The Women’s European Cup of Nations Marks a New Chapter for European Hockey

Team Netherlands plays against Team Italy during the Women’s European Cup of Nations on August 20, 2023, in Bardejov, Slovakia. Photo credits: Faceoff.nl

Written by Gina Anton

A new chapter in international women’s hockey began Thursday as the inaugural IIHF Women’s European Cup of Nations got underway across Germany and Slovakia.

The First Round features 16 European national teams divided across four groups, with Groups A and B beginning their round-robin tournaments in Germany and Slovakia. While the opening round provides immediate competition for the eight teams featured in those groups, the larger purpose of the new tournament is to strengthen the international calendar and give European national teams more meaningful games throughout the season.

Filling a Gap in the International Calendar

For European women’s hockey, the biggest international tournaments have traditionally provided the most significant opportunities for national teams to compete. The Women’s World Championship and Olympic Games remain the sport’s premier stages, but there can be long stretches between those events when national teams have fewer opportunities to play meaningful games.

The European Cup of Nations is designed to help fill that gap.

Rather than relying primarily on major championships, the new competition creates another structured opportunity for national teams to test themselves against international opponents. That could become particularly valuable as programs look to develop players, evaluate lineups and build toward future major tournaments.

The First Round is divided into four groups of four teams, with Groups A and B hosting their tournaments this week.

Group A features Germany, France, Hungary and Norway at the Bundesstützpunkt Füssen in Füssen, Germany. Group B includes Slovakia, Austria, Italy and the Netherlands in Bardejov, Slovakia.

Both groups use a round-robin format, with every team playing the other three nations in its group. Six games will be played in each group over three days, with the opening tournaments concluding Saturday, August 22.

That format gives each team multiple opportunities to compete instead of having its tournament decided by a single result.

More Than Just Games

The value of the competition goes beyond adding games to the schedule.

For coaches, regular international competition creates more opportunities to assess players in competitive environments. Younger players can gain experience against different opponents, while established players can continue building chemistry within their national programs.

It also gives developing hockey nations a chance to measure their progress against teams with different levels of international experience. Those games can expose areas that need improvement while providing players with valuable experience at the international level.

Over time, that consistency could help strengthen the depth of European women’s hockey.

A Bigger Opportunity for Fans

A more active international calendar could also change how fans follow women’s hockey.

Instead of national teams primarily coming together for major championships, the European Cup of Nations gives fans another opportunity to watch their countries compete throughout the season. Regular games can create new rivalries, build storylines and give emerging players more chances to become recognizable names.

That exposure matters as women’s hockey continues to expand across Europe. The more consistently national teams are competing and appearing in front of fans, the more opportunities there are to grow interest in the sport beyond its biggest events.

The Future of the Competition

The inaugural tournament will ultimately be judged by more than its scores and standings.

Its larger success will depend on whether the European Cup of Nations can establish itself as a meaningful and sustainable part of the international calendar. If teams, players and fans embrace the competition, it could provide European women’s hockey with something it has needed for years: a more consistent pathway for international competition between major tournaments.

Groups A and B represent only the beginning. The 16 teams competing in the First Round will be divided through the competition’s next stages before the season concludes with a six-team finale in April, giving the tournament a pathway that extends well beyond this week’s opening games.

The first games will determine who advances. The tournament’s lasting impact, however, could be determined by whether it gives European women’s hockey a new rhythm, one where national teams have more chances to compete, develop and build momentum long before the next major championship arrives.