The International Ice Hockey Federation has overhauled the format and number of players per team for the Women’s World Ice Hockey Championships.
At a convention of the organization on Saturday, it decided that the women’s world hockey championship and the world under-18 championship would allow teams of 25 players, 22 skaters and three goalies, to match what is done on the men’s side.
Women’s teams previously consisted of 20 skaters and three goalies.
Also, the 2025 Women’s World Hockey Championship in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic, will revert to a “snake” seeding in the two groups of the 10-team tournament to create more equality.
This format is the same as the World Junior Hockey Championship as well as the World Women’s Under-18 Championship.
In an attempt to reduce imbalances in the women’s championship, the FIHG began in 2012 to classify the best countries in one group and the lowest ranked in another.
The teams that finish bottom of each group will now play a relegation match to determine which one will return to the top-tier tournament the following year.
Canada will begin its women’s world title defence on April 10 against Finland at the Ceske Budejovice Arena.
In 2024, the Canadians beat the United States 6-5 in overtime in Utica, New York, for the title.
The 2025 Women’s U18 World Championship will be held from January 5-12 in Vantaa, Finland. Canada won bronze in 2024.
The FIHG also announced measures to increase female representation on its board and committees.
It is also finalizing proposals to introduce three-on-three hockey at the 2030 Winter Olympics. The International Olympic Committee will decide on its possible inclusion in March.
The FIHG follows the example of basketball, which made its three-on-three debut at the Tokyo 2021 Summer Olympics.
The inclusion of three-on-three hockey would mean 240 more athletes for eight men’s and eight women’s teams at the Winter Olympics.
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