IIHF World Women's Championship explained

Last Season:2024 Women's Ice Hockey World Championships
Sport:Ice hockey
Founded:,
1990 IIHF Women's World Championship
Most Champs: (13 titles)
Website:IIHF.com

The IIHF World Women's Championship, officially the IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship, is the premier international tournament in women's ice hockey. It is governed by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF).

The official world competition was first held in 1990, with four more championships held in the 90s.[1] From 1989 to 1996, and in years that there was no world tournament held, there were European Championships and in 1995 and 1996 a Pacific Rim Championship. From the first Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Tournament in 1998 onward, the Olympic tournament was played instead of the IIHF Championships. Afterwards, the IIHF decided to hold Women's Championships in Olympic years, starting in 2014, but not at the top level.[2] In September 2021, it was announced that the top division will also play during Olympic years and in August-September.[3]

Canada and the United States have dominated the Championship since its inception. Canada won gold at the first eight consecutive tournaments and the United States has won gold at ten of the last fifteen tournaments. Both national teams placed either first or second every tournament until Canada's streak was broken at the 2019 Championship. Finland is the third most successful World Championship team, having won fourteen bronze medals and one silver medal – achieved after breaking the Canadian gold-silver streak. Four other teams have medalled at a Women's World Championship: Russia, winning three bronze medals; Czech Republic and Sweden, each winning two; and Switzerland, winning one.

Structure and qualification

The women's tournament began as an eight-team tournament featuring Canada, the US, the top five from the 1989 European Championships, and one Asian qualifier. The same formula was used for 1992, 1994, and 1997, but changed following the first Olympic women's ice hockey tournament at the 1998 Nagano Olympics. The top five teams from the Olympic tournament qualified for the 1999 World Championship, followed by the best three from final Olympic qualification rounds. Beginning in 1999, the championship became an annual tournament and the first divisional tournaments below the Top Division were played. Along with the creation of the lower divisions, a system of promotion and relegation was introduced, allowing for movement between all divisions.

After the 2017 tournament, it was announced that tournament would expand to 10 teams for 2019, having been played with 8 teams since the first tournament in 1990, except in 2004, 2007, 2008, and 2009, where 9 teams played. The 2004 edition featured 9 teams when Japan was promoted from Division II but no team was relegated from the Top Division in 2003, due to the cancellation of the top division tournament in China because of the outbreak of the SARS disease.[4] Two teams were relegated from the Top Division in 2004, going back to 8 teams for 2005, but due to the success of the 9-team pool in 2004, IIHF decided to expand again to 9 teams for 2007.[5] IIHF reverted to 8 teams after the 2009 tournament, and play continued in this format until the expansion of 2019.[6]

Championship format

Initially, the tournament was an eight-team tournament divided into two groups, which played round-robin. The top two from each group played off for the gold, and beginning in 1999 the bottom two played off to determine placement and relegation. In 2004, 2007, 2008, and 2009 the tournament was played with nine nations, using three groups of three playing round-robin. In this format first place from each group continued on to play for gold, second place from each group played for placement and an opportunity to still play for bronze, and the third place teams played off to determine relegation. Beginning in 2011, the tournament changed the format to encourage more equal games. The top four seed nations played in Group A, where the top two teams got a bye to the semifinals, the bottom two go to the quarter-finals to face the top two finishers from Group B. The bottom two from Group B then play each other in a best of three to determine relegation. Beginning in 2019 the tournament was expanded to ten teams, bringing with it a new format. The ten teams are divided into two groups of five and play round-robin. In this format, the five teams in Group A and the top three teams from Group B move into the Quarterfinals, seeded A1vsB3, A2vsB2, A3vsB1, and A4vsA5. The bottom two from Group B now play only one 9th place game and both get relegated. As of 2021, the four teams that lose their quarterfinal games enter into a knockout tournament to determine 5th place with the winner earning a spot in Group A for the next tournament,[7] though the 2024 tournament will not include these games.[8]

Lower divisions

Outside of the Top Division tournament, participating nations play in groups of no more than six teams., there are six group tiers across three divisions below the Top Division.[9]

Introduced in 1999 as a Division I tournament and Division I qualification tournament, the number of lower divisions rapidly expanded as more national teams gained admittance. By 2003 the lower tiers were formalized into tiered groups of six teams each, called Division I, Division II, and Division III, with promotion for the top team in each and relegation for the bottom team. By 2009 it had grown up to Division V, but in 2012 the titles were changed to match the men's tournaments; Division I became IA, Division II became IB, Division III became IIA, Division IV became IIB, and Division V became IIB Qualification. Promotion and relegation remained the same after the title changes.

Rules and eligibility

See also: Ice hockey rules. The rules of play are essentially the same as used for the men's tournaments, with one key difference: body checking is not permitted in the women's tournaments. Body checking was allowed at the first championship in 1990 but has been assessed as a minor penalty at all subsequent tournaments.

In order to be eligible to compete in IIHF events, players must be under the jurisdiction of the governing body they are representing and must be a citizen of that country. Additionally, the player must be eighteen years old, or sixteen with a medical waiver, in the season the tournament takes place.[10]

Tournaments

Yearwidth=1% rowspan=2 bgcolor=ffffffHost city/citieswidth=1% rowspan=2 bgcolor=ffffffFinalwidth=1% rowspan=2 bgcolor=ffffffThird place match
width=15%Championswidth=5%Scorewidth=15%Runners-upwidth=15%Third placewidth=5%Scorewidth=15%Fourth place
1990width=1% rowspan=39 bgcolor=ffffff Ottawawidth=1% rowspan=4 bgcolor=ffffff5–2width=1% rowspan=4 bgcolor=ffffff6–3
1992 Tampere8–05–4
1994 Lake Placid6–38–1
1997 Kitchener4–3
(OT)
3–0
1998Competition not held during 1998 Olympics
1999 Espoo/Vantaawidth=1% rowspan=3 bgcolor=ffffff3–1width=1% rowspan=3 bgcolor=ffffff8–2
2000 Mississauga3–2
(OT)
7–1
2001 Minneapolis3–22–1
2002Competition not held during 2002 Olympics
2003Competition at top level was cancelled due to SARS outbreak in China
2004 Halifax/Dartmouthwidth=1% rowspan=2 bgcolor=ffffff2–0width=1% rowspan=2 bgcolor=ffffff3–2
2005 Linköping/Norrköping1–0
(SO)
5–2
2006Competition not held during 2006 Olympics
2007 Winnipeg/Selkirkwidth=1% rowspan=3 bgcolor=ffffff5–1width=1% rowspan=3 bgcolor=ffffff1–0
2008 Harbin4–34–1
2009 Hämeenlinna4–14–1
2010Competition not held during 2010 Olympics
2011 Zürich/Winterthurwidth=1% rowspan=3 bgcolor=ffffff3–2
(OT)
width=1% rowspan=3 bgcolor=ffffff3–2
(OT)
2012 Burlington5–4
(OT)
6–2
2013 Ottawa3–22–0
2014Competition not held at top level during 2014 Olympics
2015 Malmöwidth=1% rowspan=3 bgcolor=ffffff7–5width=1% rowspan=3 bgcolor=ffffff4–1
2016 Kamloops1–0
(OT)
1–0
(SO)
2017 Plymouth3–2
(OT)
8–0
2018Competition not held at top level during 2018 Olympics
2019 Espoowidth=1% bgcolor=ffffff2–1
(SO)
width=1% bgcolor=ffffff7–0
2020Competition at top level, Division I, and Division II Group A was cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021 Calgarywidth=1% rowspan=10 bgcolor=ffffff3–2
(OT)
width=1% rowspan=10 bgcolor=ffffff3–1
2022 Herning/Frederikshavn2–1
4–2
2023 Brampton6–3
3–2
2024 Utica, New York6–5
(OT)
3–2
(SO)
2025 České Budějovice
2026 TBD [11]
2027
2028
2029
2030 TBD

Participation

Country Tournaments First Last Gold Silver Bronze Total data-sort-type=numberBest finish (first/last)
23 13 9 1 23 1st (1990/2024)
23 10 13 0 23 1st (2005/2023)
23 0 1 14 15 2nd (2019)
17 0 0 3 3 3rd (2001/2016)
8 0 0 2 2 3rd (2022/2023)
22 0 0 2 2 3rd (2005/2007)
20 0 0 1 1 3rd (2012)
12 0 0 0 0 4th (1994/1997)
18 0 0 0 0 4th (2017)
12 0 0 0 0 5th (2022)
4 0 0 0 0 6th (1990/1994)
5 0 0 0 0 6th (2009)
4 0 0 0 0 7th (1992)
2 0 0 0 0 7th (2011)
3 0 0 0 0 8th (2022)
2 0 0 0 0 10th (2019/2023)

Awards

See main article: List of IIHF Women's World Championship Directorate award winners.

At most IIHF events, the tournament directorate awards the Best Forward, Best Defenceman, Best Goalkeeper and Most Valuable Player (MVP). At the Women's World Championship, these honours have been awarded in some combination since the first tournament, with the exception of 1997 and the cancelled tournaments in 2003 and 2020.

All-time record

as of end of 2024 IIHF Women's World Championship

Team
123101300125994213610794178+616282
22313910125966301415727165+562269
32301146131625323254445339+106184
4220026111473545344335350–15150
5200014105274414263205456–25195
6 (1990) / (1992–) 18000190291221649162364–20293
7 (1997–2019) / (2021) 17003389291222350179387–20889
88002148222103119117122–576
91200006211220324293268–17545
1012000255160242031128249–12144
11300001430001192555–3011
1240000204001001542123–819
13200001020101061227–159
144000017111000142064–447
1550000230021101919126–1076
1620000901000081242–302

Lower division tournaments

YearGroup BQualification for Group B
Host city/citiesWinnerHost city/citiesWinner
1999Colmar, FranceSzékesfehérvár, Hungary;
Pyongyang, North Korea;
Almaty, Kazakhstan

2000Riga and Liepāja, Latvia
Division IDivision IIDivision IIIDivision IVDivision V
Host cityWinnerHost city/citiesWinnerHost cityWinnerHost cityWinnerHost cityWinner
2001Briançon, FranceQualification: Bucharest, Romania;
Maribor, Slovenia

2003Ventspils, LatviaLecco, ItalyMaribor, Slovenia
2004Ventspils, LatviaSterzing, ItalyMaribor, Slovenia
2005Romanshorn, SwitzerlandAsiago, ItalyCape Town, South AfricaDunedin, New Zealand
2007Nikkō, JapanPyongyang, North KoreaSheffield, United KingdomMiercurea Ciuc, Romania
2008Ventspils, LatviaVierumäki, FinlandMiskolc, HungaryMiercurea Ciuc, Romania
2009Graz, AustriaTorre Pellice, Italy
2011Ravensburg, GermanyCaen, FranceNewcastle, AustraliaReykjavík, IcelandSofia, Bulgaria
Division I ADivision I BDivision II ADivision II BDivision II B Qualification
Host cityWinnerHost cityWinnerHost cityWinnerHost cityWinnerHost cityWinner
2012Ventspils, LatviaMaribor, SloveniaSeoul, South Korea
2013Stavanger, NorwayStrasbourg, FranceAuckland, New ZealandPuigcerdà, Spainİzmir, Turkey
2014Přerov, Czech RepublicVentspils, LatviaDumfries, United KingdomJaca, SpainMexico City, Mexico
2015Rouen, FranceBeijing, ChinaAsiago, ItalyReykjavík, IcelandKowloon, Hong Kong
2016Aalborg, DenmarkAsiago, ItalyBled, SloveniaJaca, SpainSofia, Bulgaria
2017Graz, AustriaKatowice, PolandGangneung, South KoreaAkureyri, IcelandTaipei, Taiwan
2018Vaujany, FranceAsiago, ItalyMaribor, SloveniaValdemoro, SpainSofia, Bulgaria
2019Budapest, HungaryBeijing, ChinaDumfries, United KingdomBrașov, RomaniaCape Town, South Africa
Division I ADivision I BDivision II ADivision II BDivision III
Host cityWinnerHost cityWinnerHost cityWinnerHost cityWinnerHost cityWinner
2020Angers, FranceKatowice, PolandJaca, SpainAkureyri, IcelandSofia, Bulgaria
2021Angers, FranceBeijing, ChinaJaca, SpainZagreb, CroatiaKaunas, Lithuania
Division I ADivision I BDivision II ADivision II BDivision III ADivision III B
Host cityWinnerHost cityWinnerHost cityWinnerHost cityWinnerHost cityWinnerHost cityWinner
2022Angers, FranceKatowice, PolandJaca, SpainZagreb, CroatiaSofia, Bulgaria
2023Shenzhen, ChinaSuwon, South KoreaMexico City, MexicoCape Town, South AfricaBrașov, Romania
2024Klagenfurt, AustriaRiga, LatviaCanillo, AndorraIstanbul, TurkeyZagreb, CroatiaKohtla-Jarve, Estonia
Notes:

See also

Works cited

External links

See main article: world championships.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: IIHF World Women's Championships . 12 January 2011 . . 15 October 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121015001653/http://www.iihf.com/iihf-home/history/all-medallists/women.html . live .
  2. Web site: New era of women's hockey . 17 December 2010 . . Merk . Martin . 12 January 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130921063928/http://www.iihf.com/home-of-hockey/news/news-singleview/browse/7/select_category/21/recap/5130.html . 21 September 2013 .
  3. Web site: Women's Worlds in Olympic years. 22 September 2021. IIHF.com. 22 September 2021. 5 February 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230205011106/https://www.iihf.com/en/news/28513/women_s_worlds_in_olympic_years. live.
  4. Web site: Merk . Martin . Women's Worlds grow . . 17 February 2019 . 5 February 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230205011039/https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2019/ww/news/4341/women%E2%80%99s-worlds-grow . live .
  5. Web site: The IIHF Annual Congress made the following decisions in Riga during its session on May 19 . 17 February 2019 . 4 . . June 2006 . 10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140227024707/http://www.iihf.com/fileadmin/user_upload/PDF/The_IIHF/IceTimes_10_4.pdf . 27 February 2014 . 2.
  6. Web site: World Women's back to eight teams . iihf.com . . 17 February 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304185236/http://www.iihf.com/home-of-hockey/news/news-singleview/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=3263&cHash=f29880b6730f3340e970e9c90a588100 . 4 March 2016.
  7. Web site: IIHF - Standings 2021 IIHF – Ice Hockey Women's World Championship. IIHF International Ice Hockey Federation.
  8. Web site: IIHF - Schedule and Results 2024 IIHF – Ice Hockey Women's World Championship. IIHF International Ice Hockey Federation.
  9. Web site: Montroy . Liz . 2022-03-22 . A tournament of firsts . 2022-04-05 . . en.
  10. Web site: IIHF Statutes and Bylaws, sections 406, 616, and 900. https://web.archive.org/web/20150214223908/http://www.iihf.com/fileadmin/user_upload/PDF/The_IIHF/2014-2018_IIHF_Statutes_and_Bylaws_web.pdf. dead. 14 February 2015.
  11. Web site: Potts . Andy . Recap: 2023 IIHF – Semi-Annual Congress . IIHF . 10 October 2023.