The World Girls' Ice Hockey Weekend is a global opportunity for girls to try out hockey as a new sport. Thousands of participants took part since the start in 2011.

The last event took place on 20-22 October 2023

The coverage and many photos from 2022, 2021, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012 and 2011 can be accessed by clicking on the respective year.
 
Women’s ice hockey is one of the fastest growing sports in the world thanks to events like this one and similar programs that are being run in many countries. If you want girls in your area to join in the fun, this is a great and easy way to do so!

What is the World Girls’ Ice Hockey Weekend?

It is an opportunity for girls of all ages to try ice hockey. We are looking for hosts all around the world to bring girls from their community together on the ice so they can:
 

• be introduced to basic skills in hockey in a positive, fun and safe environment.
• learn about opportunities in ice hockey in their community.
• learn about fair play, sportsmanship, and teamwork.
• meet new friends and have a chance to fall in love with a new sport.

Who can register as a host for the World Girls’ Ice Hockey Weekend and what do they need to do?

National Federations, leagues, clubs, teams, or any group who has a passion for sharing the great sport of ice hockey with the next generation of female hockey players are eligible to register as hosts. This is not a difficult event to hold and you can make it as big or small as you want. The goal is to give girls the chance to play.

While you can add anything else that can help promote women’s hockey in your area, as a host, you will be required to do the following:

 

• advertise within your community about the event to draw as many participants as you have space for.
• organize an ice time and arrange some coaches to run some very basic and fun drills.
• provide pucks and sticks, and possibly arrange to have some skates available if you are in an area that the sport of ice hockey is not common – participants should be asked to bring their own protective helmet such as a hockey or bike helmet, hockey or any type of glove that will offer a bit of protection against the cold ice and either hockey or figure skates.
• provide pictures and some information on the event to the IIHF to be included on the IIHF.com website during the actual event day.
• have a certified person at the event to take care of any first aid needs based on the legal requirements of your nation.

Some suggestions on how to promote the event or add to the basic requirements:

• if you have the option, have members of your women’s national team and/or under-18 female national team be part of the event or male professional players, famous coaches or hockey legends who want to support the event – on the ice, autograph sessions, and just sharing their love of the game.
• if the host is a female team, have each team member bring one friend to the event (if you have 15 players on your team, you will automatically have 15 new girls coming!).
• hold information sessions for parents on the sport and the opportunities
• do off-ice hockey activities for younger girls or participants who cannot skate in addition to the on-ice portion so they get a chance to use a stick and ball while in shoes as they may not be able to do many of the activities on the ice.

What can the IIHF provide to help the host?

Some of our hosts will be experts in running an event like this, while others may be looking at doing this for the first time. The IIHF wants to make it as easy as possible for you and the following items are available to all registered hosts:
 

• again this year a poster that can be printed anywhere that hosts can add their specific event information to in their language is available. Several posters ready to print as PDFs as well as production files to add more information can be downloaded at the toolbox.
• Also available is a booklet of a sample practice plan that will show what drills to use and how to organize the ice time. You can view all the resources available related to the WGIHW on the HockeyCentre's designated toolbox. 
• guidance for general event planning for first time hosts of a Girls’ Hockey Day (i.e. what to include on the participant registration form, ideas for off-ice activities to include in the event, how to organize the participants into groups, etc.). A contact will be provided to all hosts who complete the WGIHW Host Registration form.

What if we want to host a Girls’ Hockey Day but cannot do it that weekend?

By naming one weekend as the official IIHF World Girls’ Ice Hockey Weekend, the IIHF is trying to help provide a target for hosts to make one event be part of a much bigger event and increase the promotion of female hockey around the world. But it does not mean that other events on other days aren’t great ideas as well! While it won’t be part of the “official” event, we are happy to provide you with access to the same resources on how to run a practice and we still want to receive your pictures and event information. If you want to run an event on another day, please complete the registration form and when asked for the date of your event, please indicate the date(s) on the “Other” line.