The 2026–27 IIHF Women’s European Cup of Nations gets underway this Thursday, 20 August, as Germany, France, Hungary and Norway take to the ice in Füssen, Germany, for the opening tournament of the new international season.
The four nations will compete in a round-robin tournament over three days at the Bundesstützpunkt Füssen, beginning with Norway against Hungary on Thursday afternoon before hosts Germany face France in the evening. Six games will be played before the tournament concludes on Saturday, 22 August.
But the action in Füssen represents more than the beginning of a new season. It marks the start of the inaugural IIHF Women’s European Cup of Nations, an international competition program designed to create more meaningful playing opportunities for women’s national teams throughout the season.
Making international breaks count
Built around the international break calendar, the European Cup of Nations gives participating teams the opportunity to use these important windows for structured international competition.
The concept is straightforward: provide national teams with more opportunities to play meaningful games, develop players and build stronger teams.
For players, that means more chances to compete at the international level and gain experience representing their country. For coaches, the tournaments provide valuable opportunities to evaluate players, introduce new talent, test combinations and develop systems outside of IIHF World Championship competition.
Germany, for example, has selected 25 players for the opening tournament in Füssen, with head coach Jeff MacLeod highlighting the opportunity to experiment with different formations and combinations as the team begins its new season.
The benefits extend beyond the ice. National Member Associations have additional opportunities to host international hockey in their home markets, while fans can see their national teams compete more regularly throughout the season.
A season-long competition
Füssen is the starting point of a wider Women’s European Cup of Nations program that will run across several international windows.
The first round features four-team round-robin tournaments across Groups A–G between August and October, giving participating nations three competitive international games within each tournament window.
A second round will follow during the February international break, before the competition culminates with a six-team final in April.
Participation begins with the IIHF opening the competition to interested women’s national teams. The IIHF then selects the participating nations, assigns the tournament groups and works together with the respective hosts on schedules and tournament organization.
Investing in international women’s hockey
The IIHF plays an active role in supporting the European Cup of Nations, not only by coordinating the competition framework but also by providing financial support to participating teams and tournament hosts.
The objective is to make regular international competition more accessible and sustainable for Member National Associations and to create an environment in which more women's national teams can compete and develop throughout the season.
Regular international competition is an important part of that development. Every additional game provides players with experience, coaches with information and national programs with another opportunity to progress.
The opening tournament in Füssen puts that philosophy into action.
Germany, France, Hungary and Norway will play three games each over three days – beginning a European Cup of Nations season built around a simple ambition: More games. More competition. More opportunities.
Women’s European Cup of Nations – Füssen
Thursday, 20 August
16:00 – Norway vs Hungary
19:30 – Germany vs France
Friday, 21 August
14:30 – Hungary vs France
18:00 – Germany vs Norway
Saturday, 22 August
11:00 – France vs Norway
14:30 – Germany vs Hungary
Admission to all six games in Füssen is free, while the entire tournament will be broadcast live on IIHF.tv. Official website you can find here.
The four nations will compete in a round-robin tournament over three days at the Bundesstützpunkt Füssen, beginning with Norway against Hungary on Thursday afternoon before hosts Germany face France in the evening. Six games will be played before the tournament concludes on Saturday, 22 August.
But the action in Füssen represents more than the beginning of a new season. It marks the start of the inaugural IIHF Women’s European Cup of Nations, an international competition program designed to create more meaningful playing opportunities for women’s national teams throughout the season.
Making international breaks count
Built around the international break calendar, the European Cup of Nations gives participating teams the opportunity to use these important windows for structured international competition.
The concept is straightforward: provide national teams with more opportunities to play meaningful games, develop players and build stronger teams.
For players, that means more chances to compete at the international level and gain experience representing their country. For coaches, the tournaments provide valuable opportunities to evaluate players, introduce new talent, test combinations and develop systems outside of IIHF World Championship competition.
Germany, for example, has selected 25 players for the opening tournament in Füssen, with head coach Jeff MacLeod highlighting the opportunity to experiment with different formations and combinations as the team begins its new season.
The benefits extend beyond the ice. National Member Associations have additional opportunities to host international hockey in their home markets, while fans can see their national teams compete more regularly throughout the season.
A season-long competition
Füssen is the starting point of a wider Women’s European Cup of Nations program that will run across several international windows.
The first round features four-team round-robin tournaments across Groups A–G between August and October, giving participating nations three competitive international games within each tournament window.
A second round will follow during the February international break, before the competition culminates with a six-team final in April.
Participation begins with the IIHF opening the competition to interested women’s national teams. The IIHF then selects the participating nations, assigns the tournament groups and works together with the respective hosts on schedules and tournament organization.
Investing in international women’s hockey
The IIHF plays an active role in supporting the European Cup of Nations, not only by coordinating the competition framework but also by providing financial support to participating teams and tournament hosts.
The objective is to make regular international competition more accessible and sustainable for Member National Associations and to create an environment in which more women's national teams can compete and develop throughout the season.
Regular international competition is an important part of that development. Every additional game provides players with experience, coaches with information and national programs with another opportunity to progress.
The opening tournament in Füssen puts that philosophy into action.
Germany, France, Hungary and Norway will play three games each over three days – beginning a European Cup of Nations season built around a simple ambition: More games. More competition. More opportunities.
Women’s European Cup of Nations – Füssen
Thursday, 20 August
16:00 – Norway vs Hungary
19:30 – Germany vs France
Friday, 21 August
14:30 – Hungary vs France
18:00 – Germany vs Norway
Saturday, 22 August
11:00 – France vs Norway
14:30 – Germany vs Hungary
Admission to all six games in Füssen is free, while the entire tournament will be broadcast live on IIHF.tv. Official website you can find here.