When you’re welcoming the world to play in your backyard, it takes an all-hands-on-deck mentality to make sure it’s a successful party.

Hosting the 2024 IIHF Women’s World Championship has been a team effort that starts close to home with the Adirondack Sports Council, which has worked closely with USA Hockey to deliver on a promise made almost a year ago when the IIHF announced that the tournament would be coming to Utica.

“Our goal has been the same all the way through. We want this to be the best Women’s World Championship ever,” said Robert Esche, president of Mohawk Valley Garden. “I think everybody in the community, from our county executives to people in my company, has been aligned with that goal.”

Esche knows a little something about how important teamwork is to accomplishing big things. Over the course of his playing career, the Whitesboro native played eight seasons in the NHL and was a member of nine U.S. teams that competed in international arenas, including the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy.

Having someone with his background involved in the planning has given the IIHF confidence that the event will score high marks among the athletes and spectators alike.

“It is always a positive to have someone like Robert [Esche], who played on U.S. National Teams and also played in the NHL, involved as he brings a unique perspective that will contribute to what we know will be a great Women’s Worlds,” said Luc Tardif, president of the IIHF.

This will be the second time New York has hosted a Women’s World Championship event. The first time came 30 years ago when Lake Placid played host. Most recently, the event came to the U.S. in 2017 at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Mich., where Team USA took home gold on home soil for the first time ever. Other host cities include Minneapolis in 2001 and Burlington, Vt., in 2012.

This year’s tournament will feature 10 teams split into two groups of five with the top eight teams advancing to the quarterfinals after a preliminary-round schedule. The bronze and gold-medal games will take place on April 14.

All 29 games played at the historic Adirondack Bank Center, the home of the Utica Comets, the AHL affiliate of the New Jersey Devils. The Utica University Nexus Center will serve as the practice rink for all 10 teams. Teams are slated to stay at the Turning Stone Casino, and the area around the rinks will host a giant party at the Subaru World Championship Village.

As the event draws closer the excitement continues to ramp up, which has helped with ticket sales. All the U.S. and Canadian games are close to sellouts, and organizers are working hard with the local community to make the other teams feel right at home once the puck drops.

Esche was especially proud of one program that will get local school children involved.  Organizers have been working with local school districts to provide free tickets and concession deals for 6,000 grade school students to watch preliminary round games. 

“We’ve been working with the superintendents in Oneida County to get them the tickets for the 11 a.m. games so the kids can get on a bus shortly after they get to school, come to the arena to watch the game and still get back before the end of the school day,” Esche said.

“We think it will be a great experience that will help grow women’s hockey. To have kids be a part in this community endeavor is something that everybody is extremely proud of.”

In addition, organizers have been reaching out to girls’ programs around the state to help generate interest. Several staff members were recently on hand at the Northtown Center in Amherst, one of the sites of the New York State Championships featuring Girls’ Tier I and II teams, with giveaways and ticket information.

“Hosting an event as prestigious as the IIHF Women’s World Championship is truly an honor, and marks another milestone for the Utica University Nexus Center and Adirondack Bank Center as we continue to grow and build on the sports repertoire in the City of Utica,” Esche said.

“We have a lot of resources at our disposal in order to make it a fun event.”