Canada to host five IIHF women’s hockey tournaments from 2026-30
Canada is about to get its women’s hockey fix and then some.
On Friday, Hockey Canada and the International Ice Hockey Federation announced five IIHF world championship tournaments will be held in Canada from 2026 through 2030.
It will mark the first time in women’s hockey history that one nation will host that many championships in as many years.
Canada will host the 2027 and 2030 IIHF Women’s World Championship, along with seeing the rising stars of the game on Canadian ice in the 2026, 2028 and 2030 IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship.
President and CEO of Hockey Canada, Katherine Henderson, says the opportunity to host so many events is an honor.
“We are grateful for the Federation’s support in this historic convention,” Henderson said in a release. “Investing in the growth and development of women’s hockey is a top priority for Hockey Canada, and we look forward to our athletes, coaches and staff participating in an unprecedented number of world championships on Canadian soil in the years to come.”
According to Hockey Canada, the bidding process for the 2026 Women’s Under-18s is open, with the venue of the tournament expected to be announced in the spring. The locations of the remainder of the events are expected to be announced in the coming years.
The announcement comes the day before the opening of the 2025 IIHF Women’s Under-18 World Championship in Vaanta, Finland.
On the senior level, Canada has hosted the Women’s Worlds nine times, including 2023 in Brampton, when the U.S. derailed the host nation in the gold medal game. As the home team in the event, Canada has won gold six times.
Despite the Under-18 tournament being around since 2008, Canada has only hosted the event twice before, as it has tended to move around Europe more so than the senior tournament. The inaugural tournament was held in Calgary, with St. Catherines, Ontario being the home in 2016. Both times the event was held in Canada, the United States won.