The inaugural World Para Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship is set for August 26-31, 2025, at the Winter Stadium in Dolny Kubin, Slovakia.
The tournament will feature six teams, including Great Britain, Australia, Canada, USA, Norway, and team World, comprised of players from several nations.
Great Britain will travel with 13 skaters and 7 staff for the World Championship. The squad see’s players representing ll of the British Para Ice Hockey Clubs, and this year will see 2 players making the Great Britain debut.
“We are thrilled to welcome the first-ever World Para Ice Hockey Women’s Championships to Dolny Kubin. This will be a game-changer for the future of our sport, and we anticipate the reaction from our community to be incredibly supportive,” said Michelle Laflamme, World Para Ice Hockey Senior Manager. “With the ultimate goal of expanding female participation in Para ice hockey worldwide and applying for a women’s medal event to be considered for potential inclusion on a future edition of the Paralympic Winter Games programme, this is a landmark announcement for the sport.”
International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Andrew Parsons praised the remarkable progress achieved by World Para Ice Hockey in the development of the sport among female athletes, coaches, and officials.
“It is very important for the Paralympic Movement to have strong female representation, and the evolution of women’s Para ice hockey is a testimony to the transformative and inclusive power of Para sport,” Parsons said. “Two years ago, World Para Ice Hockey won the IPC International Women’s Day Recognition Awards in the International Federation category for their fantastic work in growing female participation in all areas of the game, on and off the ice. The Women’s World Championships is a major milestone in that process, and I hope to see more and more nations joining women’s Para ice hockey in the near future.”
GB Head Coach, Breanna Wagner said “This group of athletes has shown nothing but grit, determination, and heart. Every one of them has earned their place through hard work, resilience, and a shared passion for pushing boundaries in our sport.”
Since 2022, World Para Ice Hockey has increased women’s participation, rising from 0.01 percent to nearly 20 percent, anchored by the first two editions of the Women’s World Challenge held in Green Bay, USA. The tournament also featured an all-women officiating crew for the first time. The third edition of the Women’s World Challenge took place in Skien, Norway, last year with USA defending the title ahead of Canada.