Thousands of girls and women in more than 30 countries are participating in ice hockey events this weekend with many of them trying out the sport for the first time ever. 

The IIHF’s annual World Girls’ Ice Hockey Weekend (WGIHW) is taking place for the 13th time. It comes at a time when women’s hockey is rising at every level.

This season, fans are looking forward to the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship (Vantaa, Finland) and the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship (Ceske Budejovice, Czechia). There is also the excitement of new campaigns in pro leagues in North America and Europe, from the PWHL to the SDHL.

Grassroots development is the key to it all. WGIHW encourages women and girls to come together, learn the basics of hockey, and make new friends while playing this wonderful sport.

Here is just a small sampling of what’s happening globally for WGIHW.

Finland

What’s going on in the land of the reigning Olympic and Women’s Worlds bronze medalists? The Finns have lined up 45 events in and around World Girls’ Ice Hockey Weekend, with an additional 12 events taking place for girls and women at different times.

One event took place at the rink in Hyvinkää, hosted by Hyvinkää Jää-Ahmat. The club has just started a girls' hockey program and was happy to have a couple of newcomers sign up. In all, there were 25 participants aged three to 15, assisted by six parents and seven coaches and team officials.

HIFK Helsinki staged another event at the Pirkkola rink. Forward Aino Lehikoinen, already participating in her second Auroraliiga season at the tender age of 15, spoke in the dressing room to the group, which included 21 players of varying ages and seven coaches. Skating practice, games of tag, and gift bags made it a fun occasion.

Canada

How seriously is the motherland of hockey taking World Girls’ Ice Hockey Weekend? Very seriously!

“We have 67 confirmed events with over 12,000 participants expected,” said Katie Greenway, the Manager of Women & Girls Hockey at Hockey Canada. Those events will be spread over October and November.

Hong Kong

Promotion is a big part of a successful WGIHW event. Check out this poster created by the Hong Kong Ice Hockey Association to spur participation locally.

More than 100 participants came out under the guidance of the Women's Ice Hockey Association. Here is a sampling of the enthusiastic responses:

“Best day ever! I am so happy to have an opportunity to skate with Team Hong Kong, China Players!”

“My daughter had so much fun!  Where can we sign up?”

“Mommy, I still like figure skating, but I now really want to learn ice hockey.”

Türkiye

The Ice Hockey Federation of Türkiye is staging WGIHW events in cities such as Istanbul, Ankara, Antalya, Bursum, and Erzurum. From on-ice and off-ice training to seminars on ethics and nutrition, there is plenty of valuable information and fun in store.

"On the ice, the players worked on basic skills and had fun," said Eray Atali, the sport director of the Ice Hockey Federation of Türkiye. "Afterwards, they did their cool down routines and had classroom sessionson nutrition and integrity."

Netherlands

We checked in with Jenny Goessens,  IJshockey Nederland’s leader of girls’ events and manager of U18 women’s hockey, for some WGIHW updates.

Amsterdam: “This event is part of our Ron Berteling Trophy Day where we promote things we want extra attention for, such as women’s hockey. First we started with a clinic for girls where they could try out hockey. Then there was sledge field hockey, meeting [Dutch women’s hockey pioneer] Marion Pepels at the Hockey Hall of Fame Netherlands, and a U18 women’s game.”

Breda: “Eleven girls aged between four and 15 took part in our first event ever in Breda. It was organized by Yeti’s Breda, and we used part of the ice for the Bauer Girls Tour to also promote women's ice hockey, attracting 39 participants in total. It has a big impact. We now put a lot of effort into girls sharing their experience on social media, and with TikTok videos we reach quite a lot of girls.”

Zoetermeer: “The group organized by the Zoetermeer Panthers was perfectly divided, with 15 girls who already had hockey experience and 15 girls who were learning the sport for the first time. This created a nice dynamic where the experienced players could show their skills, while the newcomers got to discover what hockey has to offer.”

France

A well-received WGIHW event was held recently at the Caen international trade fair in Normandy. Around 70 girls got to experience hockey on ice for two and a half hours, with senior women’s players on hand.

“We think we will have around 15 young girls who will come and start playing hockey,” said the French Ice Hockey Federation’s Isabelle Mer.

Chinese Taipei

The Aurora Ice Rink in Taipei welcomed nine girls between the ages of four and 10 for World Girls’ Ice Hockey Weekend.

“Our coaches greeted the girls upon arrival and helped them pick up protective equipment, skates and sticks,” said Andrew Yin, who handles international affairs for the Chinese Taipei Ice Hockey Federation. “Then it was time for some fun on the ice. The girls first learned how to protect themselves when falling down, as well as how to stand back up.  When they were able to move around on the ice, we played mini-fun games, followed by games with sticks and pucks.”

Norway

Halden lies an hour and a half south of the capital city of Oslo, right on the Swedish border. IHK Comet Halden hosted about 20 girls 13 and under, who got a fun introduction to hockey.

Skating and shooting practice, obstacle courses, and games with a football offered plenty of variety. After the on-ice portion, everyone enjoyed a group picture and some chocolate cake. The girls also attended an IHK Comet Halden game and got to be the mascots – reaping cheers from the 1,200 spectators – as the team won its first game of the season.

Another event in Haugesund, on the west coast, attracted close to 50 women and girls.

"We divided the participants into several groups," said Ishockeyklubb's Tore Lund. "Those who were more skilled could play hockey with pucks and sticks, while the younger ones had a free space to express themselves, with great support from our talented female instructors. At the end, we dimmed the lights and had disco lights and music."

Frisk Asker, also located near Oslo, also emphasized the social element, with cake and soft drinks after the on-ice session, which was heavy on girls aged 9 or 10. In Ringerike, remarkably, the youngest participant was just eight months old, while the oldest was 39.

Japan

Imagine getting to learn about hockey from a women’s hockey star who suited up at the last three Olympics. That was a special opportunity for the 42 girls and women – ages nine to 22 – who experienced WGIHW in Nishinomiya, Japan

“I learned from Sena Suzuki the importance of never giving up, playing for fun, and communicating with my teammates through the team-building activity,” one girl said.

According to Toshi Takahashi, who cares for international relations with the Japanese Ice Hockey Federation, other highlights included an off-ice workshop called “Discovering My Identity” and on-ice activities including station drills and 3-on-3 games.

Bulgaria

At Sofia’s Slavia Ice Rink, the Bulgarian national women’s team and U18 team celebrated WGIHW by getting together for a unique training session. The age range was 15 to 40. The senior team is gearing up to compete in the U16 men’s national league for the first time ever, and this was their last practice before kicking off the season.

Vanesa Georgieva, who does double duty as a national team forward and WGIHW organizer noted: “An interesting point was that on the ice we had three generations of players from the Georgieva family! This also included Paulina, a longtime goalie for our national team, her daughter Maya, who captains the U18 team, and her younger daughter Viktoriya, who plays for Slavia’s U14 team.”

Kazakhstan

All over Kazakhstan, girls between the ages of four and ni9ne were invited to discover hockey with five exciting WGIHW events taking place in three cities.

Almaty led the way with three events, while Ust-Kamenogorsk and Karaganda also hosted. Participating clubs included the likes of Aisulu Almaty and Tlrpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk.

The Philippines

A World Girls' Ice Hockey Weekend event took place at the SM Megamall Ice Skating Rink in Mandaluyong City. With families coming together and first-time skaters overcoming their fears and discovering new talents, it was a new hockey milestone in the Philippines.

"The event was hosted by the local Blades Ice Hockey Club) and saw a great turnout with 21 participants," said general manager Imelda Regencia of Hockey Philippines. "The age range of the participants was quite broad, ranging from four to 28. This made the event both exciting and inclusive, with beginners of all ages getting the chance to experience ice hockey for the first time."

Skating drills, shooting practice, and a 5-on-5 mini-game were among the highlights.

South Africa

Did you know that hockey is played in four different regions of South Africa? They include Eastern Province, Gauteng, Kawazulu-Natal and Western Province. Currently sitting 35th in the IIHF World Ranking, the South Africans staged a memorable WGIHW event this year.

"The kids had the most amazing time learning the basics of ice hockey and making new friends on the ice," said Salama Khan of the South African Ice Hockey Federation. "It was a fun day for all the girls. We had new girls joining the sport. Our  ages were 5 to 21, and we had five coaches and managers that participated in this event."

Belgium

With 54 participants ranging from the U8 category to adult women, Belgium's World Girls' Ice Hockey Weekend Event, organized by Mechelen's Cold Play Sharks, was a great success.

Participants spent nearly two hours on the ice. They honed their skills with station practice including U18 and senior national team members, including former national team goalie and current talent coach Kristen Schönwetter. There were also 3-on-3 cross-ice games.

"Many young girls here play hockey with boys and for them it is a nice change to be on ice with only girls," said Tina Moons, who organizes the women's program with the Royal Belgian Ice Hockey Federation. "It is also always nice to see cross-club friendships develop between the girls."

Belarus

Cities such as Minsk, Grodno, and Brest hosted hockey events for girls and women. There were more than 10 sites nationwide.

“I liked today’s training and want to continue to practice ice hockey,” said Ulyana Semenchuk, who attended an event at Gomel’s Ice Palace. “I have already talked to the coach about it and my parents support me.”

A report from Baronovichi stated: "The emotions and impressions were positive overall. The girls were happy to try out some ice hockey elements and get the experience of being on the ice with professional players."

United Kingdom

It was magic in the British Midlands as the Nottingham Vipers hosted around 20 participants of all ages for WGIHW. After an hour-long skills training program on the ice, everyone got to watch the Vipers battle Solway Sharks in Women's National Ice Hockey League 1 action.

"Hosting the World Girls Ice Hockey Weekend in Nottingham since 2011 has been incredibly rewarding," said Ryan Rathbone, the National Ice Centre's operations manager for ice sports. "These events have attracted hundreds of girls to the sport, helping them get active, learn valuable life skills, socialize, and make lasting friendships. This wouldn't be possible without the support of both Ice Hockey UK and the National Ice Centre."

Romania

Club Sportiv Hockey Club Marton Aron sponsored a WGIHW event filled with laughter and fun in Karcfalva. There were close to 20 attendees of various ages, and coach Robert Mark enjoyed structuring a program for the newcomers.

"The evening started at 17:00," Mark said. "The girls arrived at 15:40, and after a short briefing they headed to the changing rooms. At 16:20 we did an off-ice warm-up. At 16:40, it was time to get ready for the ice training. On the ice we started with warm-up games, as there were 3 goalies out ther. We did some shooting drills. Finally, we played 3-on-3 and 4-on-4 games."

Argentina

For the first time in 13 years, Argentina held a World Girls' Ice Hockey Weekend event. More than 30 girls between ages eight and 16 flocked to the event at the new Fantasy Skate rink in Buenos Aires.

Argentina is a rising force in inline hockey, and since WGIHW coincided with an AAHHL (Argentine Association of Ice and Inline Hockey) inline hockey tournament, girls from cities like Ushuaia and Cordoba who play that sport were able to come and check out the ice.

Ukraine

"Despite the challenges we are facing, we successfully and safely organized support for the girls," said Aleksandra Slavytska, the Vice President of the Ice Hockey Federation of Ukraine. "This weekend, two Ukrainian cities, Odesa and Kyiv, hosted World Girls' Ice Hockey Weekend events. Next week, Zaporizhya should take part as well."

In Odesa, the Kraken Sisters team staged their event at the Sports Palace with 30 aspiring players aged five to 10. After registration, the girls entered an interactive zone with air hockey, ping pong, and other diversions. Cheerleaders performed during an opening ceremony prior to the on-ice training. Finally, the girls watched the Kraken Sisters playing the rival Sea Wolves.

"From an organizational point of view, this event showed a high level of professionalism among the teams," said Kraken Sisters captain Alina Soldatova. "It reflected their ability to create exciting, interactive events that attract families and motivate children to engage in sports."

Serbia

A colourful and upbeat World Girls' Ice Hockey Weekend event graced the Ice Hockey Arena Pionir in the capital city of Belgrade. Some 30 girls born between 2004 and 2016 hit the ice for a two-hour training session. Off-ice team-building exercises and a group lunch followed. Five new players signed up, and two junior players are candidates for the Serbian women's national team.

"We had eight siblings on the ice, out of whom three had never played hockey before," said Nemanja Jankovic, Hockey Serbia's sport director. "Meanwhile, our youngest participant, who was seven, stated that she does not want to leave and that all she wants to do is to play hockey. No more other activities!"

 

Iran

Just over five years since becoming an IIHF member, Iran is making some progress in ice hockey. There are currently 349 registered female players. Iran staged a World Girls' Ice Hockey Weekend event in the capital city of Tehran.

"Some 120 female athletes from different age groups participated in this event at the Icebox Iran Mall ice rink," said Omid Gharachorlou, Sport Director of the Iran Ice Hockey Association. "I believe that this will be a great way to motivate and encourage girls in Iran."