The Georgian Ice Hockey National Federation is the governing body of ice hockey in Georgia. The federation was founded in 2004 by Denis Davidov and Lasha Tsagareishvili. In 2009 Georgia joined the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) as an associate member. The Georgian Ice Hockey League was started in 2007. Shortly after being accepted into the IIHF both Davidov and Tsagareishvili, along with four others were killed in a car accident, forcing the Georgian Ice Hockey Federation to delay plans to start a national team. Georgia joined the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) on 8 May 2009.