Previewing Canada's title defence at the 2022 IIHF Women’s World Championship

Team Canada begins their quest for its 12th gold medal in Denmark as the 2022 IIHF Women’s World Championship kicks off Thursday, returning to the tournament as reigning champions from last year as well as winners of Olympic gold at this year's Beijing Olympics in the interim.

As the tournament proceeds through September 4, here are storylines to watch for.

Players to watch

Marie-Philip Poulin has been the team’s captain since 2015, and she has lived up to the title. She has competed in nine World Championships and scored 24 goals while racking up 31 assists. In last year’s championship, Poulin scored the overtime-winning goal against rival USA. As far as captains go, Poulin has been as reliable as it gets.

While still considered a newcomer, Sarah Fillier is proving to be a player to watch for years to come. The 22-year-old competed during last year’s championship, where she scored three goals and notched three assists. She also competed in the 2022 Olympic Games as a member of Team Canada, where she scored eight goals. Just recently, during an exhibition game against Denmark, Fillier scored four goals. Canada would go on to win the game 14-1.  

The 2022 Olympic tournament MVP, Brianne Jenner, will be looking to produce another stellar performance. Coming off the Olympics, where Canada won gold, Jenner scored nine goals and five assists. The three-time Olympian has competed for Canada in the world championship since 2009, where she’s delivered 39 points. Hopefully, Jenner can win a second MVP in under a year. 

Canada vs USA rivalry 

It’s no secret to say that Canada and the USA are always the top teams competing in the World Championship or the Olympics. Because of each country’s dominance, both teams have faced each other 19 times out of 20 in the World Championship finals. Last year’s overtime championship game became an instant classic when Canada won gold for the first time since 2012 and knocked the USA off their five consecutive gold medals at Worlds. 

However, the rivalry is not limited to the World Championship; it’s heightened even more on the Olympic stage. The two teams have always faced each other in the Olympic finals, except in 2006 when Canada faced Sweden. Canada has five gold medals compared to the Americans’ two. At the center of it all is Poulin. In the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, she scored two goals in Canada’s shutout against the USA. During the 2014 Sochi Olympics, she scored the game-tying goal with under a minute in regulation and later scored the game-winner in overtime. During the 2022 Beijing Olympics, Poulin scored Canada’s final goal to put them up 3-2 and seal another Olympic victory.

Teams to watch

Besides the powerhouse Americans, Finland is the only team to make it to a World Championship final. During the 2019 Championship, they stunned the Canadians, who were without Poulin, and won 4-2 in the semifinal game. They would lose 2-1 in the finals in a controversial no-goal call against the Americans. Last year, the team’s goalie Anni Keisala ended the tournament with a 94.6 save percentage. It was the second-best of all the goaltenders; it’s something to keep an eye on heading into the tournament. Once again, Finland are the underdogs.

Of course, the Americans remain Canada’s top competition, especially after last year's result. The team is led by captain Kendall Coyne Schofield, who competed in seven World Championships. She has six gold medals and one silver from Worlds. Alongside her will be Hilary Knight, the veteran forward scored four goals and six assists during the 2021 World Championship. Get that popcorn ready, because USA and Canada are slated for their next matchup on Aug. 30 at 2 pm during the preliminary round.