World Girls’ Ice Hockey Weekend 2025
Photo courtesy of April Walker/Unsplash
This past weekend, the International Ice Hockey Foundation (IIHF) kicked off the annual World Girls’ Ice Hockey Weekend. The event has expanded to encompass more than 30 countries across six continents, marking the beginning of a new season of outreach and engagement aimed at promoting women’s hockey on a global scale. It is an opportunity for girls of all ages to try ice hockey and experience the sport in a supportive and welcoming environment. The weekend focuses on introducing basic skills, providing information about local opportunities to play, learning sportsmanship, fair play, and teamwork.
In the United States this year’s World Girls’ Hockey Weekend was hosted at the Prudential Center, home of the New Jersey Devils. Thanks to the combined efforts of the New Jersey Devils, USA Hockey, and the Jersey Girls Hockey Club, the event brought together many young girls, coaches, and players. Some notable names in attendance included Devils goaltender Jake Allen, MSG Networks’ Rachel Herzog, and former Division I player Reagan Rust. Allen is a veteran National Hockey League (NHL) goaltender and the father of three girls, two of whom participated in the weekend’s festivities.
According to an article on the Devils website, Allen said, “We’re always talking about growing the game. And obviously we see what the women’s game is doing right now in the world, and especially North America. And it starts here. It starts at these programs and these levels that generate interest and passion, and the Devils have put on a great program here to get girls involved.”
The event had a jam-packed itinerary of a Learn to Play clinic, scrimmages, and “Try Hockey for Free” programming. Rust also spoke on the weekend, saying, “We had about, I think, five different stations, over 40 girls. And we got to play some games with them… Honestly, it’s just really fun being with them. They have so much enthusiasm for life and for playing hockey. Just the little things that come out of their mouths and the questions that they ask just crack me up. So it’s honestly a lot of joy to be out here with them.”
Internationally, the weekend was a smashing success. In Hong Kong, China, it has been more than 30 years since the country got its first women’s team, and since then, the sport has grown exponentially in popularity. There were 94 total girls in attendance, with the youngest attendee born in 2021.
In Great Britain, 26 players aged from six to 40 joined the Nottingham Vipers at the National Ice Centre. The World Girls’ Ice Hockey Weekend is a major part of the success of the Vipers’ development. The Vipers’ club has expanded from one team to three, with total membership rising to more than 80 players in just two years.
Minsk Arena in Belarus hosted the biggest event of the weekend, with more than 80 girls aged six to seven in attendance. They came from more than 15 towns and cities across Belarus and played with players from the National Women’s Team and Dinamo Minsk. The Minsk Arena was home to the 2014 IIHF World Championship, so to say that ice hockey has become more popular since then would be an understatement.
This weekend also made history on the tropical island of Kish in Southern Iran, as it held its first-ever international standard ice hockey event as part of the country’s fourth consecutive participation in the IIHF World Girls’ Ice Hockey Weekend.
Lastly, in Prague, Czechia, the weekend was dedicated to supporting Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Czech Ice Hockey’s “Don’t be Afraid to Win” campaign. The players, parents, and organizers incorporated pink elements to show their support, which added to the positive atmosphere.
These are only a few of the many locations that participated in this year’s World Girls’ Ice Hockey Weekend. From local rinks to major arenas, the event showcased the progress of women’s hockey and the promise of its future.