IIHF, PWHL Move Women's Worlds to November

The IIHF and the PWHL announced Monday that Women's World Championships will now be played in November on an annual basis, beginning in 2026. A new European Women's Championship tournament is also set to debut in April 2027.

The change has been made in alliance with the global women's hockey community to align "around a shared vision to grow the women's game and strengthen opportunities for players at every level," per the media release.

IIHF President Luc Tardif called it a 'complex situation to solve' and noted that this is 'a landmark moment for women's hockey.'

"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," Tardif said in the release.

The 2026 tournament will be played November 6-16 in Denmark. Herning is one of the host cities, while the second is still to be determined.

Future projected host nations for Women's Worlds include:

• 2027 - Canada (Québec City)
• 2028 - Switzerland
• 2029 - Sweden
• 2030 - Canada
• 2031 - Finland
• 2032 - Canada

Jayna Hefford, executive vice president of hockey operations for the PWHL, called the introduction of the European Women's Championship 'another meaningful advancement for the international growth of the game.'

The tournament format, number of competing nations and host venue opportunities, are still in discussion.

To sum it up:

• Beginning in 2026, the top division of Women's World Championships will be held in November. This allows for a full Women's Worlds even in Olympic years and avoids conflict with both the end of the PWHL season and the beginning of the next.
• The lower divisions will still play in April 2026, but beginning in 2027, will move to the November slot.
• A new European Women's Championship begins in April 2027, designed to create more opportunities for elite international competition, elevate visibility for women's hockey across the continent, and support the development of female players.

The IIHF and PWHL have long been working to find a solution that works for everyone since the league began, so it's good to see this come to fruition. Considering these kinds of conversations were not previously had around the CWHL or PHF/NWHL, this also demonstrates how highly held the PWHL is by organizations like the IIHF. The change demonstrates a high level of respect for the PWHL on the part of the IIHF, and shows a willingness from both organizations to work together toward what's best for the pro players.

Those who do seem to get the short end of the stick, perhaps, are the NCAA players who participate on their national teams. College hockey is in full swing in November, so the switch will inevitably affect them. Other leagues like the SDHL are also underway by then, too. It'll be interesting to see how the situation develops over the next few years, and how the continued growth of the PWHL adds to the mix.