The world women’s ice hockey championship has been moved from April to May, after previous reports of pushing it back in hopes the coronavirus pandemic eases and fans can be allowed.
Worlds, set for Nova Scotia, Canada, will be May 6-16. They were previously scheduled for April 7-17.
“We try to make a little delay because we really hope the situation can be better when it gets warmer,” IIHF President Rene Fasel said Monday, before the postponement was announced. “We saw it last year with the virus as soon as the weather was warmer, maybe the restrictions will be different.”
The 2020 World Championship was among the first major international sporting events canceled due to the pandemic. The U.S. roster was named for that worlds before the event, also set for Nova Scotia, was called off.
The U.S. roster for this year’s worlds has not been named, but it will certainly look different than the team that took gold at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics.
In the last five months, Olympic captain Meghan Duggan and three-time Olympian twins Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and Monique Lamoureux-Morando all announced retirements. Emily Matheson, one of the program’s top defenders, is pregnant and due in June.
The U.S. won the last five world titles starting in 2013, though the most recent in 2019 came with controversy in the final against host Finland.
Finland, after upsetting Canada in the semifinals, forced the U.S. into overtime. The Finns scored and celebrated before the goal was overturned due to non-incidental goaltender interference. The U.S. went on to win in a shootout, just as it did in the PyeongChang Olympic final with Canada.
The U.S. coach since PyeongChang has been Bob Corkum, a 12-season NHL defenseman who succeeded Olympic head coach Robb Stauber.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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