Tournament Recap – November 11
Herning and Esbjerg, Denmark | November 6–16, 2026
The 2026 IIHF Women’s World Championship has delivered an exciting opening week of international hockey, with Canada and the United States establishing themselves as the teams to beat.
Both North American powerhouses completed the preliminary round undefeated, setting up an intriguing medal-round competition as the tournament moves toward the championship final.
Wednesday’s Results – November 11
Canada 2 – 0 Finland
Canada finished the preliminary round with a shutout victory over Finland.
Caitlin Kraemer scored the opening goal.
Sarah Fillier added Canada’s second.
Ann-Renée Desbiens stopped all 25 shots for the shutout.
Finland’s Sanni Ahola made 36 saves in a strong individual performance despite the defeat.
United States 8 – 1 Czechia
Team USA delivered an emphatic performance against Czechia
.
Hilary Knight recorded a hat trick.
Abbey Murphy scored twice.
Grace Zumwinkle, Laila Edwards and Alex Carpenter also scored.
Natálie Mlýnková scored Czechia’s lone goal.
Knight finished the preliminary round with six goals.
Other Wednesday results
Germany 3–1 Switzerland.
Sweden 5–0 Japan.
Germany produced an important victory over Switzerland, while Sweden closed its group-stage campaign with a shutout.
Quarterfinal Preview – November 13Key medal-round matchups include:
Canada vs. Czechia
United States vs. Denmark
Germany vs. Finland
Sweden vs. Switzerland
Japan and Austria face the relegation matchup.
What’s Next
November 13: Quarterfinals
November 15: Semifinals
November 16: Bronze medal game
November 16: Gold medal game
Final Tournament Takeaway
Canada has shown excellent depth, defensive discipline and goaltending.
Desbiens’ shutout against Finland was an important statement.
The United States has been equally impressive, with Hilary Knight leading an explosive offensive attack.
The gold-medal race is shaping up to be another major Canada–USA showdown.
