Women’s Para ice hockey looking for host for 2026 World Championships

OTTAWA – Head coach Tara Chisholm and several of her players agree: it seems only natural that Canada should show its trailblazing colours and host this year’s women’s Para ice hockey world championships.

The women’s game made significant strides last year with its first world championship held in Slovakia, featuring five countries: Canada, the United States, Norway, Great Britain and Australia. However, inclusion in the Paralympic Games will require six to eight countries from three different regions, as well as two world championships.

The three-region requirement appears to have already been met (the Americas, Europe and Oceania), and India has said it would ice a team for the next worlds. That leaves one major piece missing: a host for the second world championships. Enter hockey’s Mecca — Canada.

“It would be huge for the sport in this country,” said Canada’s national team head coach Tara Chisholm in an interview with CPC during the team’s practice in Ottawa last week for the inaugural Frontier Series against the U.S. “Canada has shown over and over that it can put on world-class events, and our fans understand hockey.

“That matters.”

For Canadian players, the idea goes beyond home-ice advantage. Forward Raphaëlle Tousignant said hosting the worlds in Canada could be a turning point.

“Hockey is part of our identity here,” she said. “If there’s any place that can fill a rink, create energy, and make this a true world championship, it’s Canada.”

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Alyssa White, a national team member since she was 14, says wearing the maple leaf in front of Canadian fans at the worlds would be special.

“You dream of those moments,” said the 21-year-old Winnipegger. “To have family, friends and young athletes in the stands would make it unforgettable.”

The American players are also dreaming of one day competing at the Paralympic Winter Games.

‘’We have a couple of players who have been involved in the sport for 30 years,’’ Rose Misiewicz, USA’s head coach, told CPC. ‘’It would be huge for them. Once it’s in the Paralympics it will just continue to grow.’’

Women’s Para ice hockey and its push for inclusion was widely covered in media around the world during the recently completed Paralympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina. In Canada, CBC platforms featured stories and discussions, alongside coverage in The Globe and Mail and Radio-Canada.

Internationally, outlets such as the Associated Press and USA Today also reported on the topic. The absence of a women’s-only tournament did not go unnoticed – a reflection of the rapid rise of women’s sports worldwide over the past decade.

‘’It’s really exciting to see the developments on the women’s side of the game,’’ said Misiewicz. ‘’But the there are still barriers. The biggest one being the number of countries involved and how to get those teams involved. There is a significant financial cost and nations need to support their women’s teams as well.’

Misiewicz says Canada and the USA have been working together and separately to build the awareness of the sport worldwide.

‘’The U.S. and Canada have done equipment drives in the past at the World Challenges events which is a huge cost for other countries, we have a training camp in Finland this summer which will really focus on developing players from other nations.’’

Para ice hockey is currently classified as a mixed-team event at the international level. Only one female player took part in this year’s tournament in Milano Cortina: Japan’s Akari Fukunishi.

Last month, Michelle Laflamme, senior manager of World Para Ice Hockey, told USA Today she sees signs of growth but acknowledges it is still early.

“The foundation is there,” she said, “but it is still a very fragile foundation. We need people around the world to show interest, raise their hands and volunteer so we can get to that point.”

Five nations have already confirmed participation for the next world championships, and Laflamme told USA Today WPIH has been in contact with India, which would join if the event is held in 2026.

Programs are also emerging in Kazakhstan and Mexico, while countries such as China and South Korea already have players involved.

In an interview with CBC, International Paralympic Committee president Andrew Parsons said the push is on to bring the women’s side into the Games.

“We are sending a very clear message to the various Paralympic committees and federations: if it’s not in 2030, it will definitely be in 2034,” he said. “We are working very hard on the women’s version of the sport. It’s something we really want to see at the Games in the future.

“We will have to make the decision in a little over a year. So during that period, we will monitor the progress,” he added.

Christina Picton, Canada’s team captain and a two-time Paralympian in Para nordic skiing, including last month’s Games, believes hosting the worlds would help grow participation.

“A lot of girls and women still don’t realize the sport is there for them,” she said. “If the worlds came to Canada, they could see it live, feel the speed and physicality, and maybe picture themselves out there one day.”

“Hockey is such a huge part of who we are in Canada, and support for Para sport keeps growing. It just feels like a natural fit to host the worlds here and show everyone what the game has become.”

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USA sweeps Canada in Frontier Series

The United States defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime, 5-4, and 7-1 in the inaugural Frontier Series between the two nations held Friday to Sunday in Ottawa.

Players of the games for Canada were Christina Picton, Alyssa White and Raphaelle Tousignant.

‘’I can’t remember the last time we scored four goals in a game against the U.S.,” said Tousignant after game two. ‘’It’s such a great feeling and so motivating to see the progress. We were not satisfied with how it ended at the worlds in August and we went back home hungrier than ever.”

The U.S. defeated Canada for the gold at last year’s final in Slovakia.

With all three main Ottawa-based hockey teams (Senators, Charge, and 67s) playing crucial games over the weekend, the women’s Para ice players were pleased with the turnout for their games.

‘’To see it was so packed in here with fans came out cheering for us and chanting and everything, was a great feeling,’’ said White. ‘’I was so proud how our team pushed through adversity. We capitalized on our speed and we never got too worried when we were down which was key for us.’’