CALGARY – Women’s hockey has been given another boost with the addition of a second world women’s championship, after the IIHF announced the creation of the IIHF World Women’s Under-18 Championship.
This inaugural championship will include the best female players under the age of 18 from eight countries. At its meetings in Moscow on Thursday, the IIHF awarded the inaugural IIHF World Women’s Under-18 Championship to Canada. The championship will be held in Canada, in a city to be determined, from January 7th to 13th, 2008.
The IIHF World Women’s Under-18 Championship will include national teams from Canada, the U.S.A., Sweden, Finland, Germany, Switzerland, Russia and the Czech Republic.
Julie Healy, Hockey Canada’s Director of Female Hockey, says the IIHF World Women’s Under-18 Championship is a great opportunity for all participating nations to further grow their female programs.
“It is a tremendous honour for Hockey Canada to be selected to be the first host of the World Women’s U18 Championship,” Healy says. “This event will be a big part of building depth in National Team programs in Europe and Asia. In addition, we will see increases in the numbers of young girls playing hockey in countries all over the world. The IIHF and the Female Committee are to be commended for their vision and commitment to the women’s game.”
No details are yet available regarding ticket sales or where this event will be held. Hockey Canada will work with its provincial branches in determining the site in the coming weeks.