The IIHF Women’s Worlds—one of the biggest annual tournaments in hockey—kicked off on April 3rd and the Canadian side has had as good of a start as they could hope for. Though still behind the United States based on goal differential in a tough Group A, the Canadians are one of three undefeated teams through the first three games.
April 4th: CAN 4 – FIN 1
Canada opened the tournament with a convincing win over the Finns, marking the 100th win for the program in the competition. Canada won silver in the 2023 edition of the championship while Finland finished fifth.
Canada opened the scoring at 9:15 when Brianne Jenner, the captain of PWHL Ottawa deposited a bouncing puck into the Finland net. Jamie Lee Rattray got the play started when she corralled a puck in her feet at the top of the left circle and wound her way into the high slot before letting the shot go. Rattray’s attempt was deflected by Sarah Filler on the way to the net and Jenner collected the rebound to put Canada up 1-0.
Canada dominated the first period shot totals, outshooting the Finns 17-7 but would leave the period only up one.
Though Finland started to find there game more in the second period, Canada would still strike first.
Defender Ella Shelton rimmed the puck down the offensive zone boards which was easily picked up by Natalie Spooner behind Finland’s goal. Spooner swung around the net and deftly backhanded the puck to Emma Maltais who, unguarded in the low slot, snapped the puck behind the Finnish goaltender to make it 2-0 Canada just under two minutes into the period.
Showing more fight and closing the gap in shots, Finland brought themselves within one at 15:11 in the second.
A slapshot from the point hit traffic on the way, creating chaos in front of the Canadian net. Michelle Karvinen jumped on the loose puck and curled behind the net before making a backhand pass in front to Petra Nieminen, who quickly tapped the puck into the yawning cage.
After killing off two penalties, the Canadians scored with over 30 seconds to go, restoring their two goal second period lead.
Kristin O’Neill repeatedly stickchecked the Finnish defender to get open near Finland’s goal line, receiving a pass from Danielle Serdachny. O’Neill then made a beautiful no-look backhand drop pass that found Julia Gosling all alone in front. Gosling made a quick move to her backhand and scored, getting her first goal for Team Canada in her first appearance.
The score stayed at 3-1 for most of the rest of the game despite Finland’s best efforts.
Eventually, on a late power play, Ella Shelton capitalized on a pile-up in front of the Finnish net and ripped a wrist shot off the post and in, giving Canada a late insurance marker. Shelton’s goal would stand as the game’s final goal, giving Canada the 4-1 win.
April 5th: CAN 3 – SUI 0
The Canadians suited up again the next day to edge the Swiss by a deceptively close 3-0 score.
Canada got to work quickly as Maltais grabbed her second goal of the tournament just 1:10 into the first.
Maltais’ goal came in very similar fashion to her first. Spooner picked up a chipped in puck near the offensive zone corner boards and made an aggressive move to cut to the front of the Swiss net. Spooner put a low shot off the far pad of Swiss goalie Andrea Braendli while Maltais tapped the rebound in for her second goal in as many days.
The Spooner and Maltais’ line would strike again soon after, this time with the goal coming off the stick of Sarah Nurse.
Spooner burst down the left wing and made another strong move to the front of the Swiss net before flinging the puck just over the crossbar on her initial chance. Switzerland picked up the puck but were prevented from exiting when Nurse poke-checked the Swiss captain Lara Stalder a few feet inside the blueline. Nurse then picked up the turnover off the right half-wall, drove into the faceoff dot and fired the puck in to put Canada up 2-0.
Nurse’s goal was Canada’s last of the period though they easily could’ve scored another with a plethora of quality chances in tight to the Swiss goal, a pattern that continued in even more extreme fashion in the second period.
Up 24-5 in shots, the Maltais-Nurse-Spooner line almost connected again but were shut down by Braendli. Coming in on a 3-on-2, Nurse manipulated the Swiss defender and had her snapshot deflected in tight, but Maltais couldn’t put in the rebound.
Canada would outshoot Switzerland 23-4 in the period (up to 31-7 at that point in the game) but couldn’t add another tally.
Braendli stood tall the rest of the contest, robbing Canada multiple times in the third period alone. Nevertheless, the Swiss couldn’t muster even one goal of their own. Fillier scored on Switzerland with their goalie pulled, handing Canada the 3-0 victory. Braendli made 43 saves in the loss.
April 7th: CAN 5 – CZE 0
The Czechs looked outclassed early in the Sunday evening tilt.
Off a faceoff two minutes into the first, Serdachny came from below the goal line, battled through the sticks of some Czechia defenders, found a loose puck in the crease and batted it home to put Canada up 1-0.
Canada kept pouring on the offence from there as O’Neill scored nine minutes into the game. She would add another with two and a half minutes to go, receiving a royal road pass from Jocelyne Larocque and ripping a wrist shot on net in one motion. The initial shot was saved but bounced around in front of the Swiss crease before O’Neill tipped it past the Swiss goalie. Canada finished the dominant period up 18-2 in shots.
Czechia had a stronger showing to open the second period, but it mattered little. Canada again led in shots with a 11-6 after Renata Fast sucked the life out of the Czechs with a long-distance goal four and a half minutes into the frame.
Canada didn’t need to do much for the rest of the game. The Canadians again outshot the Czechs by a landslide, leading 13-5 in the third. Laura Stacey added the cherry one top, spinning off a check near the left half-wall and powering herself to the front of the net. Stacey showed expert patience, sliding all the way across the Czech crease before flipping the puck over the Czech goalie. Stacey’s goal was the final one of the contest, delivering the Canadians the 5-0 win.
The Canadians played their last—and most consequential—game of the group stage on April 8th where they faced their rival United States to determine the top spot in Group A.
The game was dead-even through regulation, with Canada and the States playing to a scoreless tie through 60 minutes. Unfortunately, the Americans would ultimately be the only team to break the ice, scoring the game winner over three and a half minutes into overtime.
Brianne Jenner went down easily deep in the offensive zone, and with defender Larocque streaking hard to the American net, the turnover sprang a three-on-one the other way for the States. Kristen Simms received a drop pass off the rush and made no mistake, scoring to beat the Canadians 1-0.
