Barely has the confetti settled in what was a spectacular end to the 2024 IIHF Women´s World Championship in Utica. Eager to join in on next year´s party, six national teams are now set to compete at the 2024 IIHF Women´s World Championship Division I Group A in Austria´s Klagenfurt played between 21-27 April.

The top two advance to the 2025 IIHF Women´s World Championship in Ceske Budejovice, Czechia. The bottom-placed team will be demoted to Division IB for 2025.

In alphabetic order, here is what to look out for from the participating teams.

Austria

Third time's a charm for Austria? On the two previous occasions Austria hosted this tournament in 2009 and 2017, they finished fourth respective second. Head coach Alexander Broms has built a solid defensive unit starting right from the back with Selma Luggin, selected as the top goaltender in WW1A last year. Goalscoring seems to be an issue at times, but the return of Anna Meixner will boost last year´s bronze medalists´ offense and overall prospects considerably.

France

With zero points on the board and potting just five goals in Brampton last year, France returns to WW1A eager to seal an instant return to the world´s elite. In Klagenfurt, there will be no shortage of attacking prowess on the team. Estelle Duvin has enjoyed a rich vein of goal-scoring form in Switzerland, Chloe Aurard joined up from PWHL while Clara Rozier lifted back-to-back Finnish titles and was selected as the playoff MVP this season.

Hungary

Another contender aiming to bounce straight back to the top division is Hungary. Having trained together since 1 April, head coach Pat Cortina has shuffled his pack a bit from last year adding new faces to the roster. While last season´s captain Fanni Garat-Gasparics representing PWHL´s Ottawa is out due to injury, eight other North American-based players will be present. Eager to finish on a high will be the six skaters representing HK Budapest, following a final series loss ending a dynasty of five consecutive title wins in the European Women's Hockey League.

Korea

The legacy of competing at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympics is starting to bear fruit as a new exciting Korean generation is coming through. Six teenagers skated for Korea when racing through Division 1B undefeated on home ice in Suwon a year ago. Added by several old heads with Olympic experience, Korea is currently scaling new heights with their women´s team at WW play. Strong in special play and highly efficient on their breakaways expect the far-flung newcomers to be far from an easy pushover in Klagenfurt.

Netherlands

Last season´s 4th spot in Shenzhen is the best result on record in WW play for the burgeoning Dutch women´s program. Still, the initial reaction within the Dutch camp was lingering disappointment as one paltry goal separated them from qualifying for the top level for the first time. Having skated in her first World Championship tournament in 2007, Dutch captain Savine Wielenga was selected as the top forward in last year´s tournament. Can 2024 finally be the year when she will lead Marco Kronenburg´s coached Oranje team over the finishing line and into the world´s elite? 

Norway

Morphing from silver medalists in 2022 to relegation battlers last year, Norway most recently skated among in the top division back in 1997. Last year Norway´s porous defence leaked nearly twice as many goals as any other opponent in this division. On their offence, Millie Rose Sirum became last year´s top scorer in WW1A. In 2017 she opted to go west instead of venturing down the well-trodden path to neighbouring Sweden´s SDHL. Having stayed put in the US ever since she completed her fourth season in the NCAA and will be the Scandinavians´ main offensive threat in Klagenfurt.