What international hockey championship, for women, was scheduled for April 2026 (site TBD)?

The International Ice Hockey (Deals) Federation (IIHF) Women's World Championship is the premier annual event for women's ice hockey, bringing together national teams from around the globe to compete for world titles across various divisions. While the top division of this championship typically garners the most attention, the overall IIHF Women's World Championship program encompasses multiple tiers of competition.

For April 2026, several of these lower-tier tournaments under the umbrella of the IIHF Women's World Championship were indeed scheduled. For instance, the Division I Group A tournament was slated for Budapest, Hungary, from April 12-18, 2026, featuring teams vying for promotion to the top division. Concurrently, the Division I Group B competition was set to take place in Puigcerdà, Spain, during the same week in April. These events are crucial for the development of women's hockey worldwide, offering nations at different levels the opportunity for elite international competition and a pathway to advance.

It's noteworthy that the top division of the IIHF Women's World Championship underwent a significant schedule change, moving from its traditional April slot to November starting in 2026. This shift, with the 2026 Top Division tournament now scheduled for November 6-16 in Herning and Esbjerg, Denmark, was a collaborative decision between the IIHF and the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) to better align the international and professional hockey calendars. This adjustment aims to minimize conflicts and enhance opportunities for players to participate in both league play and national team events. Despite this change for the top tier, the various divisional championships held in April underscore the continuous and widespread international competition within women's hockey.