Utica, New York has been announced as the 2024 host city for the IIHF women's World Championships.

BRAMPTON, Ontario - The IIHF today announced Utica, New York as the 2024 host city for the women's World Championships.

The event will be held at the Adirondack Bank Center and Utica University Nexus Center. The Adirondack Bank Center will be the primary arena used for the event. The arena has a capacity of only 3860 making it one of the smallest venues used for a top division IIHF World Championship tournament. The venue is currently home to the American Hockey League's Utica Comets. The Utica University Nexus Center has a capacity of 1200.

It is the fifth time since the IIHF started hosting a women's World Championship in 1990 that the United States has hosted the event. USA last hosted the event in 2017 in Plymouth, Michigan.

Robert Esche, former NHL goaltender and USA Hockey representative spoke on behalf of the local organizing group who put in the bid for Utica to serve as host.

"We're elated just on the ability to have an event of this magnitude to come to our area," Esche said.

"One of the things that really stuck out to us about Utica is that the athlete experience is going to be off the charts," Pat Kelleher, executive director of USA Hockey said.

"Robert and his group really came through with a first class venue and a first class opportunity for us to be there."

USA has won a medal in all 21 World Championship events including nine gold medals.

The IIHF confirmed at a press conference that the women's World Championship grouping system would remain intact for the 2024 event pitting the top five finishers from 2023 - Canada, USA, Finland, Czechia, Switzerland - against each other, followed by Sweden, Japan, Germany, and the top two teams from Division IA who are promoted this summer in China.