During the day, Ingvar Thor Jonsson is a mild-mannered mathematics and physics teacher in his mid-40s in Akureyri, Iceland. In his free time, he transforms into a colossus in defense and holds the world record among skaters, having represented Iceland´s men´s national team in 23 World Championship tournaments.
But now the Icelandic saga appears to have reached its final chapter. Following a brief comeback for Skautafelag Akureyrar at the 2026 IIHF Continental Cup First Round Group A in Vilnius, Lithuania, Jonsson is bowing out from IIHF-organized events at the age of 45.
"I still feel I can manage at the Icelandic level, but at the same time, I might hinder some of our juniors’ progress if they get less ice time. Also, in all honesty, I’m not sure my body could handle a full season at full throttle,” said Jonsson, who still has suited up this season in league play for Iceland´s record champions from Akureyri.
Jonsson debuted for Iceland as an 18-year-old at the World Championship D-pool in Krugersdorp, South Africa, in April 1999. Over a quarter of a century later, he captained Iceland at the IIHF 2024 World Championship Division II Group A in Belgrade, Serbia, at the age of 43.
Leadership, longevity and a lasting legacy
Along the way, there have been blowout 30–0 wins, record 0–20 losses, and never a dull moment. Jonsson has forged lifelong friendships while representing his country across five continents in far-flung destinations, including Australia, Mexico, and South Korea. His remarkable longevity even saw him represent Iceland with the sons of his former national team teammates while coaching many more.
Andri Mikaelsson had Jonsson as his coach when he began playing hockey in Akureyri. They later became teammates, playing together in 14 World Championship tournaments and four Continental Cups.
“Ingvar is the kind of player who makes everyone around him better and has a calming presence, so you could say he´s our Icelandic version of Nicklas Lidstrom."
During Jonsson´s marathon-like international playing career, Icelandic hockey has made significant strides, with the tall blueliner right at the heart of it.
"Everything about Icelandic hockey has improved. When I played in my first men´s World Championship, we didn’t even have an indoor rink in Akureyri," said Jonsson.
“But with only three indoor rinks in the country, it’s hard for us to improve Icelandic hockey and be consistent at an international level. Playing with the same teammates and against the same two or three teams over and over again also doesn’t give us the same competitive edge as a 6- to 10-team league would."
Goaltender Konstantin Mihailov represented Bulgaria’s men’s national team in 28 World Championship tournaments between 1985 and 2014, and was awarded the IIHF Richard "Bibi" Torriani Award for his outstanding contributions to IIHF competition in 2019.
Among skaters, Jonsson stands alone at the top with 23 tournaments. Breathing down his neck for years was Estonia’s defenseman Lauri Lahesalu, who played his final and 22nd tournament in 2024 before officially retiring at the beginning of last year. A potential challenger to surpass them both could be 41-year-old Jack Valadas of South Africa, who last year represented the Rhinos in his 21st World Championship in Istanbul, Türkiye.
Currently sitting in 34th place in the IIHF World Ranking, Iceland’s best overall performance came with Jonsson as captain during the 2014 IIHF World Championship Division II Group A in Belgrade, Serbia. Losing just once, Iceland claimed silver behind an outstanding Estonian team. Jonsson capped a memorable week by being selected as the tournament’s top defender.
Iceland´s coach at the time was Tim Brithen: "Ingvar is a natural leader, but his leadership isn´t about being the loudest or most visible, but about always being there for his teammates and continuing to battle when others might lose hope.
"Although Ingvar is calm, relaxed, and humble, during that World Championship in Belgrade, you could also see the fire in his eyes. When things got heated in front of our net, it was easy to see the parallels between him and Clark Kent transforming into Superman,” said Brithen.
A game misconduct penalty in the final game
From that position in front of his netminder, Jonsson’s final game in the Continental Cup for Akureyri last October became memorable for all the wrong reasons. Early in the second period against Narva PSK from Estonia, he was handed a game misconduct penalty for slashing. The fact that there was little reaction from the opposition said everything about the incident. An unfortunate moment that Jonsson would quickly want to forget, though that might not be so easy.
“It was the first time in his entire playing career that he was ejected from a game. It was completely unintentional, but don’t think we’ll let him off the hook that easily,” joked his longtime teammate Mikaelsson.
As the curtain now falls on a long and distinguished international career, what has been Jonsson’s secret to such longevity?
"The short answer is that I’ve genuinely loved playing in these tournaments and feeling like a professional athlete for a couple of weeks.
“I’ve also been lucky to stay healthy, at least around tournament time. My playing style probably helps too, as I rely more on decision-making and positioning than on skill or power,” he said.
But now the Icelandic saga appears to have reached its final chapter. Following a brief comeback for Skautafelag Akureyrar at the 2026 IIHF Continental Cup First Round Group A in Vilnius, Lithuania, Jonsson is bowing out from IIHF-organized events at the age of 45.
"I still feel I can manage at the Icelandic level, but at the same time, I might hinder some of our juniors’ progress if they get less ice time. Also, in all honesty, I’m not sure my body could handle a full season at full throttle,” said Jonsson, who still has suited up this season in league play for Iceland´s record champions from Akureyri.
Jonsson debuted for Iceland as an 18-year-old at the World Championship D-pool in Krugersdorp, South Africa, in April 1999. Over a quarter of a century later, he captained Iceland at the IIHF 2024 World Championship Division II Group A in Belgrade, Serbia, at the age of 43.
Leadership, longevity and a lasting legacy
Along the way, there have been blowout 30–0 wins, record 0–20 losses, and never a dull moment. Jonsson has forged lifelong friendships while representing his country across five continents in far-flung destinations, including Australia, Mexico, and South Korea. His remarkable longevity even saw him represent Iceland with the sons of his former national team teammates while coaching many more.
Andri Mikaelsson had Jonsson as his coach when he began playing hockey in Akureyri. They later became teammates, playing together in 14 World Championship tournaments and four Continental Cups.
“Ingvar is the kind of player who makes everyone around him better and has a calming presence, so you could say he´s our Icelandic version of Nicklas Lidstrom."
During Jonsson´s marathon-like international playing career, Icelandic hockey has made significant strides, with the tall blueliner right at the heart of it.
"Everything about Icelandic hockey has improved. When I played in my first men´s World Championship, we didn’t even have an indoor rink in Akureyri," said Jonsson.
“But with only three indoor rinks in the country, it’s hard for us to improve Icelandic hockey and be consistent at an international level. Playing with the same teammates and against the same two or three teams over and over again also doesn’t give us the same competitive edge as a 6- to 10-team league would."
Goaltender Konstantin Mihailov represented Bulgaria’s men’s national team in 28 World Championship tournaments between 1985 and 2014, and was awarded the IIHF Richard "Bibi" Torriani Award for his outstanding contributions to IIHF competition in 2019.
Among skaters, Jonsson stands alone at the top with 23 tournaments. Breathing down his neck for years was Estonia’s defenseman Lauri Lahesalu, who played his final and 22nd tournament in 2024 before officially retiring at the beginning of last year. A potential challenger to surpass them both could be 41-year-old Jack Valadas of South Africa, who last year represented the Rhinos in his 21st World Championship in Istanbul, Türkiye.
Currently sitting in 34th place in the IIHF World Ranking, Iceland’s best overall performance came with Jonsson as captain during the 2014 IIHF World Championship Division II Group A in Belgrade, Serbia. Losing just once, Iceland claimed silver behind an outstanding Estonian team. Jonsson capped a memorable week by being selected as the tournament’s top defender.
Iceland´s coach at the time was Tim Brithen: "Ingvar is a natural leader, but his leadership isn´t about being the loudest or most visible, but about always being there for his teammates and continuing to battle when others might lose hope.
"Although Ingvar is calm, relaxed, and humble, during that World Championship in Belgrade, you could also see the fire in his eyes. When things got heated in front of our net, it was easy to see the parallels between him and Clark Kent transforming into Superman,” said Brithen.
A game misconduct penalty in the final game
From that position in front of his netminder, Jonsson’s final game in the Continental Cup for Akureyri last October became memorable for all the wrong reasons. Early in the second period against Narva PSK from Estonia, he was handed a game misconduct penalty for slashing. The fact that there was little reaction from the opposition said everything about the incident. An unfortunate moment that Jonsson would quickly want to forget, though that might not be so easy.
“It was the first time in his entire playing career that he was ejected from a game. It was completely unintentional, but don’t think we’ll let him off the hook that easily,” joked his longtime teammate Mikaelsson.
As the curtain now falls on a long and distinguished international career, what has been Jonsson’s secret to such longevity?
"The short answer is that I’ve genuinely loved playing in these tournaments and feeling like a professional athlete for a couple of weeks.
“I’ve also been lucky to stay healthy, at least around tournament time. My playing style probably helps too, as I rely more on decision-making and positioning than on skill or power,” he said.