Former IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch has died in a Barcelona hospital at the age of 89. “It was his visions and persistence that opened the Olympic Games to professional athletes,” says IIHF President René Fasel, who calls Samaranch his mentor.

The 89-year-old was admitted to the Quiron Hospital in Barcelona where he was being treated for heart problems. He died on Wednesday. The Spaniard was widely regarded as the most powerful man in sport when he headed the IOC from 1980 to 2001.

He oversaw the commercialization of the Olympics during the 1980s and 1990s and established the Games as a world force.

It was with greatest sadness and regret that the IIHF and its president René Fasel learned about the passing away of Juan Antonio Samaranch. René Fasel made the following statement:

“Juan Antonio Samaranch was the IOC President who opened the Olympic to include professional athletes making the Games truly best-on-best in many disciplines. One of the most memorable events in the history of the Olympics was the participation of the original Team USA ‘Dream Team’ in the basketball tournament in Barcelona 1992. Six years later our sport opened a new frontier when the NHL for the first time took a break in its schedule to release all players for Nagano 1998, and ice hockey history was written.”

“This was made possible through the visions and efforts of Juan Antonio Samaranch. He was a great friend and fan of ice hockey, visiting the finals of the IIHF World Championships on many occasions. Juan Antonio also became an honorary member of the IIHF. Our sport has lost a great friend and I have lost my mentor who accompanied me throughout my sports career.”

After leaving his post as IOC President, Juan Antonio Samaranch was involved in Madrid’s bids for the 2012 and 2016 Games. His daughter, Maria Teresa Samaranch, is currently the president of the Spanish Ice Sports Federation.