BUFFALO, New York – Canada’s National Para Hockey Team has finished with the silver medal at the 2025 World Para Hockey Championship after dropping a 6-1 decision to the United States in the gold medal game Saturday afternoon.

Liam Hickey (St. John’s, NL)scored the lone goal early in the first period for the Canadians, who trailed 3-1 after one period and 4-1 after two as the North American rivals met in the final for the eighth-consecutive time at Para Worlds.

“That is the best game I’ve seen the U.S. play in a long time, and it’s just unfortunate that it came today against us,” said head coach Russ Herrington (Unionville, ON). “They didn’t give us any space or room to breathe. We were unable to impose our will at all tonight. I would say that is an American team that has been sitting on a sour feeling since last year’s final and they were waiting for their chance to get us back. We can take some solace in the fact it took that type of effort to beat us, but there is a lesson here too that now we need to have that same fire in our belly and take care of business [at the Paralympics] in Italy in March.”

Adam Kingsmill (Smithers, BC) made 18 saves as the United States outshot Canada 24-11.

Captain Tyler McGregor (Forest, ON) and Dominic Cozzolino (Mississauga, ON) earned assists on Hickey’s goal, while James Dunn (Wallacetown, ON) skated in his 100th game as a member of Canada’s National Para Hockey Team.

Cozzolino finished as Canada’s leading scorer with 15 points (7-8—15), two more than McGregor (6-7—13). They were third and fourth, respectively, in tournament scoring.

“Not the performance we wanted today,” said McGregor. “When you look at the bigger picture and look back at the full year and how far we’ve come and how much we’ve grown as a group, there are lots of positives we can find. This one didn’t go our way, and all the credit to the U.S., they played a heck of a game. This one hurts for sure, but for our group we know what we have to do: move forward, use this as fuel, get better every day and prepare to leave Milano-Cortina with a gold medal.”

Following the game, McGregor was named Best Forward of the tournament.

Canada finished first in Group A with a perfect 3-0 record in the preliminary round with wins over Germany (11-0), Korea (12-0) and China (4-2). It booked its spot in the gold medal game with a 3-0 semifinal victory over Czechia.

With the win over Korea in the preliminary round, Canada officially clinched its place at the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games , March 6-15 in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.

In 15 appearances at the World Para Hockey Championship, Canada has captured five gold medals (2000, 2008, 2013, 2017, 2024), in addition to five silver (2015, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2025) and three bronze (1996, 2009, 2012).

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Para Hockey Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow through social media on Facebook , X, Instagram and TikTok.

Here we go again. Canada’s National Para Hockey Team faces its cross-border rivals from the United States on Saturday night with the gold medal on the line at the 2025 World Para Hockey Championship.

Last Game

Canada punched its ticket to the gold medal game with a 3-0 semifinal win over Czechia on Friday. Liam Hickey and Adam Dixon scored 18 seconds apart midway through the first period to provide the Canadians all the offence they would need, Tyler McGregor added a power-play goal in the second period and Adam Kingsmill made eight saves for his second shutout in as many starts.

The Americans earned their place in the final with a 6-1 win over China in their semifinal. Declan Farmer had two goals and three assists to take sole possession of the tournament scoring lead, Jack Wallace also scored twice and the U.S. took charge with a four-goal second period.

Last Meeting

The rivals have met nine times this season, most recently in the finale of a three-game series in Thorold, Ontario in late March. Kingsmill starred in that game with a 16-save effort, Vincent Boily and Mathieu Lelièvre contributed a goal and an assist apiece and the Canadians earned a 2-1 victory.

The last meeting at Para Worlds was a thriller in last year’s gold medal game in Calgary. Kingsmill was again the story, making 24 saves, Dominic Cozzolino set the tone with a goal just 35 seconds in and Anton Jacobs-Webb netted the game-winner midway through the second period as Canada ended a seven-year gold medal drought with a 2-1 win.

What to Watch

We’ve mentioned him a couple of time already, but let’s do it once more – Kingsmill always seems to come up big in big games against the Americans. The 25-year-old was the unquestioned star of last year’s gold medal game, making a handful of point-blank saves to backstop Canada to a home-ice world title in Alberta. He’s also the only goaltender in Buffalo who has played more than one game and had yet to allow a goal, although he has had to make only 10 saves while blanking the Koreans and Czechs. Up front, James Dunn will reach at least one milestone; the forward will make his 100th appearance for Canada’s National Para Hockey Team and needs just one point to record 100 for his international career.

As he is at every major international event, Farmer is the straw that stirs the drink for the Americans. The Florida native is up to 18 points (10-8—18) after his five-point effort in the semifinals, good for a three-point cushion over Wallace and four over Cozzolino. A four-time world champion, Farmer is no stranger to the top of the scoring chart; he was first a year ago in Calgary (11-9—20 in five games), second in 2023 in Moose Jaw (9-3—12 in five games) and first at the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing (7-11—18 in four games). He has also been pretty darn good against the Canadians this season, recording 20 points (13-7—20) in nine games.

A Look Back

This is the 138th edition of the North American rivalry, with the Americans holding a slight edge.

Prior to last spring, the most recent Canadian win with a major title on the line came at the 2017 Para Worlds in Gangneung, South Korea. McGregor scored a pair of goals, Brad Bowden added a goal and two assists and Canada earned a 4-1 victory to lay claim to the world championship.

All-time record: United States leads 75-61-1 (15-7 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 261
United States goals: 321

Canada’s National Para Hockey Team is into the playoff round at the 2025 World Para Hockey Championship, facing off against Czechia in the first semifinal Friday at the LECOM Harborcenter.

Last Game

The Canadians closed out the preliminary round Tuesday with a 4-2 win over China, completing a perfect prelims and clinching top spot in Group A. Dominic Cozzolino potted a pair of goals, including the game-winner 3:47 into the third period to break open a tie game. Adam Dixon and Mathieu Lelièvre also found the back of the net for Canada, which pulled away with three goals in 3:38 early in the final frame.

Czechia put a scare into the United States in its prelim finale on Tuesday, getting within a goal in the third period before dropping a 4-3 decision. Michal Geier scored twice and Martin Zizlavsky was in on all three Czech goals, earning a trio of assists. Patrik Sedlacek was terrific in goal, making 25 saves.

Last Meeting

The semifinals of the 2024 Para Cup in Charlottetown, P.E.I., was the last time the Canadians and Czechs faced off. In that one, Tyler McGregor and Liam Hickey finished with a goal and an assist each, Cozzolino chipped in with two helpers and Canada edged Czechia 3-1 to move into the gold medal game.

What to Watch

Cozzolino has picked up right where he left off a year ago at Para Worlds. Last spring in Calgary, the Mississauga native earned Top Forward honours after finishing third in tournament scoring (7-10—17) and helping Canada end its long gold medal drought with a tone-setting goal just 35 seconds into the final against the rival Americans. In Buffalo, Cozzolino sits tied for the scoring lead with U.S. point-producer Declan Farmer with 13 points (7-6—13) in three games. He has also (for the moment) jumped past his linemate, Hickey, for sixth in all-time Team Canada scoring with 172 points (62-110—172) in 126 international games.

Filip Vesely has already surpassed his offensive output from a year ago in Calgary, posting seven points – all of them assists – in three prelim games to sit second in helpers, just one behind U.S. defenceman Jack Wallace. He led the Czechs with six points (4-2—6) in five games in Alberta. Vesely has a little more help this time around; Zizlavsky also sits at seven points (2-5—7), while Geier contibuted six goals in the round robin, tied for third behind Farmer (eight) and Cozzolino (seven). The Czechs were the only team in the tournament not to allow a power-play goal in the prelims, killing off all five man-advantages they faced.

A Look Back

Canada has an unblemished all-time record against the Czechs, winning all 21 meetings dating back to 2009.

These teams have met twice before in the semifinals at Para Worlds, both of them shutout wins for Canada; in 2013, Greg Westlake scored twice in a 6-0 victory, and in 2023, Cozzolino and James Dunn had two goals apiece in a 5-0 triumph.

All-time record: Canada leads 21-0
Canada goals: 84
Czechia goals: 10

Canada’s National Para Hockey Team closes out the preliminary round Tuesday morning at the 2025 World Para Hockey Championship, facing off against China with first place in Group A on the line.

Last Game

Canada made it back-to-back shutout wins with a 12-0 blanking of Korea on Sunday. Dominic Cozzolino led the way with a hat trick and three assists, James Dunn had a hat trick and Tyler McGregor added two goals and three helpers. The Canadians took charge early, going ahead 5-0 before the five-minute mark of the first period and scoring eight goals on 16 shots in the opening frame. The win assured Canada of a place in the semifinals, and clinched a berth at the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.

China improved to 2-0 with an 8-0 win over Germany on Sunday night. Tian Jin Tao scored a hat trick in the second period and Shen Yi Feng added two goals and three assists as the Chinese outshot the Germans 35-4.

Last Meeting

The Canadians and Chinese most recently clashed at the 2024 Para Cup in Charlottetown, P.E.I. McGregor netted a hat trick, Vincent Boily scored twice and Canada earned a 7-1 victory. The win was a true team effort; 13 of the 15 Canadian skaters recorded at least a point, and Corbin Watson turned aside eight of nine shots to record the victory.

What to Watch

James Dunn has his sights set on a pair of milestones in Buffalo. Barring injury, the Wallacetown, Ontario, product will become the 16th player to reach 100 international games when the tournament concludes next Saturday. But his hot start to the prelims has him within reach of another mark – in addition to his hat trick against the Koreans, Dunn had a goal and four assists in the tournament-opening win over Germany, leaving him just two points away from 100 for his Team Canada career. He would be only the ninth player to reach the century mark. While we’re talking numbers… McGregor has nine points in two games (including his 150th career goal), putting him within 19 points of 300 for his career.

China is led by the three-headed monster of Shen, Tian and Wang Zhi Dong; the trio have combined for 21 points in two games and have scored 12 of the 14 goals for the Chinese – six for Tian and three each for Shen and Wang. Shen is up to his old tricks at Para Worlds; two years ago in Moose Jaw he led the tournament in scoring with 13 goals (including five in a win over Italy) and four assists, and he posted three goals and four helpers last spring in Calgary. He also starred on home ice at the 2022 Paralympics in Beijing, finishing second in scoring with 14 points (8-6—14) in six games and leading the host country to a bronze medal.

A Look Back

Canada and China have met only five times, all of which have come in the last 18 months. The Canadians have yet to lose, allowing just three goals in their five wins.

Their only previous Para Worlds meeting was a nailbiter in the semifinals a year ago in Calgary; the Canadians trailed 1-0 entering the third period before Micah Kovacevich and Cozzolino scored 24 seconds apart early in the third period, sending Canada to play for gold with a 2-1 win.

All-time record: Canada leads 5-0
Canada goals: 26
China goals: 3

Fresh off a tournament-opening win, Canada’s National Para Hockey Team is right back in action Sunday at the 2025 World Para Hockey Championship, taking on Korea as preliminary-round play continues.

Last Game

Canada opened its prelim schedule with an 11-0 win over Germany on Saturday. Tyler McGregor led the charge with four goals, Dominic Cozzolino had two goals and three assists and James Dunn chipped in with a goal and four helpers. The Canadians got better as the game went along; they led 1-0 after one period and 5-0 after two before pouring in six goals in the final 15 minutes.

The Koreans dropped a back-and-forth opener to China on Saturday night, erasing an early 2-0 deficit to take a 3-2 lead into the third period, only to allow four unanswered goals in a 6-3 loss. Kim Young Sung led the offence with two goals, while Lee Jae Woong was solid between the pipes in a 24-save effort as the Korea was outshot 30-7.

Last Meeting

The Canadians and Koreans last met in the tournament opener at the 2023 Para Worlds in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Canada flexed its offensive muscle in that one, scoring seven times in the first period en route to a 15-1 victory. Dominic Cozzolino led the charge with eight points – four goals and four assists – while Dunn (3-2—5), Adam Dixon (2-3—5) and McGregor (2-3—5) contributed five points apiece. In all, 11 of the 13 Canadian skaters recorded at least a point, and eight had multi-point efforts.

What to Watch

The odds are pretty good this won’t be the last time we see his name in this space, but let’s talk about McGregor. The Canadian captain continues to lead by example, potting four goals in the win over the Germans. The Forest, Ontario, native now has 153 goals in his international career, making him just the third player in Team Canada history to reach the 150 mark – Billy Bridges leads with 199, and Greg Westlake (now an assistant coach with the team) scored 175 in his decorated career. With the four goals, McGregor is up to 28 points (18-10—28) in 17 games this season; he has recorded at least one point in 11 of his last 12 games, and 14 of the 17 this season.

In his 11th Para Worlds, Jung Seung Hwan remains the offensive catalyst for the Koreans. A year ago, he posted eight points (4-4—8) at the world championship in Calgary, the highest scorer not to play for the powerhouse Canadians or Americans, and he put his name on the scoresheet again in the loss to China. The 39-year-old also led the Koreans in scoring at the 2023 Para Worlds in Moose Jaw, albeit with only three points (2-1—3) in five games. Jung is a para sport legend in Korea; he was the flag bearer for the Opening Ceremony and Closing Ceremony of the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, scoring six goals to lead the host nation to a bronze medal.

A Look Back

The head-to-head history has been decidedly one-sided, with the Canadians winning all 39 meetings and outscoring the Koreans 260-16.

Canada and Korea have met in the semifinals at the last two editions of the Paralympic Winter Games, and both have been shutout victories for the Canadians; McGregor had two goals and two assists in a 7-0 win in 2018, and he recorded four goals and two helpers in an 11-0 win in 2022.

All-time record: Canada leads 39-0
Canada goals: 260
Korea goals: 16

Canada’s National Para Hockey Team opens defence of its gold medal Saturday at the 2025 World Para Hockey Championship, beginning preliminary-round play against Germany.

Last Game

Canada last saw the ice in game action on March 29 in Thorold, Ontario, closing out its three-game series against the United States with a 2-1 win. Mathieu Lelièvre scored midway through the second period and Vincent Boily netted the winner early in the third as the all-Quebec trio of Lelièvre (1-1—2), Boily (1-1—2) and Anton Jacobs-Webb (0-2—2) provided all the offence. Adam Kingsmill was terrific in goal, making 16 saves.

The Germans most recently swept a three-game series with Norway in mid-January, gaining a measure of revenge for their loss to the Norwegians in the B-Pool World Championship last spring.

Last Meeting

You have to go all the way back to the preliminary round at the 2017 Para Worlds in South Korea for the last meeting between the Canadians and Germans. Canada dominated the prelim finale, getting a natural hat trick from Tyler McGregor and two goals apiece from Dominic Cozzolino and Corbyn Smith in a 9-0 victory. Dominic Larocque needed to make just two saves for the shutout as the Canadians held a wide 45-2 advantage in shots on goal.

What to Watch

All eyes are on Adam Dixon as he makes Team Canada history on Saturday. Dixon is set to pass Billy Bridges as the all-time games played leader for Canada’s National Para Hockey Team, skating in his 252nd international contest. Save for a three-year hiatus following the 2018 Paralympics, the Midland, Ontario, native has been a fixture in the Team Canada lineup for almost two decades, first as one of the best defencemen in the para game and more recently as a dependable second-line centre. Dixon joined elite company during the Reeve Hockey Classic in February, recording his 100th career goal and becoming just the fifth Canadian to reach that mark. He is No. 5 in all-time Team Canada scoring, with 266 points (100-166—266) in 251 career games.

Felix Schraeder’s numbers at the B-Pool Worlds look like something out of a video game. Schraeder finished as the scoring leader with a ridiculous 31 points (19-12—31) in five games to help Germany to a silver medal. His tournament included eight goals and four assists against Great Britain, three goals and three assists against Kazakhstan, and six goals and three assists against France. Schraeder will be looking to repeat that performance in the A-Pool and avoid a repeat of 2023; he had just a goal and an assist in four games in Moose Jaw as the Germans were relegated.

A Look Back

The Canadians and Germans have met 14 times since para hockey joined the Hockey Canada family in 2004, although 13 of those came prior to the Vancouver 2010 Paralympics.

The teams met twice in British Columbia as part of the 2009 Hockey Canada Cup, a test event for the Paralympics; Brad Bowden had two goals and four assists in a 12-1 win for Canada in the tournament opener, and Bridges netted a hat trick and added three helpers in a 9-0 semifinal victory.

All-time record: Canada leads 13-0-1
Canada goals: 98
Germany goals: 10

CALGARY, Alberta – With less than a month until the puck drops, Hockey Canada has announced the 17 players who will wear the Maple Leaf with Canada’s National Para Hockey Team and compete for a gold medal at the 2025 World Para Hockey Championship, May 24-31 at LECOM Harborcenter in Buffalo, New York.

The roster – two goaltenders, six defencemen and nine forwards - was selected by head coach Russ Herrington (Unionville, ON), assistant coaches Steve Arsenault (Spruce Grove, AB), Mike Fountain (Gravenhurst, ON), Liam Heelis (Georgetown, ON), Boris Rybalka (Vernon, BC) and Greg Westlake (Oakville, ON). Benoit Roy (Sudbury, ON), director of hockey operations, and Adam Janssen (Richmond Hill, ON) , manager of hockey operations, also provided input.

“Entering the World Championship as the defending champions is not something we take lightly,” said Herrington. “We know that every country will bring their best against us. As a group we have continued to grow and develop over the last year, from the Para Cup to the USA series. This roster has a ton of experience on the big stage, and we are excited to get going.”

The roster includes 16 players who helped Canada win a gold medal at the 2024 World Para Hockey Championship in Calgary (Armstrong, Boily, Burnett, Cozzolino, Dixon, Dunn, Halbert, Henry, Hickey, Jacobs-Webb, Kingsmill, Kovacevich, Lavin, Lelièvre, McGregor, Watson) .

Canada will be joined by China, Germany and Korea in Group A, while Group B features Czechia, Norway, Slovakia and the United States.

Canada opens its preliminary-round schedule on May 24 at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT against Germany and will face Korea on May 25 and China on May 27. The quarterfinals are set for May 28, followed by the semifinals on May 30 and the medal games on May 31.

All 20 tournament games will be available for free via livestream at USAHockeyTV.com .

Hockey Canada also announced the support staff that will travel to Buffalo:

• Equipment manager AJ Murley (St. John’s, NL)
• Athletic therapist Tracy Meloche (Essex, ON)
• Physiotherapist Michael Lenart (Keswick, ON)
• Team physician Dr. Danielle Kelton (Guelph, ON)
• Senior coordinator, operations Reid Folk (Stoughton, SK)
• Hockey operations coordinator Jake Grison (Lion’s Head, ON)
• Communications coordinator Branden Crowe (Virden, MB)

Canada has captured five gold medals at Para Worlds (2000, 2008, 2013, 2017, 2024), in addition to four silver (2015, 2019, 2021, 2023) and three bronze (1996, 2009, 2012).

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Para Hockey Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow through social media on Facebook , X, Instagram and TikTok.

Jocelyne Larocque remembers Game No. 1.

It was Nov. 4, 2008, in Lake Placid, New York, and a 20-year-old Larocque was in the lineup for Canada’s National Women’s Team for the first time as it opened up the 4 Nations Cup against Finland.

“I remember being extremely nervous, but really grateful for the opportunity to play on the national team,” Larocque says. “Just thinking every day, be a sponge, absorb as much as you can, watch what other players do and try to do what they do.”

Her debut was a successful one, both individually and as a team; Canada blanked Finland 6-0 and Larocque chipped in the sixth goal in the final minute, jumping in off the blue line to stuff in a Sarah Vaillancourt rebound.

Sixteen-and-a-half years later, Larocque is on the cusp of history. When she steps onto the ice Sunday for the gold medal game at the 2025 IIHF Women’s World Championship, the Ste. Anne, Manitoba, product will become just the fifth player in Team Canada history – and the first defender – to appear in 200 international games.

She will join Hayley Wickenheiser, Jayna Hefford, Caroline Ouellette and Marie-Philip Poulin, who reached the milestone in Canada’s quarterfinal win over Japan on Thursday.

“When I reflect on my history with Team Canada, I just feel a lot of gratitude,” says Larocque, who plies her trade professionally with the Ottawa Charge of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). “I don't think it’s common for people to be able to do what they love at the highest level on so many occasions. I reflect on when I first came on the team to where my journey has gone, and what really stands out to me is the people, the staff and players that I've been able to play with.”

She is a four-time world champion (2012, 2021, 2022, 2024) and a two-time Olympic gold medallist (2014, 2022) whose hockey résumé is as impressive as they come.

Twice an NCAA national champion (2008, 2010) and twice a First Team All-American (2008-09, 2010-11) at the University of Minnesota Duluth, Larocque also won a trio of Western Women’s Hockey League titles with the Calgary Oval X-Treme from 2005-07 and a Clarkson Cup with the Markham Thunder in 2018, and she was the first Canadian selected in the inaugural PWHL Draft in 2023, going second overall to Toronto.

And yet she still finds herself as one of the most underrated players in the women’s game. Perhaps it’s her lack of offensive numbers – that goal in her debut all the way back in 2008 is one of just nine she has scored wearing the Maple Leaf.

But what she brings to the team, and to the defensive group in particular, is so much more valuable.

“She hasn't been in a position to produce offensively because of that really important [shutdown] role that she's been given,” says Renata Fast, a teammate since 2015 and frequent blue-line partner. “She owns it, and she's so good at it. She loves shutting down other teams, and a lot of the time, a player like her, who's very defensive-minded, doesn't get the credit they deserve. I think for years, she's been the hardest player in the world to play against, and she's been a huge part of the success this program has had because just of her steadiness back there.

“In my time in the program, she's been the person that's changed the culture, allowing players to play their game right away, because she wants people to come in and be themselves, and you can sense that from just being around her. She’s just such an incredible teammate and one of the greatest leaders.”

As a leader, Larocque learned from the best. At that 2008 4 Nations Cup, she remembers the generosity of veterans Becky Kellar and Cheryl Pounder, providing an opportunity to pick their brains about all things Team Canada. She also mentions Wickenheiser and Colleen Sostorics as role models.

Now it’s her turn to be that role model for a young defensive group that in Ceske Budejovice includes 24-year-old Sophie Jaques and 18-year-old Chloe Primerano, two players with a combined six games of senior team experience coming into the tournament.

But for Larocque, it’s not about experience. It’s about having fun, playing relaxed and simply just enjoying the time you have with the Maple Leaf on your chest. That’s where success begins.

“I'm extremely competitive,” she says. “Everybody in this [Women’s Worlds] is, but you do have to remember that you're having a lot of fun. And I find when I'm playing light and free and fun, that's when I'm playing my best. Our D corps for many years now, things are very light and fun, but also very focused and detailed. I feel really proud that we've created that.

“What I like to remind younger players is that this is the highest level, so there are going to be mistakes, but to not let the mistakes define you or hurt your confidence. You can learn from them but still be confident in yourself and your abilities and to not let that snowball.”

Born May 19, 1988, Larocque has been the elder stateswoman with Team Canada for a number of years now, but the soon-to-be 37-year-old admits it wasn’t until Sarah Fillier joined the team as its first player born in the 2000s a few seasons ago that she really started to think about age.

Not surprisingly, they were thoughts of gratitude.

“The longer you play, obviously [younger] people are going to be coming up,” she says. “It’s kind of inevitable, but it's also something where you do take a second and you're like, ‘Wow, I am grateful that I'm still able to play at this level, doing what I love,’ because hockey brings me so much joy.”

“You have someone at this world championship like Chloe, who's quite a bit younger than her, and I know Chloe is so comfortable to go up to Joce and ask her for advice and spend time with her,” Fast adds. “And I know when I joined the program, Joce is someone that I migrated towards right away, just because of the quality she exudes, just so comforting and such a positive person in our locker room.”

But don’t let all this talk about age give the wrong impression. In her 12th Women’s Worlds and with a potential fourth Olympic Winter Games less than a year away, Larocque isn’t going anywhere.

“I've never let age dictate or hold me back,” she says. “I still think that I'm getting better and better every year, but [playing 200 games] also comes with a lot of discipline, where you do need to stay on top of your fitness. And I think that what has helped me stay on this team for so many years is making sure that I'm always ready – physically, mentally and emotionally.”

GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. UNITED STATES (APRIL 20)

It all comes down to this. Canada’s National Women's Team faces off against the United States on Sunday in the gold medal game at the 2025 IIHF Women’s World Championship.

Last Game

Canada scored four goals in 1:58 late in the second period to down Finland 8-1 in the semifinals Saturday. The Finns opened the scoring just 46 seconds into the game, but Erin Ambrose responded quickly and Marie-Philip Poulin added a record-breaking goal as the game-winner before the end of the first period. Fifteen players registered at least a point in the game, with Claire Thompson leading the way with her second-straight three-point performance (1-2—3) and Daryl Watts scoring a pair of goals. Ann-Renée Desbiens had 19 saves to record her 22nd Women’s Worlds win—the most of any goaltender in tournament history.

The U.S. earned its spot in the gold medal game with a narrow 2-1 win over Czechia. After the hosts scored the lone goal of the first period, Laila Edwards tied the game on a power play in the middle frame and Kelly Pannek notched the game-winning goal midway through the third to keep the Americans’ streak of appearing in every Women’s Worlds intact—24 for 24.

Last Meeting

Always the marquee matchup of the preliminary round, Canada dropped a 2-1 decision to the United States last Sunday. The Americans held a 2-0 lead after two periods before Laura Stacey scored on a breakaway to cut the lead in half seven minutes into the third. Desbiens made 26 saves in goal.

What to Watch

Jocelyne Larocque is set to become the first defender to reach 200 career games with Canada’s National Women’s Team. The 36-year-old has been a cornerstone of the Canadian blue line for over a decade and will become the fifth player to reach the milestone, following Poulin earlier in the tournament. In addition to her typical standout play on the defensive side, Larocque has three assists and is +5 heading into the gold medal game. On offence, Poulin continues to lead the way with four goals and seven assists in six games, putting her atop the tournament scoring list. The 34-year-old has found tremendous chemistry with Victoire de Montréal teammates Jenn Gardiner and Laura Stacey; the trio has combined for 11 goals and 27 points in six games and are a combined +31.

The Americans have gone with a scoring-by-committee approach, getting at least four points from six different players (Carpenter, Janecke, Keller, Knight, Murphy, Pannek). Hilary Knight continues to play at a high level in her 15th Women’s Worlds; the U.S. captain came into the tournament as the all-time leader in goals (67) and points (119), and became the all-time assist leader on April 15, passing the legendary Hayley Wickenheiser and her 49 assists to now sit at 52. Pannek is leading the way offensively for the Americans with four goals and eight points in six games.

Milestone Watch

Poulin may have taken over from Hayley Wickenheiser as Canada’s all-time points leader at the IIHF Women’s World Championship, but Captain Canada still has a couple of milestones on her mind. She needs two more goals to surpass Jayna Hefford as Canada’s all-time leading goal scorer and one more assist to take over from Wickenheiser atop that category.

A Look Back

It’s Chapter 192 in the story of Canada vs. United States, with the Canadians in search of win No. 109 in the rivalry.

This Women’s Worlds in Czechia marks the 11th different country to have hosted the North American rivals (in order of countries played in: Canada, Finland, United States, Japan, Sweden, Italy, China, Russia, South Korea, Denmark and Czechia).

All-time record: Canada leads 108-82-1 (25-21 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 530
United States goals: 467

GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. FINLAND (APRIL 19)

It’s Semifinal Saturday at the 2025 IIHF Women’s World Championship, with Canada’s National Women's Team set to take on Finland in its final four faceoff at Budvar Arena.

Last Game

Canada punched its ticket to the semifinals with a 9-1 win over Japan in its quarterfinal Thursday. Jenn Gardiner and Sarah Fillier scored two goals apiece to pace the offence for the Canadians, who piled up 62 shots on goal. Claire Thompson added a goal and two assists, Renata Fast had three helpers, and 14 skaters recorded at least a point. Included in that list was Marie-Philip Poulin; the captain celebrated her 200th international game with her 86th point at Women’s Worlds, pulling even with Hayley Wickenheiser for the most by a Canadian in tournament history.

The Finns survived their Nordic neighbours in their quarterfinal, edging Sweden 3-2 in the first game of the day Thursday. Jennina Nylund and Ronja Savolainen scored in the first period and Susana Tapani netted the winner midway through the second after the Swedes had battled back, assuring Finland a place in the medal games for the second year in a row and 22nd time in 24 Women’s Worlds dating back to the inaugural event in 1990.

Last Meeting

Canada and Finland met last Thursday in the Canadians’ prelim opener, a 5-0 win. Gardiner scored a pair of goals, Poulin had a goal and an assist and Kristen Campbell was perfect in her first-ever Women’s Worlds start, making 24 saves for the shutout.

What to Watch

Gardiner has been a revelation for the Canadians, leading the tournament with five goals in as many games (and sitting in a four-way tie for second with seven points) despite coming into the tournament with just four games of National Women’s Team experience (and only 14 across all three levels of the Team Canada women’s program). And it doesn’t seem to matter where head coach Troy Ryan plugs the Surrey, B.C., native into the lineup – she opened the tournament with a pair of goals on the top line with Poulin and Laura Stacey, and struck twice on the fourth unit alongside Kristin O’Neill and Emma Maltais against the Japanese. Gardiner is no stranger to filling the net; she averaged more than a point per game across her final three NCAA seasons with Ohio State University and won a pair of national championships with the Buckeyes, and those offensive skills have transferred pretty well to the pro grame; Gardiner is second in PWHL rookie scoring with 16 points (4-12—16) in 27 games, trailing only Fillier.

Finland misses Jenni Hiirikoski. Seven times the Top Defender at Women’s Worlds, the tournament’s all-time leader in games played (96) and the Finns’ heart-and-soul captain, Hiirikoski is absent from the lineup for the first time since 2003 due to a mysterious illness that has kept her sidelined for all but four games since January. With the future Hall of Famer missing, Savolainen has done the heavy lifting on the Finnish blue-line, scoring three of her team’s 10 goals and averaging more than 21 minutes per game. Finland will also need its goaltenders to step up. The trio of Sanni Ahola, Anni Keisala and Emilia Kyrkko have all made appearances thus far, but have combined for a tournament-low .870 save percentage.

Milestone Watch

Poulin has a couple of milestones on her mind. Captain Canada needs three more goals to surpass Jayna Hefford as Canada’s all-time leading goal scorer at the IIHF Women’s World Championship, and two more assists and one more point to take over from Hayley Wickenheiser atop those categories.

In goal, Ann-Renée Desbiens needs just one victory to surpass Swiss icon Florence Schelling and become the winningest goaltender in Women’s Worlds history (22).

A Look Back

The head-to-head history sways decisively to the North American side of the Atlantic Ocean, with Canada owning 88 wins and a tie in 91 all-time meetings with Finland.

This will be the 14th time the Canadians and Finns will face off in a semifinal at Women’s Worlds; the 12th and most recent victory for Canada came in 2017 in Michigan, when Poulin had a goal and an assist and Shannon Szabados posted a 23-save shutout in a 4-0 win.

All-time record: Canada leads 88-2-1
Canada goals: 469
Finland goals: 115