Utica is now an international sports destination. The Central New York city will play host to the International Ice Hockey Federation World Women’s Championship, according to a news release from Gov. Kathy Hochul's office.
Ten teams and 350 athletes from around the world are expected to compete in the challenge next year. The event is being hosted by USA Hockey in conjunction with the Upper Mohawk Valley Memorial Auditorium Authority, the Adirondack Bank Center and the Utica University Nexus Center.
The $64 million Utica University Nexus Center opened in December in downtown Utica and is utilized for ice hockey, box lacrosse, soccer and other sports. Since its opening, teams from across the U.S. and Canada have competed at the venue.
”The 2024 IIHF World Women’s Championship in Utica will mark the next chapter of New York’s winter sports legacy,” Hochul said.
Officials anticipate the sports event will draw around 50,000 people. The competition is tentatively scheduled for early April 2024. New York last hosted the competition in 1990 in Lake Placid.