IIHF Women’s World Championship moves to November starting in 2026
After what seemed like an eternity, we finally have a solidified international schedule for women’s hockey.
On Monday, the International Ice Hockey Federation and the Professional Women’s Hockey League jointly announced that the IIHF Women’s World Championship will be held in November, starting in 2026, moving from its traditional timeslot in April.
The move comes after lengthy conversations between the two entities, as the PWHL has sought a way to avoid an extended international break immediately before its playoffs – something the league has been forced to contend with in its first two years of existence. It became a focal point for the 2025-26 season as the league was facing a near-month-long break for the 2026 Winter Olympics in February.
IIHF president Luc Tardif explained that the move was necessary to solve the “complex situation.”
“The Women’s World Championship is an important event for the growth of the game globally,” Tardif said in a release. “Working together with the PWHL, we’ve developed a calendar that preserves the integrity of international competition while avoiding significant interruptions to the league season.”
There were whispers that the Women’s Worlds might become a summer tournament, a concept that came to fruition in 2022, when the tournament was held six months after the Beijing Olympics.
PWHL Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Jayna Hefford stated that the collaboration between the league and the IIHF is important for women’s hockey as a whole.
“Working together with the IIHF and our partners globally,” Hefford explained. “We’re doing what’s best to grow women’s hockey, building a calendar that allows each major event to reach its full potential.”
Now, the 2026 Women’s World Championship will take place from Nov. 6-16 in Herning, Denmark, which successfully co-hosted the 2025 IIHF Men’s World Championship. The lower divisions will still hold their tournaments this coming April before moving to November in 2027.
With the new start date, the tournament will be held prior to the PWHL regular season, allowing the league to begin in late November.
Quebec City will host the WWC in 2027, with the tournament returning to Canada in 2030 and 2032. Switzerland (2028), Sweden (2029) and Finland (2031) are all set to be hosts for the event in the near future.
On top of the new Women’s Worlds timeframe, a new European Women’s Championship will be introduced this coming April 2027. It will give stars overseas another opportunity to represent their countries in top competition.
“The introduction of the European Women’s Championship is another meaningful advancement for the international growth of the game,” Hefford said. “This unified approach is a win for the players, the fans, and the future of women’s hockey.”
The format and competing nations in the European Championship will be determined at a later date.