USA Hockey set to name Vermont as host for 2012 Worlds

USA Hockey is at the University of Vermont (Burlington, VT) for a major announcement event. Multiple media outlets have confirmed overnight that the school and community will play host to the 2012 IIHF World Women's Championships. The event which is held each spring (April) excluding Olympic years is the premier international event for women's hockey in the world.

You can view the press event here.

USA Hockey has posted on its site that Executive Director Dave Ogrean and Women's Olympian Angela Ruggiero will be on hand for the announcement. Ruggiero has also announced on her twitter page that she is in Burlington for an exciting event announcement.


The expected event will certainly be held at Gutterson Fieldhouse in Burlington, Vermont. Gutterson is the home ice for the University of Vermont, men’s and women’s ice hockey programs. The 4,035-seat hockey arena is the largest indoor arena in the state of Vermont, and is adjacent to Patrick Gymnasium within the school's athletic complex. The arena opened in 1963, originally seating 3,335 spectators and was expanded to its current capacity in 1990. It is named for Albert Lovejoy Gutterson, class of 1912, the school's first Olympian.

While Gutterson is a historic old time hockey venue, its charm far outweights it's creature comforts. Many fans have lobbied for better fan accommodations and more luxurious team spaces. Having not been to Gutterson recently I would be remiss to comment on the current state of being that is the Gut. For me this would be a far more suitable location for a Four Nation's Cup as opposed to the Worlds which would be better suited for a major hockey market in Minnesota or the Boston area.

The hockey teams have played host to a number of National Team exhibitions over the years including the Soviet Union national ice hockey team, Russian women's national ice hockey team, and the United States men's and women's national ice hockey teams. In addition it was the venue for the first ever women's hockey game that was nationally televised in the United States. The game took place on December 17, 1997. The game was part of the Three Nations Cup and carried live by the cable network Lifetime. The contest was a preview of the 1998 Olympic Gold Medal game in Nagano, Japan.

Check back with this story throughout the day for more information as it becomes available.

*Beyond the Dashers webmaster Mark Spencer and CHA-WCHA Correspondent Mel Webster contributed to this story.