Women’s World Championship to Utica in 2024; IIHF to launch new player of the year award

The IIHF has announced that Utica, New York will play host to the 2024 women’s World Hockey Championship.

The tournament will feature 31 games between the Adirondack Bank Center and the Utica University Nexus Center from April 4-14.

“We are confident that Utica will be an excellent host,” IIHF president Luc Tardif said. “It is always a positive to have someone like Robert [Esche] involved, who played on U.S. National Teams and also played in the NHL, as he brings a unique perspective that will contribute to what we know will be a great Women’s Worlds.”

USA Hockey last hosted the tournament in Plymouth in 2017, with the Americans beating Canada in overtime for gold.

The Adirondack Bank Center currently hosts the Utica Comets AHL team, the top affiliate of the New Jersey Devils. Assuming the Comets qualify, the tournament should finish in time for the AHL playoffs. The Nexus Center, which opened last year, hosts Utica University’s women’s team, with both buildings being connected by a single walkway.

The IIHF also announced that the organization will launch its first-ever “Player of the Year” awards on both the men’s and women’s side. The first winners will be named in June, with the criteria being that the player must have competed in at least one IIHF event during the 2022-23 hockey season. The awards will be voted on by a mix of media and IIHF members.