Tales of Triumph: The History of the Hockey Women’s World Championship

In any sport, tournaments are a place to show off your skill and test your game. Doing this at a world-wide level is something all athletes dream of doing. In hockey, men were having this level of tournament since 1930. Men had this opportunity to compete 60 years before women did. The Women’s World Championship gave this chance to female hockey players. 

In March of 1990, the International Ice Hockey Federation hosted the inaugural Women’s World Championship tournament in Ottowa, Canada. Teams from the United States, Canada, Sweden, Switzerland, Japan, Norway, Finland, and West Germany competed in this historic event. Since then, the tournament has been an annual affair, with the exception of some Olympic years, and expanded to accommodate more teams starting in 2019. 

Throughout the history of this tournament, the United States and Canada have dominate the tournament, constantly competing against one another on the ice. As of April 2024, Canada has secured 13 Women’s World Championship titles, while the United States holds 10 titles. Unsurprisingly, these two teams have faced off in the championship game 22 out of the 23 times. 

The 2024 tournament was recently held in Utica, New York, witnessing Canada taking home the title once again. The United States, Sweden, Denmark, Czechia, Finland, Switzerland, Japan, China, and Germany were the fellow competitors. Notably, Hillary Knight, the United States team captain, took home her 14th Womens World Championship medal. This is the most of all time. This accomplishment is huge in the history of women’s hockey in the United States, and a massive accomplishment for Knight herself. 

Although this may seem like just another hockey tournament, this competition means so much more than that for its athletes and fans. For years, women’s hockey was downplayed without the opportunity to compete at such a high level, despite the level of talent being on par with male counterparts. Kendall Coyne for example (check out this blog post if you’d like to read more about her), had the skill to compete at this level, but was not given the platform to do so.

This tournament signifies a pivotal leap forward in the women’s hockey movement, highlighting the tremendous growth of the game. These female athletes serve as trailblazers, showing resilience, strength, and determination, all while defying outdated stereotypes. They prove the ability to ‘play like a girl’ and demonstrate the fact that winning national titles is well within reach if athletes set their mind to it. The Women’s World Championship not only celebrate the athletic achievements of the women on the ice but also celebrates the progress in the world of women’s hockey.