By Hockey Canada

CALGARY, Alta. - The following is a joint statement on behalf Hockey Canada and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) from Tom Renney, chief executive officer, Scott Smith, president and chief operating officer, and René Fasel, president of the IIHF, in response to the cancellation of the 2021 IIHF Women’s World Championship.

“Hockey Canada was informed this morning by the Province of Nova Scotia that a decision has been made to cancel the 2021 IIHF Women’s World Championship in Halifax and Truro. While we are disappointed with the cancellation, we understand the decision was made with the health and safety of all participants and the community at large as the top priority. Hockey Canada thanks the Province of Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia Public Health and Dr. Robert Strang for their assistance in the lead up to the event, and we support the decision that has been made. A tremendous amount of work has gone in to hosting a safe and successful world championship, and despite not being able to host the event in Nova Scotia, Hockey Canada remains committed to hosting the IIHF Women’s World Championship this year. We will explore all options to host the event in the coming months, if it is deemed safe to do so.”

-      Tom Renney and Scott Smith

“This is very disappointing news to receive with just a few weeks until the tournament was to begin. We strongly believe that we had the adequate safety measures in place to protect players, officials, spectators and all residents in Halifax and Truro, based on the IIHF and Hockey Canada’s experiences from hosting the IIHF World Junior Championship in Edmonton. In the end, we must accept the decision of the government. This does not mean that we will not have a Women’s World Championship in 2021. We owe it to every single player that was looking forward to getting back on the ice after such a difficult year that we do everything possible to ensure this tournament can be moved to new dates and played this year.”

-      René Fasel

The following are statements on behalf of Hockey Canada from Dean McIntosh, vice-president of events and properties, and Gina Kingsbury, director of women’s national teams.

“Although we are disappointed by the decision to cancel the event in Nova Scotia despite being just over two weeks away from the first game, we recognize that the health and safety of everyone involved and the community at large is of the utmost importance. Hockey Canada, the IIHF and the local host committee have worked tirelessly over the past two years to bring this event back to Nova Scotia, and it is unfortunate we will not be able to proceed with the IIHF Women’s World Championship. Hockey Canada strongly believed in the quality of our health and safety protocols surrounding the event, and were confident the participants and community members would remain safe. On behalf of Hockey Canada, we wish to thank the IIHF and the competing federations for their unwavering support of the event, and we thank the Province of Nova Scotia and Nova Scotia Public Health for their diligent work in the lead up to the 2021 IIHF Women’s World Championship. We strongly believe the top women’s hockey players in the world deserve the opportunity to compete for a world championship this season, and we will explore all options to make that happen in Canada later this year.”

-      Dean McIntosh

“We are extremely disappointed to learn of the cancellation of the 2021 IIHF Women’s World Championship, as our athletes and staff have worked tirelessly since last year’s cancellation to be ready to compete for a gold medal. While this has been challenging for our entire team, their commitment and dedication to be ready for May 6 has never wavered. We are grateful for the support and cooperation we have had from Nova Scotia Public Health and other government authorities in allowing us to hold our selection camp in a safe and secure environment in Halifax, N.S., this week. It is a privilege and honour to represent our country, and while we feel for the athletes and staff from the other federations, we look forward to getting the chance to compete for a world championship at the appropriate time later this year.”

-      Gina Kingsbury

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