- Served as President or Vice-President of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) for 24 consecutive years, from 1951 to 1975.
- Oversaw the significant expansion of the IIHF World Championships, introducing pools and bringing the tournament to new continents.
- Held leadership roles in the British Ice Hockey Association for nearly 50 years, from 1934 to 1982.
Did You Know?
His nickname 'Bunny' was reportedly given to him by a schoolteacher due to his prominent front teeth.
He was a successful businessman outside of hockey, running an insurance brokerage firm in London.
Ahearne was known for his fierce opposition to the IIHF's strict amateur rules, which he viewed as hypocritical and damaging to the sport's growth.
The IIHF Hall of Fame inducted him in 1997, over a decade after his death.
“The game needs one set of rules, one schedule, and one man to enforce them.”
