Winter Universiade - Women 2025/26

The Winter Universiade is an international multi-sport event organized by the International University Sports Federation (FISU). It began in 1960 in Chamonix, France, with ice hockey becoming a compulsory sport in 1966. The women's tournament was introduced later, in 2009, in Harbin, China. This competition is not part of a national pyramid but is a global university-level event. Participation is restricted to student-athletes aged 17–25 enrolled in higher education institutions. The format typically involves 6 to 8 women's teams competing in a preliminary round-robin group stage, followed by knockout playoffs including semifinals, bronze medal game, and gold medal final. There is no promotion or relegation system, as it is a standalone biennial event rather than a league. Canada is the most successful nation with 4 gold medals, while Russia has won 3. The reigning champion is the Czech Republic, which won its first gold in 2025 in Turin, defeating Canada. The 2021 edition was cancelled due to the pandemic. The key distinction from other tournaments like the IIHF Women's World Championship is the participant eligibility: Universiade players must be students, whereas IIHF tournaments feature senior national teams with no student status requirement, and IIHF titles carry higher prestige in the professional hockey hierarchy.