Four teams, two tickets to gold — Women’s Worlds medal weekend preview

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Quarterfinal recap

Finland 3, Sweden 2
Finland opened quarterfinal day with a classic: a tight, physical battle against a Swedish team that had been red hot in the group stage. Jenniina Nylund and Ronja Savolainen scored early for Finland, but Sweden fought back to tie it up before Susanna Tapani sealed the win with a third-period goal. Sanni Ahola stood tall in net to help send Finland through to the semifinals for the second straight year.

Czechia 7, Switzerland 0
The home crowd was treated to a show in České Budějovice as Czechia overwhelmed Switzerland with five first-period goals. Natálie Mlýnová recorded a hat trick, and Klára Peslarová earned the shutout. Czechia’s offense was firing on all cylinders, and they’re looking more dangerous than ever heading into a tough semifinal against Team USA.

Canada 9, Japan 1
This one was never in doubt. Sarah Fillier and Jennifer Gardiner each had two goals, while Claire Thompson and Marie-Philip Poulin racked up assists. Japan made history with their first-ever goal against Canada at Worlds (shoutout to Mei Miura!), but the defending champs pulled away in the second and third periods with ease.

USA 3, Germany 0
The Americans kept things tidy in a low-event game that saw them outshoot Germany 48–12. Kelly Pannek, Lacey Eden and Alex Carpenter provided the goals, and Aerin Frankel picked up the shutout. USA has now allowed just two goals in five games, defense has been their calling card all tournament.

Semifinal matchups — April 19

🇺🇸 USA vs. 🇨🇿 Czechia — 9:00 a.m. ET / 15:00 local

This is a first-time semifinal meeting between the two nations, and the vibes are going to be electric. Czechia is riding the momentum of a huge quarterfinal win, and the home crowd will absolutely be a factor. Denisa Křížová and Natálie Mlýnová are leading the charge up front, and Klára Peslarová remains a backbone in net.

But they’re facing a Team USA squad that has looked calm, confident, and nearly impossible to score on. Hilary Knight, Alex Carpenter and Taylor Heise are doing their usual thing, and the blueline, led by Caroline Harvey, is quietly smothering opponents. It’ll take a near-perfect game from the Czechs, but with this crowd? Never say never.

🇨🇦 Canada vs. 🇫🇮 Finland — 1:00 p.m. ET / 19:00 local

For the second straight year, Finland is back in the final four. Tapani’s game-winner against Sweden was vintage Finnish grit, and Sanni Ahola has made big saves at big moments. They’ll need that and more to handle Canada, who are coming in off their most dominant performance of the tournament.

Canada’s offense has been rolling. Sarah Fillier is finding her stride at the perfect time, and Jennifer Gardiner is the tournament lead in goals. Expect Canada to come out flying, and Finland to do everything in their power to slow them down.

Leaders and stats to know

• Points leader: Marie-Philip Poulin (9 points — 3G, 6A)
• Goals leader: Jennifer Gardiner (5G)
• Goaltending notes: Aerin Frankel has two shutouts and hasn’t allowed a goal since the preliminary round. Klára Peslarová posted her second shutout of the tournament vs. Switzerland.

Also worth noting, Hilary Knight hit 51 career assists at the Women’s Worlds, passing Hayley Wickenheiser for the all-time tournament record.

Around the rink

Sweden vs. Switzerland will be your fifth-place game. Sweden surprised many in the group stage but couldn’t hold off Finland. Switzerland, meanwhile, struggled to score against top-tier defenses all tournament.

Germany finishes 7th, matching its 2023 placement. Japan finishes 8th after its historic goal against Canada.

Hungary and Norway have been relegated to Division 1A for the 2026 tournament.

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Around the hockey world

Waterford goalie Elaine Chuli thriving in the PWHL — Simcoe Reformer
Elaine Chuli is making waves in the PWHL and proudly representing her hometown while doing it. A great profile on one of the league’s top netminders.

Nova Scotia to host 2026 U18 Women’s World Championship — IIHF.com
The IIHF announced this week that the U18 Women’s Worlds are returning to Canada in 2026, with Sydney and Membertou set to co-host the tournament.

Ottawa to host 2025 PWHL draft — CBC Sports
The PWHL has announced that Ottawa will be the hosts of the 2025 PWHL draft.

Hilary Knight sets assist record at Women’s Worlds — The Athletic
Knight passed Hayley Wickenheiser to become the all-time assist leader at the Women’s World Championship, another milestone for the Team USA legend.

PWHL players at the Women’s Worlds: Standouts by country — The Ice Garden
Which PWHL stars are shining on the international stage? The Ice Garden breaks it down by team after the preliminary round.

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