1997 IIHF Women's World Championship

1997 IIHF Women's World Championship
Tournament details
Host country Canada
Venue(s)Brantford, Brampton, Hamilton, Kitchener, London, Mississauga, North York (in 7 host cities)
DatesMarch 31 – April 6, 1997
Opened byRoméo LeBlanc
Teams8
Final positions
Champions  Canada (4th title)
Runner-up  United States
Third place  Finland
Fourth place China
Tournament statistics
Games played20
Goals scored129 (6.45 per game)
Attendance60,418 (3,021 per game)
Scoring leader(s)Finland Riikka Nieminen 10 points
← 1994
1999 →

The 1997 IIHF Women's World Championships was held March 31 – April 6, 1997, in seven Canadian cities all in the Province of Ontario.[where?] Team Canada won their fourth consecutive gold medal at the World Championships defeating the United States, however this time the United States took Canada in the closest final so far, losing in overtime. Finland picked up their fourth consecutive bronze medal, with a win over China who made the Semi-Final for the second consecutive year.[1]

This tournament also served as the qualifier for the Nagano Olympics, with the top five finishers joining host Japan. Sweden defeated first Switzerland, then Russia, in the consolation round to join the four semi-finalists in the Olympics.

Qualification

The following teams participated in the championship. Qualification was the top three from the 1996 Pacific Rim Championship, and the top five from the 1996 European Championship.

Final tournament

The eight participating teams were divided up into two seeded groups as below. The teams played each other once in a single round robin format. The top two teams from the group proceeded to the Final Round, while the remaining teams played in the consolation round.

First round

Group A

Standings

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Canada 3 3 0 0 22 2 +20 6 Advanced to Final round
2  China 3 2 0 1 18 12 +6 4
3  Russia 3 0 1 2 6 18 −12 1 Sent to Consolation round
4   Switzerland 3 0 1 2 6 20 −14 1
Source: [citation needed]

Results

All times local

March 31, 1997
7:00 pm		China 6 – 2
( 3 - 0, 2 - 2, 1 - 0)		 RussiaHamilton
Attendance: 750
Hong S. 7:36
Guo W. 11:22
Yang 12:26
Hong D. 27:23
Hong D. 37:03
Hong Sang 40:36		GoalsE. Pashkevich 20:06
L. Mishina 33:51
March 31, 1997
7:30 pm		Canada 6 – 0
( 1 - 0 , 2 - 0 , 3 - 0 )		  SwitzerlandKitchener
Attendance: 3,889
V. Sunohara 07:36
H. Wickenheiser 21:25
D. Goyette 32:04
N. Drolet 58:28
A. James 59:36
R. Fahey 59:51		Goals
April 1, 1997
7:00 pm		China 11 – 3
( 5 - 2 , 3 - 0 , 3 - 1 )		  SwitzerlandMississauga
Attendance: 1,207
Zhang L. 4:06
Liu H. 7:44
Zhang L. 8:27
Guo L. 8:54
Gong M. 11:47
Zhang J. 28:47
Wang W. 30:24
Liu H. 38:19
Guo W. 50:52
Liu H. 54:38
Yang X. 59:17		GoalsM. Walder 9:42
D. Wyss 19:26
Penalty Shot 59:17
April 1, 1997
7:30 pm		Canada 9 – 1
( 3 - 0 , 3 - 0 , 3 - 1 )		 RussiaKitchener
Attendance: 5,559
J. Hefford 11:06
V. Sunohara 14:19
L. Letendre 19:49
S. Wilson 23:52
L. Schuller 24:57
H. Wickenheiser 36:54
K. Nyrstrom 42:53
D. Goyette 44:49
F. St. Louis 45:49		GoalsM. Misropian 48:43
April 3, 1997
7:30 pm		Switzerland 3 – 3
( 1 - 0 , 2 - 3 , 0 - 0 )		 RussiaNorth York
Attendance: 1,089
M. Noethiger 8:20
R. Kuenzle 25:19
M. Baechler 27:01		GoalsE. Pachkevitch 28:31
V. Simanova 34:03
E. Bialkovskaya 36:52
April 3, 1997
7:30 pm		Canada 7 – 1
( 5 - 0 , 1 - 0 , 1 - 1 )		 ChinaKitchener
Attendance: 5,457
C. Campbell 8:34
L. Dupuis 9:30
H. Wickenheiser 12:29
V. Sunohara 13:36
C. Campbell 14:56
G. Heaney 23:20
L. Dupuis 56:55		GoalsGuo W. 44:48

Group B

Standings

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  United States 3 2 1 0 20 3 +17 5 Advanced to Final round
2  Finland 3 2 1 0 18 3 +15 5
3  Sweden 3 0 1 2 2 17 −15 1 Sent to Consolation round
4  Norway 3 0 1 2 2 19 −17 1
Source: [citation needed]

Results

All times local

March 31, 1997
4:00 pm		Norway 0 – 7
( 0 - 2 , 0 - 3 , 0 - 2 )		 United StatesKitchener
Attendance: 3,100
GoalsS. Looney 1:51
S. O'Sullivian 5:19
L. Baker 26:55
C. Granato 29:05
K. O'Leary 34:25
G. Ulion 42:19
S. Looney 46:21
March 31, 1997
4:00 pm		Finland 5 – 0
( 3 - 0 , 1 - 0 , 1 - 0 )		 SwedenBrampton
T. Reima 00:37
P. Salo 03:58
T. Paananen 04:51
M. Ihalainen 20:32
T. Reima 56:09		Goals
April 1, 1997
4:00 pm		Norway 2 – 2
( 2 - 0 , 0 - 1 , 0 - 1 )		 SwedenKitchener
Attendance: 3,068
T. Larson 08:59
B. Lersbryggen 17:17		GoalsM. Rooth 36:56
G. Andersson 58:00
April 1, 1997
7:00 pm		Finland 3 – 3
( 1 - 2 , 0 - 1 , 2 - 0 )		 United StatesBrantford
T. Reima 17:38
R. Nieminen 51:56
S. Krooks 54:36		GoalsT. Dunn 4:27
C. Granato 19:18
C. Granato 31:11
April 3, 1997
7:00 pm		Norway 0 – 10
( 0 - 3 , 0 - 3 , 0 - 4 )		 FinlandKitchener
Attendance: 3,401
GoalsR. Nieminen 03:13
R. Nieminen 11:06
J. Ikonen 16:12
M. Ihalainen 33:43
K. Riipi 34:47
K. Hänninen 37:12
R. Nieminen 40:52
A. Haanpää 47:43
T. Reima 52:11
A. Haanpää 59:55
April 3, 1997
7:00 pm		United States 10 – 0
( 4 - 0 , 3 - 0 , 3 - 0 )		 SwedenLondon
Attendance: 3,472
K. King 5:06
L. Brown-Miller 11:22
C. Granato 12:24
K. Bye 18:08
C. Granato 20:20
S. Whyte 20:37
K. Bye 39:09
S. Looney 42:25
T. Mounsey 46:05
K. Bye 50:36		Goals

Playoff round

Consolation round 5–8 place

April 4, 1997
4:00 pm		Sweden 7 – 1
( 2 - 0 , 1 - 1 , 4 - 0 )		  SwitzerlandKitchener
Attendance: 3,301
M. Rooth 1:49
Å. Elfving 08:24
E. Holst 35:49
Å. Elfving 43:38
E. Holst 49:36
K. Bergstrand 53:50
G. Andersson 54:07		GoalsR. Fuhrer 21:07
April 4, 1997
7:30 pm		Russia 2 – 1
( 1 - 1 , 1 - 0 , 0 - 0 )		 NorwayKitchener
Attendance: 2,849
O. Tretiakova 8:07
E. Pashkevich 38:38		GoalsB. Lersbryggen 17:15

Consolation round 7–8 place

April 6, 1997
2:00 pm		Switzerland 1 – 0
( 0 - 0 , 0 - 0 , 1 - 0 )		 NorwayKitchener
Attendance: 565
K. Lehmann 46:47Goals

Consolation round 5–6 place

April 6, 1997
1:00 pm		Russia 1 – 3
( 1 - 0 , 0 - 2 , 0 - 1 )		 SwedenKitchener
Attendance: 2,471
S. Nikolaeva 1:10GoalsG. Andersson 23:33
C. Kempe 23:33
C. Kempe 50:29

Final round

Semi finals
5 April 1997 		Finals
6 April 1997
      
A1  Canada 2
B2  Finland 1
 Canada 4
 United States 3
B1  United States 6
A2  China 0 Bronze Medal Game
 Finland 3
 China 0

Semifinals

April 5, 1997
1:00 pm		Canada 2 – 1
( 0 - 1 , 1 - 0 , 1 - 0 )		 FinlandKitchener
Attendance: 4,963
H. Wickenheiser 25:27
V. Sunohara 59:36		GoalsK. Hänninen 7:00
April 5, 1997
5:00 pm		United States 6 – 0
( 2 - 0 , 2 - 0 , 2 - 0)		 ChinaKitchener
Attendance: 3,832
S. Looney
T. Mounsey
K. Bye
S. O'Sullvian
L. Baker
G. Ulion		Goals

Match for third place

April 6, 1997
4:00 pm		Finland 3 – 0
( 0 - 0 , 0 - 0 , 3 - 0 )		 ChinaKitchener
T. Paananen 53:37
Unknown
Unknown		Goals

Final

April 6, 1997Canada 4 – 3
(1-0 , 1-2 , 1-1 , 1-0)		 United StatesKitchener
Attendance: 6,247
Referee:
Switzerland Sandra Dombrowski[2]
N. Drolet (S. Wilson, J. Diduck) - 19:361-0
1-127:15 - A. Blahoski (L. Baker, K. King)
A. James (C. Campbell, H. Wickenheiser) (PP) - 29:212-1
2-234:14 - S. O'Sullivan (C. Granato, Mounsey) (PP)
N. Drolet (J. Hefford, G. Heaney) (PP) - 40:113-2
3-342:26 - K. King (C. Granato, A. Blahoski)
N. Drolet (H. Wickenheiser, C. Campbell) - 72:594-3
35Shots27

Champions

 1997 IIHF World Women Championship winners 

Canada
4th title

Tournament Awards

The following was selected as the All-Star team of the tournament:

Final standings

Rk. Team Notes
1st place, gold medalist(s)  Canada Qualified for the 1998 Winter Olympic Games
2nd place, silver medalist(s)  United States Qualified for the 1998 Winter Olympic Games
3rd place, bronze medalist(s)  Finland Qualified for the 1998 Winter Olympic Games
4.  China Qualified for the 1998 Winter Olympic Games
5.  Sweden Qualified for the 1998 Winter Olympic Games
6.  Russia Qualified for the 1999 World Championships Qualification Tournament
7.   Switzerland Qualified for the 1999 World Championships Qualification Tournament
8.  Norway Qualified for the 1999 World Championships Qualification Tournament

Scoring leaders

Player GP G A Pts
Finland Riikka Nieminen 5 5 5 10
Canada Hayley Wickenheiser 5 4 5 9
United States Cammi Granato 5 5 3 8
Finland Tiia Reima 5 4 4 8
Canada Cassie Campbell 5 2 6 8
Canada Nancy Drolet 5 4 2 6
United States Shelley Looney 5 4 2 6
United States Karyn Bye 5 4 2 6
China Liu Hongmei 5 3 3 6
China Guo Wei 5 3 3 6

References

  1. ^ "1997 - IIHF Women's World Championship".
  2. ^ Podnieks, Andrew (9 December 2022). "IIHF honours international mix for Hall of Fame '23". International Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved 28 December 2022.