Going for gold: How Utica landed the IIHF Women's World Championship

The 2024 IIHF Women’s World Championship, slated for April 3-14, spotlights 10 international teams competing for gold. All 29 games will be held at the Adirondack Bank Center in Utica and broadcast by the NHL Network, launching the Oneida County emblem across the globe.

Utica Comets Director of Marketing Michael Lehr said organizers are expecting 600 players and staff to descend on the Mohawk Valley for the tournament. He noted the arena can hold up to 4,000 people for 29 games across 12 days, estimating a total of 60,000 fans to join the once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Mohawk Valley Garden President Rob Esche said the region will enter a "global stage."

“Our area has so much to offer from food to entertainment and everything in between," Esche said. "This event is going to show everyone what Utica and Oneida County are capable of. We are a community that is so proud and welcoming, and also one that loves hockey. We hope people visit our city or see it on their screens and get a new sense of what we're all about.”

Why was Oneida County chosen to host the event?

According to Esche, last year USA Hockey released a request for proposals (RFP). Despite competing with other major markets, he said Utica was chosen due to its deep roots in USA hockey – having already hosted the American Hockey League All-Star Classic twice – and its Nexus and Adirondack Bank Center facilities, as well as its ability to house all athletes at one central location, the Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, about a 25-minute commute.

Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente Jr. felt the region was selected in large part because of Esche’s connections to USA Hockey and previous experience as an Olympic athlete, and the newly constructed Nexus Center.

“I often joke, though it’s true, that the credit goes to Rob,” said Picente. “The Nexus Center also added a sense of value to the package we presented. There’s space, with extra rinks, for multiple teams to practice. Without the facility it would have been much more of a long shot to land this kind of an opportunity."

Esche, who attended Utica Notre Dame and Whiteboro High School, played eight seasons in the National Hockey League and helped lead the Philadelphia Flyers to the Eastern Conference finals in the 2002-2003 season. He was a goaltender for Team USA at the 2006 Olympics in Turin, Italy, competed in the Men's FIH Hockey World Cup, four times in the IIHF World Championship, twice in the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, as well as the Pacific Cup 18U.

“I was very lucky to have represented our country in the past,” said Esche. “But, participating in a different way for this event has been equally as exciting. I’m not going to lie, it has been a lot. We’re fortunate to have had the Adirondack Sports Council and USA Hockey on board with us.

"Our Utica Comets team is great at day-to-day operations but when you throw national media into the mix, plus back-to-back-to-back days, it takes help. Our organization is a testament to great partnerships.”

Picente said Esche approached him with a pitch for the tournament; from there, a package was compiled with all the accommodations the county had to offer.

“The process was quick, but detailed,” Lehr added. “Within a few months the county, state and USA Hockey officials all fell on the same page. It took a strong team of 10-15 people to build the event from the ground up.”

Lehr said the process began in January 2023, and the decision for Utica to host was made the first week in April, and formally announced on April 16, 2023.

According to Picente the package was similar to what the county had assembled for the All-Star Classic, hosted at the Adirondack Bank Center in 2015 and 2018. "But in many ways it was different, given this tournament features international teams,” he pointed out.

Though Picente confided he was doubtful at times, he emphasized, "You can’t score if you don’t take the shot."

USA Hockey conducted a series of site visits and meetings in Utica.

“Lo and behold we got the call and wow … it all began to feel real," Picente recalled.

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'With reward comes great responsibility'

Although it's easy to relish in fanfare, Picente said it's crucial the county has remained organized to ensure the event runs smoothly.

“There are safety concerns with the influx of visitors,” he acknowledged. “We are holding ourselves to the same standard as other [international ice hockey tournament] host cities like Chicago, Toronto, Salt Lake City, Denver. As the saying goes, with great reward comes great responsibility.”

The event marks the fifth time the U.S. has hosted the IIHF Women's World Championship. The last event was in 2017 when the games were held in Plymouth, Michican. Other host cities have included Lake Placid (1994), Minneapolis (2001), and Burlington, Vermont (2012).

Utica Mayor Mike Galime agreed, stating the desire to "get it right the first time."

“Over the course of my life, Lake Placid has always been what rang out as world stage territory," he said. "When hosting an event of this scale pride comes to mind but also appreciation for those involved in the renaissance of this region. The city and county have been working in conjunction to prepare for traffic control, public safety, and event coordination. We’d like to use this as another feather in our cap, to host events of similar caliber in the future.”

Esche pointed out all of the preparation going on behind the scenes.

“It’s been a massive undertaking for the county, our staff, and the local community," he said. "Everyone is on board and proud to support the event and Team USA. Every detail from getting local schools involved, to decorating Genesee Street and the surrounding area, to making sure bars and restaurants are prepared with NHL Network, has been accounted for. Our area is ready for this, and we can’t wait to see everyone join together and execute an incredible event.”

Know before you go

The tournament begins Wednesday, April 3, culminating with bronze and gold-medal games on Sunday, April 14.

The 10 teams will be divided into two groups: U.S., Canada, Czechia, Finland and Switzerland comprising Group A, while China, Denmark, Germany, Japan and Sweden make up Group B.

During the preliminary round, each team will compete against the other four teams in its group.

All five teams from Group A, and the top three from Group B will advance to the quarterfinals on April 12. Those winners will face off in the semifinals on April 13. The two semifinal winners will play for gold on April 14, with the losing two teams competing for bronze earlier that day.

In the 22 consecutive years the championship has run, annually with the exception of Olympic years, the gold-medal game has featured the U.S. and Canada. The exception was 2019, when America beat host Finland in the championship game.

The U.S. has four preliminary-round games, including against Switzerland on April 3, Czechia on April 5, Finland on April 6 and Canada on April 8.

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: IIHF Women's World Championship: What to know about host Utica, NY