CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada announced Monday that three groups have officially submitted their bids to host the 2013 IIHF World Women's Championship: City of Kamloops, Ottawa, Ontario and Destination St. John’s/Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador.

The groups submitted their official bids in advance of the Friday, March 4 deadline, and will now make formal presentations in person to Hockey Canada’s site selection committee on Wednesday, April 6 in Calgary. 

On January 21, a total of five groups submitted letters of intent to bid on the 2013 IIHF World Women’s Championship. The Vancouver Island Amateur Hockey Association withdrew, while the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association and Ottawa Senators Sports and Entertainment joined to form one bid.

The 2013 IIHF World Women’s Championship site selection committee is comprised of Bob Nicholson (president/CEO, Hockey Canada), Ken Corbett (chair of the board, Hockey Canada), Scott Smith (chief operating officer, Hockey Canada) and Scott Farley (vice-president, marketing services and events, Hockey Canada).

Hockey Canada expects to conclude the bid process by the end of April and recommend a site to Hockey Canada’s Board of Directors.

For more information on those groups that submitted bids, please use the following contacts:

City of Kamloops – Norm Daley, bid chair, Kamloops 2013 WWC bid committee, 250-319-0628, [email protected]

Ottawa, Ontario – Fran Rider, president, OWHA, 905-282-9980, [email protected]; Phil Legault, vice-president of communications, Senators Sports and Entertainment, 613-599-0327, [email protected]

Destination St. John’s/Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador – Cathy Duke, chief executive officer, 709-739-8898, [email protected]

The 2013 IIHF World Women’s Championship will mark the sixth time Canada has played host to the tournament, joining 1990 (Ottawa, Ont.), 1997 (Kitchener, Ont.), 2000 (Mississauga, Ont.), 2004 (Halifax/Dartmouth, N.S.) and 2007 (Winnipeg/Selkirk, Man.).

Canada will attempt to win its 10th gold medal all-time at the 2011 IIHF World Women’s Championship, having previously won gold in 1990, 1992, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 20. Canada’s National Women’s Team has appeared in every gold medal game since the first IIHF World Women’s Championship in Ottawa, Ont., in 1990, winning silver in 2005, 20, in addition to its nine gold medals.

Canada opens the 2011 IIHF World Women’s Championship on April 16 against Switzerland, and will also face Kazakhstan and Finland in preliminary round play. The 2011 IIHF World Women’s Championship includes two groups of four teams, with the top three teams from each group advancing to the medal round, which starts on April 23.