The final IIHF women's World Championship tournament of the year, the Division IA event gets underway this week in Austria. Here's a team-by-team look at the tournament which also features several PWHL Draft prospects.
The final IIHF women's World Championship tournament of the year, the Division IA event gets underway this week in Austria. Here's a team-by-team look at the tournament which also features several PWHL Draft prospects.
For the last time, the World Championship DIA tournament will be the finale of the IIHF's calendar year. Next season the IIHF has said they'll synchronize the top division, along with the Division IA and Division IB tournaments into a single international break window.
This year however, it's up to the six teams in the IIHF Division IA women's World Championships to fight for promotion, and to avoid relegation and solidify the groupings and divisions for 2025. This year the tournament will also provide a final scouting opportunity for PWHL teams preparing their 2024 draft boards.
The 2024 tournament begins April 21 and runs through April 27 in Klagenfurt, Austria.
Here's a team by team look at the six nations - Hungary, France, Austria, Netherlands, Norway, and South Korea - participating in the tournament. The tournament should feature parity top to bottom with almost every team having a legitimate chance to advance.
Hungary
After being relegated from the top division in 2023, Hungary will look to immediately bounce back up. The struggle for Hungary is they'll do it without their best player, Fanni Gasparics, who suffered a season ending injury playing for PWHL Ottawa. On their blueline, PWHL New York defender Taylor Baker will be the leader, but the team has always received solid contributions from Franciska Kiss-Simon and Lotti Odnoga. 16-year-old Boglarka Bahiczki-Toth is a player to watch on their blueline. Up front without Gasparics, youngster Emma Kreisz, who recently finished a spectacular rookie NCAA season with the University of Minnesota will be looked upon to step up. With three seasons under her belt in the NCAA with Maine, it's time for Mira Seregely to take a bigger offensive role with her national program as well. Veterans Hayley Williams and Reka Debasi who have chemistry from HK Budapest in the EWHL will also be looked at to score. Youngster Regina Metzler, who is headed to Mercyhurst next season has a big frame and can score. She could be one of the breakout stars of the tournament. In net, Aniko Nemeth will again carry the load.
France
Up front, France will have one of the more potent offenses in this tournament. Chloe Aurard will join the roster from PWHL New York, and could provide the team with a significant boost, and herself find some confidence after struggling at times on a week New York roster in the world's top league. Clara Rozier had another spectacular season in Naisten Liiga, finishing fifth in scoring, and she'll join the SWHL's leading scorer Estelle Duvin as another French scorer in Switzerland next year. Beyond this trio, Lore Braudit is a 6-foot-3 forward who is not only the tallest player in the tournament, but can also play an effective two-way game. France will also look for a step forward from Julia Mesplède, who played at the University of Vermont this season. One intriguing pathway France took this season is sending several players to Quebec to play in their junior league, including four members of their national team. Among those players, Manon le Scodan and Jade Barbirati finished 1-2 in scoring in the league for the powerhouse John Abbott College. Where they're strong up front, France is fielding an inexperienced back end, particularly without Athena Locatelli, the team's best defender for years now. The crease is also a question mark.
Austria
If there's a team to watch who could surprise people and earn promotion, or perhaps surprise no one, it's Austria. With Theresa Schafzahl and Anna Meixner up front, Austria fields one of the best 1-2 punches in the tournament. Last year Austria narrowly missed promotion, and they did it without Schafzahl, and with a Chinese team in the field padded with dual passport players. The other strength for Austria is in net as Selma Luggin, the 5-foot-10, 21-year-old netminder is the reigning Division IA Best Goaltender and continues to develop toward a goaltender to watch internationally. Austria's blueline will be an area of strength for the nation. It features former PHF defender Antonia Matzka, veteran Annika Fazokas who has played in the NCAA, SDHL, and Switzerland, and a trio of young blueliners in Karolina Hengelmüller (Penn State), Emma Mörtl (Long Island), and Lisa Schröfl (Long Island) who all played in the NCAA this season. It's blueline depth many nations don't have. Beyond this group, the bulk of Austria's lineup comes from the EWHL where Austria's teams, SKN Sabres St. Pölten and EC Graz Huskies compete. Secondary scoring will be the main concern but Austria should find some in Yale's Anja Trummer, 19-year-olds Emma Hofbauer and Tamina Schall and national team veteran Tamara Grascher.
Norway
Few teams will deploy a top trio of offensive players like Norway's Andrea Dahlen, Mathea Fischer, and Millie Sirum Rose. Dahlen and Fischer are two of the top scorers in Europe's best league, the SDHL, and Sirum Rose had a standout NCAA season with Holy Cross. They'll be joined by Emilie Kruse Johansen, and four other players who all spent time in the SDHL this season against top competition. Une Bjelland Strandborg also had an incredible season playing NCAA DIII hockey for Adrian College finishing second in the nation scoring 60 points in 31 games earning herself First Team All-American honors. In net, Norway touts the most accomplished goaltender in the tournament with Ena Nystrom who could not play at last year's tournament returning to the crease. Nystrom was back-to-back best goaltender at the tournament in 2018 and 2019 and has since put together a spectacular NCAA career which culminated this year at Mercyhurst. On the blueline, back-to-back U Sports All-Canadian Emma Bergesen, who is a prospect for this year's PWHL Draft alongside Fischer and Nystrom, will be the cornerstone alongside NCAA defender Thea Jørgensen who recently completed her senior season at Lindenwood.
Netherlands
The surprise team of last year's tournament that many pegged for relegation, were within inches of promotion by the time the event was done. Kayleigh Hamers is the nations best player and she'll return to the Netherlands' blueline yet again after a strong season with SDE in the SDHL, and eyes on the PWHL Draft. Julie Zwarthoed and Maree Dijkema who were Hamers' SDE teammates will run flank up front for Netherlands with Zwarthoed considered their top threat. Veteran Savine Wielenga is back again for what could be her final World Championship tournament as well. Bieke Van Nes and Zoe Barbier were both better than a point per game players in the EWHL this year and will provide scoring support up front as well. Eline Gabriele played well in Naisten Liiga with HPK this season and will be counted upon in net. The Netherlands' initial roster only featured 11 forwards, which could change in the days leading up to the tournament. One notable omission was 16-year-old Emily Olsthoorn who played at last year's World Championships. She had a breakout campaign scoring 54 points in 48 games for the Anaheim Lady Ducks U16 'AAA' team, and lit up the U-18 Worlds scoring 11 points in five games.
South Korea
The least internationally experienced team in the tournament, South Korea earned promotion from the Division IB tournament, but is the most likely team to be immediately relegated back. To make matters worse, rising star Hee Won Kim has reportedly retired from the game at only 22-years-old. The team is also without Eun Bee Huh, their starting goalie for all five games at last year's tournament. Taeyeon Kim had a spectacular season at Shattuck St. Mary's this year, and will be a bright spot for the team. For the IIHF, providing more opportunity for international competition for Asian nations is a focus, which is why the IIHF will launch an Asian Cup next year. The goal is to help more women see a future with their national teams so that nations like South Korea don't continue to lose top young players.