IIHF Woman’s 2024 World Championship Coming To Utica

A major feather in Utica's cap. The Adirondack Bank Center and the newly opened Utica University Nexus Center will host the 2024 International Ice Hockey Federation's Women's World Championships.

The official announcement followed the completion of the this year's event, which wrapped up on Sunday with the United State national team defeating Canada in the gold medal game.

“We’re thrilled to have the IIHF Women’s World Championship back in the U.S. and could not be more excited to bring the event to Utica,” said Pat Kelleher, executive director of USA Hockey. “The leadership of the Mohawk Valley Garden group, led by Robert Esche, in partnering with us, and the support from the state of New York, Turning Stone Resort, and the city of Utica has been fantastic. We know fans will enjoy the opportunity to see the best women's hockey players in the world in person next April.”

The 2024 IIHF Women's Championship is tentatively slated for April 4 - 14, bringing the the event back to the Empire State for the first time in almost 30 years.

It was held in Lake Placid in 1994, and has only been hosted in the U.S. on two other occasions - 2012 in Burlington, Vermont and 2017 in Plymouth, Michigan.

The 170,000 square foot Utica University Nexus Center is projected to host upwards of 50 sports tournaments each year, including hockey and lacrosse events. All told, it's expected to draw more than 300,000 spectators and athletes annually, with a projected economic impact of $26 million or more each year.