ABSTRACT
The rise in interest in women’s ice hockey has been very recent compared to the men’s version of the game. While men have competed in the Olympics since 1920, women’s ice hockey was only introduced in 1998. A watershed moment for the growth of the women’s game was the inaugural Women’s World Hockey Championship (WWHC), held in Ottawa, Canada, in March of 1990. The event would be instrumental in showcasing the abilities of elite female players, garnering support for the inclusion of women’s ice hockey in the Olympic Games, and legitimating women’s hockey as an elite sport. However, while the popularity of the sport today remains a legacy of the 1990 WWHC, the event itself started from more modest beginnings. With the Championship, initially facing a lack of public and media interest, the tournament committee made several key changes, including a strategic marketing decision to have Team Canada wear pink jerseys, to elevate the profile of the tournament. Ultimately, media support and approval of the International Ice Hockey Federation and International Olympic Committee would allow the women’s hockey to become a mainstay on the world stage.
