Some of the world’s best female hockey players will be facing off in Nova Scotia in 2020.
A joint bid by Halifax and Truro, N.S. has won the 2020 IIHF Women’s World Championship.
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The announcement was made Tuesday at Halifax’s Scotiabank Centre, which will be one of the venues in the seven-day championship. The other games will be played at the Rath Eastlink Community Centre in Truro.
“It’s the largest female hockey event other than the Olympic games,” said Scott Smith, president of Hockey Canada.
“This event will be the first time that Canada hosts a 10-team tournament. It switches from eight to 10 teams with this coming year in Finland. And so it’ll be a different looking event but something that’s even bigger with two additional teams.”
Halifax last hosted the event in 2004.
“Now we’re ready to put in the work to make sure that we’re on the team.”
Fellow Nova Scotia Olympian Jill Saulnier called the event a “game changer” for young players.
“Sometimes as a young female athlete, you need to see the women who have gone through the goals and the dreams that you want to go through and for us at that age, it was just that, seeing that level of hockey and that legacy that those women have started,” Saulnier said.
“It’s definitely huge for women’s hockey in Halifax.”
In addition to funding from Halifax and the Town of Truro, the provincial government is committing $250,000 to the event.
A staff report to Halifax council estimated 82,000 people will be attending the games. The report also estimated the event will have a budget of $3.5 million, with the largest expenses in meals, followed by accommodations.
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