The United States may have won the big prize at the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship, earning its fifth gold medal, but the real winner will be grassroots hockey across Canada, thanks to legacy funding from the event.

The eight-day tournament at SBP Arena and the Nepean Sportsplex attracted 98,155 fans, the second-best attendance ever at the women’s world championship, and finished with a profit of just more than $500,000.

From those half-million dollars, Hockey Canada receives $250,864, and the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association, which hosted the event in partnership with Senators Sports & Entertainment, gets $125,432.

The remaining $125,432 will be split equally between Hockey Canada’s 13 branches; each will receive $9,649.

All legacy funds will be used for grassroots programming and to help continue to grow the women’s game across the country.

“Being able to host international events gives Hockey Canada the chance to show off the passion Canadians have for the game, and put our hockey-mad communities in the international spotlight,” said Bob Nicholson, president and CEO of Hockey Canada. “But most of all, these events create a legacy, and give us opportunities to continue to develop our game.”

International events hosted in Canada over the last 10 years, including the IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship and IIHF World Junior Championship, have generated more than $45 million in legacy funding, all of which has gone back to the grassroots of the game.

LEGACY FUNDING TO GRASSROOTS HOCKEY (2004-2013)
Hockey Canada – $21.6 million
Canadian Hockey League – $17.7 million
Branches – $7.7 million

Each of Hockey Canada’s 13 branches has received at least $375,000 in funding over the last decade. Branches that host international events receive a larger portion of the legacy.