Austria's Women Get Their Deal Ending Worries Of A World Championship Boycott
· Yahoo Sports
After months of turmoil, Austria's women's national team has come to an agreement with the Austrian Ice Hockey Association (ÖEHV) to improve conditions for Austria's top women's athletes.
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According to a translated release by ÖEHV, following the new deal from their governing body and Austria's women's national team "are now fully focused on their historic first participation in the top division of the IIHF Women's World Championship, which will take place in Denmark from November 6 to 16, 2026."
Austria qualified for the top division in the IIHF women's World Championships for the first time this year. They were approaching that event however, without almost the entirety of their veteran core who had stepped away from national team participation and were threatening to boycott the 2026 World Championships without a new deal from ÖEHV.
Now however, with a new deal in place ensuring better treatment for girls and women's players in Austria, the program is moving forward collectively toward the World Championships in November.
“We have worked intensively and collaboratively with the players over the past few weeks – the result is a real improvement for our women's national team," said Yasmin Stepina, vice president of ÖEHV. "With the new compensation model, improved support and accommodation standards, and other measures, we are taking concrete steps that will noticeably benefit the team. Now we are all looking forward to our historic first appearance at the World Championships in November.”
Theresa SchafzahlOne of the players leading Austria's push for better conditions was captain Anna Meixner who played the past two seasons in the PWHL with the Ottawa Charge and Vancouver Goldeneyes.
"For us, this agreement means above all that we can fully concentrate on the sport again," said Meixner. "The first A-World Championship in the history of Austrian women's ice hockey is a milestone. It is all the more important that we travel there as a united team and can focus on what is essential: representing Austria in the best possible way."
Austria will kick off their 2026 World Championship tournament facing Czechia in Group A action. They'll also face USA, Switzerland, and Germany in their group.