The IIHF announced overnight that Australia had won the bid to host the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Division 2A Men’s World Championships for 2025. The tournament will be held in Melbourne from April 27-May 3, 2025.

According to a LinkedIn post from an Ice Hockey Australia board member, the hosting bid committee of Dawn Watt and Mark Weber bid to host the Women’s U18 World Championships and ended up winning the bid for the senior men’s tournament.

The last time Australia hosted the senior men’s tournament was back in 2011, when Australia topped the division to secure promotion to Division 1B. Australian ice hockey fans will be hoping for history to repeat itself 14 years later on home ice.

Last month the Australian senior men’s team competed in Belgrade, Serbia and finished in fifth position in Division 2A. The team had leads in all five games, which highlights their competitiveness, but had to settle for just a single win.

With Iceland relegated and Croatia promoted from Division 2A, Australia will face Serbia, United Arab Emirates, and Israel in next year’s tournament, along with the Netherlands, relegated from Division 1B, and Belgium, promoted from Division 2B.

Our neighbours across the ditch, New Zealand, celebrated a double bid win overnight, and it is good news for our senior women’s team.

New Zealand will host both the Division 2B men’s tournament and Division 2B women’s tournaments. This is a boost for our senior women’s team, who will travel to New Zealand instead of Europe, Africa, or Asia – costly locations they have travelled to in recent years.

Ice Hockey Australia (IHA) and O’Brien Icehouse will no doubt announce further information regarding ticketing and fan engagement events to take advantage of hosting the tournament.

In the meantime, it is a great day for Australian ice hockey fans and players. Congratulations to IHA, O’Brien Icehouse, and the bid committee of Dawn Watt and Mark Weber for making it happen.