Women’s world hockey set for Aug. 20-31

This year's women's world hockey championship will be played after all.

The International Ice Hockey Federation Council met on April 30 and decided to stage the event from Aug. 20 to 31 at a Canadian venue to be determined later.

The Nova Scotia government recently cancelled the originally scheduled 2021 worlds in Halifax and Truro, which were to be held May 6 to 16. The decision was made because of an outbreak in COVID-19 cases across the province.

“The players, the teams, Hockey Canada, and the

IIHF have been placed in a difficult position due to the sudden cancellation. But this is not an excuse to operate this tournament as a halfmeasure,” IIHF President René Fasel said in a news release. “We needed a range of dates that can work for the teams and also would allow for comprehensive broadcast coverage as well as a chance for spectators to be able to attend the games.”

The IIHF and Hockey Canada will work as quickly as possible to find a new host location in the coming weeks.

“In our meeting with the teams, unfortunately, we were unable to achieve a full consensus on the dates, with some teams preferring to play in early September and others in late August, Fasel said in a news release. "But we need to respect as much as possible the start of various women’s leagues around the world, and also recognize the needs of the four teams that must prepare for the Women’s

Olympic Qualification tournament in November.

“I would like to thank the council, Hockey Canada, and the teams for their input and participation in a decisionmaking process that was organized on such short notice. We passed an important first milestone by finding the optimal dates to hold this event and now will proceed to the next stage and choose a suitable venue.”