The 2024 calendar year saw a reduction in international competition due to the rise of the Professional Women’s Hockey League, but there was still plenty of drama between the United States and Canada all throughout North America over the International Hockey Lineal Championship.

The IHLC started its 2024 with the final leg of the Rivalry Series, which saw unbelievably the second straight “reverse sweep” by Team Canada, after their unlikely comeback in the 2023-24 series. Following three straight wins in Tempe, Los Angeles and Kitchener, Canada took a late December shootout victory in Sarnia into 2024, and then won three straight in Saskatoon, Regina and Saint Paul, by a combined score of 13-3, to win their third straight (and fourth overall) Rivalry Series title.

This meant Canada brought the title to the 2024 World Championships in Utica, New York, USA, seeing them win out in the group round up until their final matchup against the hosts, dropping 1-0 overtime contest on enemy ice on a Kirsten Simms winner. But as per an unofficial tradition, the winner of the Canada-USA group tilt typically ends up losing in the Gold Medal Game, which once again happened here, with a Danielle Serdachny overtime snipe clinching the Gold Medal for Canada in a 6-5 win, their thirteenth world title and third in four years.

The 2024 calendar wrapped with the latest iteration of the Rivalry Series, with the first three games taking place in the Western United States. While Team USA thrashed Canada 7-2 on 06 November, Canada ensured there would be no reverse sweep for a third straight year, winning consecutive tilts in Utah and Idaho. And with both USA Hockey and Hockey Canada choosing to send their selects squad to the Six Nations Tournament in Finland in December, the IHLC’s journey was complete by mid-November.

The following games were contested over the women’s IHLC in 2024 (click for game recaps and boxscores):
435. 🇨🇦 CAN 4-2 USA 🇺🇸 – 07 Feb 2024 – RS – Saskatoon 🇨🇦
436. 🇨🇦 CAN 3-0 USA 🇺🇸 – 09 Feb 2024 – RS – Regina 🇨🇦
437. 🇨🇦 CAN 6-1 USA 🇺🇸 – 11 Feb 2024 – RS – Saint Paul 🇺🇸
438. 🇨🇦 CAN 8-2 FIN 🇫🇮 – 30 Mar 2024 – EX – Kingston 🇨🇦
439. 🇨🇦 CAN 4-1 FIN 🇫🇮 – 04 Apr 2024 – WWC – Utica 🇺🇸
440. 🇨🇦 CAN 3-0 SUI 🇨🇭 – 05 Apr 2024 – WWC – Utica 🇺🇸
441. 🇨🇦 CAN 5-0 CZE 🇨🇿 – 07 Apr 2024 – WWC – Utica 🇺🇸
442. 🇺🇸 USA 1-0 CAN 🇨🇦 (OT) – 08 Apr 2024 – WWC – Utica 🇺🇸
443. 🇺🇸 USA 10-0 JPN 🇯🇵 – 11 Apr 2024 – WWC – Utica 🇺🇸
444. 🇺🇸 USA 5-0 FIN 🇫🇮 – 13 Apr 2024 – WWC – Utica 🇺🇸
445. 🇨🇦 CAN 6-5 USA 🇺🇸 (OT) – 14 Apr 2024 – WWC – Utica 🇺🇸 🏅
446. 🇺🇸 USA 7-2 CAN 🇨🇦 – 06 Nov 2024 – RS – San Jose 🇺🇸
447. 🇨🇦 CAN 5-4 USA 🇺🇸 (SO) – 08 Nov 2024 – RS – West Valley City 🇺🇸
448. 🇨🇦 CAN 4-1 USA 🇺🇸 – 10 Nov 2024 – RS – Boise 🇺🇸

The IHLC Rankings for 2024 were as follows (total all-time wins and rankings in parentheses):
01. 🇨🇦 CANADA – 10 wins (271, 1st)
02. 🇺🇸 UNITED STATES – 4 wins (159, 2nd)

The IHLC will remain with Canada until the now five-game Rivalry Series wraps in Atlantic Canada in February, with the winner to carry the title to Czechia in April, where České Budějovice will serve as host of the Women’s World Championship from 09-20 April 2025, the first time Czechia will host the tournament, and the first time the tournament will take place in Central Europe since 2011.

Photo Credit: 2024 Women’s World Championship – IIHF – HHOF – IOC