It appears Edmonton could be preparing to step in and save he 2021 Women’s World Hockey Championship.
The tournament was cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns in the 11th hour by host Nova Scotia last week, leaving the tournament no place to play. But according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Edmonton could be stepping up to the plate to help host the event.
It probably takes a couple weeks to figure out where to go and when to hold it. The desire is to keep it in Canada, but that’s not a certainty. Edmonton — which held one of last year’s playoff bubbles, this year’s World Juniors and is working on hosting a CHL draft-eligible prospects event — may rescue this one, too. – 31 Thoughts
The tournament was schedule to kick off on May 6, but was shut down for the second year in a row just as players were set to depart for Halifax and Truro. The IIHF and Hockey Canada have since said they want to save the event and are looking to reschedule it for this year.
“When things like this happen, cancellations happen, brands, investors, partners look at it and say, ‘How can we invest in women’s sports when it’s never seen? How are we getting a return on investment?'” Canadian forward Sarah Nurse, cousin of Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse, told ESPN. “Last year, I had a situation where I wasn’t paid my sponsorship deal because the world championships were canceled. They saw it as me not holding up my end of the agreement. It’s something that’s very unfortunate but probably happens more than you think in women’s sports.
Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@oilersnation.com.
