News release from Barrie Women's Hockey Association
Barrie will be one of the Ontario cities that will host teams competing in the upcoming International Ice Hockey Federation Women's World Championship, according to Hockey Canada.
“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Team Switzerland and Team Germany to Barrie,” said Rob Emerson, President of the Barrie Women’s Hockey Association. “Barrie is going to be an excellent place for these teams to prepare for the World Championships, and we can’t wait to show our guests the amazing support and hospitality of our community.”
The training camps will include an exhibition game between Switzerland and Germany on Friday, March 31, 2023 at Sadlon Arena - for which ticket details will be announced shortly. This game will be an important tune-up for both teams, with Team Switzerland set to be Team Canada’s first opponent at the World Championships on Wednesday, April 5th. Team Germany will open their tournament vs. Sweden on Thursday, April 6.
The Barrie Women’s Hockey Association led the development of a proposal to Hockey Canada for Barrie to be a Pre-Competition Host Community for the 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championships, along with the collaboration of Tourism Barrie and the City of Barrie. “This has been a true community-led effort,” said Emerson, “and this successful proposal would not have been possible without the help of Tourism Barrie and the City.”
“These types of events are important to show Canada and the world that Barrie is an excellent sport tourism destination, capable of hosting the best athletes in the world,” said Kathleen Trainer, Executive Director for Tourism Barrie. “We look forward to sharing the best of Barrie with our visitors.”
“Barrie has incredible recreation facilities, and we’re excited to welcome some of the world’s best hockey players onto our ice,” said Dan Bell, Director of Recreation and Culture Services for the City of Barrie. “The City is proud to work with community groups such as the Barrie Sharks to bring these opportunities to our City.”
The 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championships will feature the 10 best teams competing for gold in Brampton, Ontario, April 5 to 16, 2023. Team Canada is the reigning Women’s World Hockey Champions and will be looking for their first “threepeat” since winning the 1999, 2000 and 2001 championships.
Banner image: Barrie Women's Hockey Association (https://www.bwha.ca/)
