The past model of the PWHL taking a month break in their schedule every year for the World Championship was unsustainable. At the same time, running the women's World Championships without the world's top players wasn't ideal for either the IIHF or the PWHL. Instead, the two came up with a solution, redrawing the annual international calendar, all while planning for a bigger collaborative future.
Headlining the changes are the IIHF Women's World Championships which will now be played in November, prior to the start of the PWHL season. The IIHF will also host a new European Women's Championship set to begin in April 2027, adding another important development event for women's hockey in Europe.
For both the IIHF and PWHL, the changes involved significant shifts, but also a significant opportunity.
“This was a complex situation to solve and we have reached a landmark moment for women’s hockey,” said IIHF President Luc Tardif. “The Women’s World Championship is an important event for the growth of the game globally. 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. This solution ensures that the PWHL players have the opportunity to represent their countries at the World Championship.”
Built into the PWHL founding collective agreement and league values was the intent to remain part of all major international tournaments including the World Championships and Olympic Games. The opportunity to add a significant championship for European nations also removes the concern of shifting the World Championships to November that involved nations cutting funding during the season for national teams.
“This collaboration marks an important step forward for our sport,” said Jayna Hefford, PWHL Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations. “Working together with the IIHF and our partners globally, we’re doing what’s best to grow women’s hockey, building a calendar that allows each major event to reach its full potential. The introduction of the European Women’s Championship is another meaningful advancement for the international growth of the game. This unified approach is a win for the players, the fans, and the future of women’s hockey.”
The 2026 IIHF women's World Championships will take place in Denmark from November 6-16 before the 2027 tournament comes to Quebec City, Canada. The 2028 tournament is headed to Switzerland, with Sweden in 2029, Canada in 2030, Finland in 2031, and Canada again in 2032.