For the first time in seven years, the IIHF Women’s World Championship has returned to be played in front of Canadian fans.
Ever since the 2016 Women's World Championship in Kamloops, B.C., the country has patiently awaited its turn to host the event again.
However, when it was due to finally happen, in 2020, the tournament was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. And although it ran the following year, it did so behind closed doors. Originally scheduled to be held in Halifax and Truro, N.S., in May 2021, the tournament was both rescheduled and relocated, eventually taking place three months later in Calgary.
The 2022 Women’s World Championship in Denmark thankfully saw fans return as part of the experience, though it was uncharacteristically held in late summer for the second consecutive year. This was a result of the decision to have the top division play within the same calendar year as the Winter Olympics – for the first time in tournament history.
Fast forward to present day, and the tournament is back in front of fans and back to its usual spring scheduling, officially kicking off on Wednesday at the CAA Centre in Brampton, Ont.
Considered a highlight of the hockey season by many, the 2023 Women’s World Championship features the best of the best facing off as they represent their respective countries. The tournament consists of 10 teams – as it has since 2019 – divided into two five-team pools tiered based on previous results. Pool A is made up of Canada, USA, Czechia, Switzerland and Japan, while Group B consists of Finland, Sweden, Hungary, Germany and France.
Each country, with the exception of France, took part in the 2022 tournament. France joins the competition at the top level for the first time in four years after Denmark was relegated to Division I following a last-place finish as the host nation last year. (Side fact: there’s also a Division II and Division III.)
Running until April 16, the Women’s World Championship begins with each country playing four round-robin games within its pool. All countries from Pool A automatically advance on, in addition to the top three countries from Pool B. From there, on to the quarterfinals, semifinals and placement games (which feature a knockout format to rank the teams that do not advance) are played. The 31-game schedule concludes with the bronze and gold medal games.
Although Canada is considered the favourite to win after taking home gold in both 2022 and 2021 (plus its Olympic gold win in 2022), anything is possible, contrary to the flak this tournament often receives for being a two-team show. And even if a Canada-USA final feels inevitable, there will be other storylines to follow.
Take, for example, Czechia’s Cinderella story from last year when they earned bronze after years of relegation or bottom-half finishes at the top division. Also, Japan’s climb up to fifth place – and an earned spot in Pool A for the first time in its history. At the very least, we know the U.S. is champing at the bit to be No. 1, and it has a more than decent shot to do it.
Here's a deeper dive into the 10 countries we’ll be watching compete over the next 12 days.
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