The top annual women's hockey prize is up for grabs at worlds — but how much longer will that be the case?

The biggest prize of the women's hockey year is up for grabs over the next two weeks.

The CAA Centre in Brampton, Ont., will host the world championship, the yearly measure of where each country stands on the sport's biggest non-Olympic stage.

It makes for a unique dynamic among sports: players have plied their trade in various leagues across the world since the fall with the aim of peaking for the annual international event.

But how much longer will that continue to be the case?

Team Canada assistant captain Renata Fast told CBC Sports she hopes a professional championship will soon reach the same level as an international title.

"That's the goal. That is the goal for sure. One day we'll get there. Obviously, it'll still be an honour to always represent your country, but that is going to be really important, that next step," Fast said.

In North America, the gap between two women's hockey factions — the Premier Hockey Federation and the Professional Women's Hockey Players' Association — is well-documented. The PWHPA holds the vast majority of talent, while the PHF owns the established infrastructure.

Every single member of Team Canada either plays in the PWHPA or college, with top PHF talent like Brittany Howard and Loren Gabel left off the roster. Becca Gilmore, a forward, is the lone PHF player on the U.S. team.

The PWHPA will reportedly begin a formal pro league next fall, replacing the barnstorming series of Dream Gap Tour events it currently runs.

WATCH | Canada wins 2021 world championship:

Whichever side emerges — and history tells us there is only room for one — will have momentum on its side as women's sports and women's hockey continue to grow in popularity.

The world championship can only accelerate that