With the 2026 IIHF Women’s World Championship just 45 days away, the teams are getting ready to put in the final touches on the rosters, and the IIHF officials’ team is no exception.
 
As with the competing teams, or any other team for that matter, the selection is a balance of veterans and new talents that can support and learn from each other, without compromising the quality of officiating.
 
Of the twelve referees and as many linespersons, all have experience from different levels of IIHF competition. Two of the referees – Canada’s Shauna Neary and Finland’s Anniina Nurmi – worked in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano, as did two of the linespersons, Czechia’s Kristyna Hajkova and Sweden’s Jessica Lundgren.


Swedish Anna Hammar also has Olympic experience as she was a linesperson in the 2022 Olympics, but in Denmark, she will wear the red armbands.
 
Canada’s Stephanie Gagnon who worked in the 2014 Olympics in Sochi and the 2015 Women’s World Championship, is also back in the top division tournament. She returned to IIHF action at the 2025 under-18 tournament, after an eight-year hiatus.
 
The tournament is scheduled for 6–16 November and will take place in two cities in Denmark – Herning and Esbjerg. Here are the officials for the 2026 IIHF Women’s World Championship:
 
Referees
 
Michaela Bahl (USA)
Jennifer Berezowski (CAN)
Tijana Haack (GER)
Sydney Harris (USA)
Veronica Lovensnoe (SWE)
Shannon Motzko (USA)
Shauna Neary (CAN)
Anniina Nurmi (FIN)
Anneke Orlandini (SUI)
Laura Schmidlein (USA)
Anna Hammar (SWE)
Amy Martin (CAN)
 
Linespersons
 
Alannah Beres (CAN)
Alexia Cheyroux (FRA)
Leonie Ernst (GER)
Lara Fischer (GER)
Stephanie Gagnon (CAN)
Kathryn Glover (USA)
Erika Greenen (USA)
Kristyna Hajkova (CZE)
Ashley Johnston (USA)
Jessica Lundgren (SWE)
Natalia Suchanek (POL)
Sophie Thomson (CAN)