Italy women's national ice hockey team

Italy
Shirt badge/Association crest
NicknameLe Azzurre (The Blues)
AssociationItalian Ice Sports Federation
Head coachEric Bouchard
Assistants
CaptainNadia Mattivi
Most gamesLinda De Rocco (91)
Top scorerFederica Zandegiacomo (32)
Most pointsEleonora Dalprà (59)
Team colors     
IIHF codeITA
Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
Home colours
Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
Away colours
Ranking
Current IIHF18 Increase 1 (21 April 2025)[1]
Highest IIHF11 (2006)
Lowest IIHF20 (first in 2014)
First international
Czech Republic  6–0  Italy
(Feltre, Italy; 27 February 1993)
Biggest win
Italy  41–0  Bulgaria
(Liepāja, Latvia; 2 September 2008)
Biggest defeat
Canada  16–0  Italy
(Turin, Italy; 11 February 2006)
Olympics
Appearances2 (first in 2006)
World Championship
Appearances22 (first in 2000)
Best result16th (2000, 2018, 2019)
International record (W–L–T)
102–115–3

The Italian women's national ice hockey team (Italian: Nazionale femminile di hockey su ghiaccio dell'Italia) represents Italy at the Winter Olympic Games, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Women's World Championship, and other international ice hockey competitions. Nicknamed le Azzurre (lit.'the Blues')[2] on account of their blue uniform, the team is controlled by the Federazione Italiana Sport del Ghiaccio (FISG).

Women's participation in Italian ice hockey has remained relatively low but consistent in recent decades: Italy had 490 female players registered with the IIHF in 2011, and 487 female players in 2025.[3][4]

Tournament record

Olympic Games

  • 2006 – Finished in 8th place
  • 2026 – Finished in 8th place

World Championship

  • 1999 – Finished in 17th place (1st in Pool B)
  • 2000 – Finished in 16th place (8th in Pool B)
  • 2001 – Finished in 19th place (2nd in Division II/A)
  • 2003 – Finished in 18th place (4th in Division II)
  • 2004 – Finished in 17th place (2nd in Division II)
  • 2005 – Finished in 16th place (2nd in Division II)
  • 2007 – Finished in 17th place (2nd in Division II)
  • 2008 – Finished in 19th place (4th in Division II)
  • 2009 – Finished in 19th place (4th in Division II)
  • 2011 – Finished in 17th place (4th in Division II)
  • 2012 – Finished in 20th place (6th in Division IB)
  • 2013 – Finished in 22nd place (2nd in Division IIA)
  • 2014 – Finished in 21st place (1st in Division IIA)
  • 2015 – Finished in 19th place (5th in Division IB)
  • 2016 – Finished in 18th place (4th in Division IB)
  • 2017 – Finished in 19th place (5th in Division IB)
  • 2018 – Finished in 16th place (1st in Division IB, promoted to Division IA)
  • 2019 – Finished in 16th place (6th in Division IA, relegated to Division IB)
  • 2020 – Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic[5]
  • 2021 – Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic[6]
  • 2022 – Finished in 18th place (3rd in Division IB)
  • 2023 – Finished in 19th place (3rd in Division IB)
  • 2024 – Finished in 19th place (3rd in Division IB)
  • 2025 – Finished in 17th place (1st in Division IB, promoted to Division IA)[7]
  • 2026 – (Division IA)

Team

2026 Olympics roster

The roster was named on 20 January 2026.[8]

Head coach: Canada Eric Bouchard[9]

No. Pos. Name Height Weight Birthdate Team
1 G Gabriella Durante 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) 69 kg (152 lb) (2001-01-20)20 January 2001 (aged 25) Italy Real Torino
2 D Amie Varano 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) 65 kg (143 lb) (1994-06-18)18 June 1994 (aged 31) Sweden Malmö Redhawks
3 D Manuela Heidenberger 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in) 66 kg (146 lb) (2007-09-15)15 September 2007 (aged 18) Finland HPK Hämeenlinna
4 F Carola Saletta 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) 66 kg (146 lb) (1993-02-11)11 February 1993 (aged 32) Switzerland HC Fribourg-Gottéron
8 F Anna Caumo 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in) 67 kg (148 lb) (2002-02-16)16 February 2002 (aged 23) Italy HC Pustertal Wölfe
10 F Aurora Abatangelo 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) 69 kg (152 lb) (2002-12-14)14 December 2002 (aged 23) Switzerland HC Davos
11 F Justine Reyes 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) 72 kg (159 lb) (1997-02-14)14 February 1997 (aged 28) Sweden Modo Hockey
12 F Rebecca Roccella 1.62 m (5 ft 4 in) 60 kg (130 lb) (2001-04-03)3 April 2001 (aged 24) Switzerland HC Davos
13 D Laura Lobis 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) 72 kg (159 lb) (2006-03-25)25 March 2006 (aged 19) Italy SV Kaltern
14 F Eleonora Bonafini 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) 74 kg (163 lb) (1995-02-17)17 February 1995 (aged 30) Italy Bolzano Eagles
15 D Greta Niccolai 1.62 m (5 ft 4 in) 60 kg (130 lb) (2001-05-10)10 May 2001 (aged 24) Switzerland HC Davos
17 F Matilde Fantin 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) 74 kg (163 lb) (2007-01-01)1 January 2007 (aged 19) United States Penn State Nittany Lions
18 D Franziska Stocker 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) 75 kg (165 lb) (1997-12-16)16 December 1997 (aged 28) Sweden Södertälje SK
19 F Kristin Della Rovere 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) 74 kg (163 lb) (2000-11-30)30 November 2000 (aged 25) Canada Toronto Sceptres
21 F Marta Mazzocchi 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in) 61 kg (134 lb) (2004-08-23)23 August 2004 (aged 21) Italy Bolzano Eagles
22 F Sara Kaneppele 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) 74 kg (163 lb) (2003-06-30)30 June 2003 (aged 22) Italy Bolzano Eagles
25 G Martina Fedel 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) 62 kg (137 lb) (2002-12-20)20 December 2002 (aged 23) Canada University of Guelph
27 D Kristen Guerriero 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) 77 kg (170 lb) (1999-05-27)27 May 1999 (aged 26) Italy Bolzano Eagles
55 D Jacquie Pierri 1.63 m (5 ft 4 in) 65 kg (143 lb) (1990-06-11)11 June 1990 (aged 35) Italy Bolzano Eagles
66 G Margherita Ostoni 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) 68 kg (150 lb) (2006-07-01)1 July 2006 (aged 19) Sweden IF Björklöven
77 D Laura FortinoA 1.63 m (5 ft 4 in) 62 kg (137 lb) (1991-01-30)30 January 1991 (aged 35) Italy Real Torino
82 F Kayla TutinoA 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) 62 kg (137 lb) (1992-12-18)18 December 1992 (aged 33) Italy Real Torino
93 D Nadia MattiviC 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) 78 kg (172 lb) (2000-05-02)2 May 2000 (aged 25) Sweden Luleå HF

Head coaches

  • Markus Sparer, c. 1999–2005
  • Herbert Frisch, 2006–2007
  • Marco Liberatore, 2007–2019
  • Massimo Fedrizzi, 2021–2023
  • Stéphanie Poirier, 2024–

References

  1. ^ "World Ranking". IIHF.com. International Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  2. ^ "Mondiale femminile, le Azzurre sono perfette – Lettonia battuta 6 a 0". Federazione Italiana Sport del Ghiaccio (in Italian). 12 April 2025. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  3. ^ "Italy". International Ice Hockey Federation. 2011. Archived from the original on 26 May 2011. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  4. ^ "IIHF Member National Association Italy". International Ice Hockey Federation. 2025. Archived from the original on 16 April 2025. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  5. ^ Steiss, Adam (2 March 2020). "IIHF cancels March tournaments". International Ice Hockey Federation.
  6. ^ Steiss, Adam (18 November 2020). "IIHF Council announces more cancellations". International Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  7. ^ "Mondiale femminile, l'Italia è promossa in Gruppo A". Federazione Italiana Sport del Ghiaccio (in Italian). 13 April 2025. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  8. ^ "Ufficializzate le Nazionali dei cinque sport sul ghiaccio: pronti 87 azzurri per i Giochi di Milano Cortina". fisg.it. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
  9. ^ "Team roster: Italy". iihf.com. 5 February 2026. Retrieved 5 February 2026.