Previewing the 2023 Women's World Championship

Few would argue Canada enters the 2023 women’s World Championship as the gold medal favorite. Canada has won back-to-back gold at the World Championships and gold at the 2022 Olympic Games. They also defeated the USA in this winter’s Rivalry Series. 

While this tournament remains a battle between the USA and Canada, at recent tournaments, Finland, Sweden, and Czechia have all taken strides, including Czechia winning their first-ever bronze last year. With Sweden and Finland starting in Group B, Team USA and Canada will have clear routes to the medal round, but after them, the slate is clear for the next tier to step forward.

Here is a team-by-team look at how each roster stacks up at the upcoming women’s World Championship in Brampton, Ont. The tournament takes place from April 5 to 16.

From the 2022 World Championships, Team Canada returns 18 players, including Marie-Philip Poulin, Sarah Fillier, Blayre Turnbull and Ella Shelton, the team’s top four scorers. 

Add to this group the return of Natalie Spooner, Rebecca Johnston, and Claire Thompson, each of whom were stars for Canada in past international competitions but missed last year’s tournament, and you have a recipe for more gold. 

An intriguing addition to watch is NCAA standout Danielle Serdachny, who scored 71 points in 40 games for Colgate, leading the NCAA in scoring. At 21, Serdachny is the youngest player on Team Canada, the lone 2001-born player on the team and the only player making her national team debut in IIHF competition.

While Canada will enter as favorites, don’t count out the Americans, who will be there until the end barring a monumental upset. 

Back is the core of Amanda Kessel, Hilary Knight, Abby Roque, Alex Carpenter, Lee Stecklein and Megan Keller. USA was the last team to name their roster, and many were surprised when USA Hockey cut five members of their 2022 roster, including Jincy Dunne, Grace Zumwinkle and Jesse Compher. Instead, USA is bringing a wave of young players that should have Canada worried, if not now, then in the near future. 

USA has brought their next generation to the national program sooner than Canada, which may be part of Canada’s current hold on gold. Still, Team USA is built for success as these young players continue to improve. Taylor Heise, Hannah Bilka, Lacey Eden and Caroline Harvey are some of the young returning players, but all eyes will be on Tessa Janecke and Haley Winn, the two youngest players on the roster.

Coming off a historic bronze medal at last year’s World Championship, expectations are high for the burgeoning women’s hockey nation. Czechia will face a new challenge however, without Klara Peslarova, the reigning SDHL goalie of the year and World Championship all-star from the 2022 tournament. 

Still, the team features a plethora of returning standouts, including Michaela Pejzlova, Natalie Mlynkova, Daniela Pejsova, Tereza Pistekova, Alena Mills, Klara Hymlarova and Adela Sapovalivova. 

Tereza Vanisova and Dominika Laskova are also back with Czechia coming off an Isobel Cup title with the PHF’s Toronto Six, where Vanisova scored the overtime-winner. A newcomer to watch is Tereza Plosova, a 16-year-old who has been a scoring dynamo at the U-18 World Championships totalling 16 points in 10 games at the tournament the past two years. If their goaltending holds, Czechia could again contend for a medal.

Lara Stalder and Alina Muller are back. Beyond the duo, any offense put up by the Swiss will be scored by committee. 

The continued development of defender Alessia Baechler will be of interest to watch as she’s consistently been the best player for Switzerland’s U-18 team in recent years and got into a pair of games for the Swiss at the 2022 World Championship. Lara Christen and Sinja Leeman return to anchor the blueline, and Andrea Brandli is back in net after a strong NCAA season with Boston University. 

Switzerland played for bronze in 2022, but not because of the strength of their own play. To remain in Group A, they’ll need a better performance this time around. This team will win or lose by a tight system and worth ethic, not by out-skilling opponents.

If recent competitions are any indication, it’s no longer a given that Finland will win a medal. There are a few noticeable omissions from Finland’s roster this year, including Elisa Holopainen, who was the top Finnish scorer in Naisten Liiga this season and led Finland in scoring at the 2022 World Championship. Also gone is longtime veteran leader Susanna Tapani who did not play this season. Returning, however, is a strong blueline led by emerging international star Nelli Laitinen, who plays a physical game and is not afraid to join the attack, as well as Finnish legend Jenni Hiirikoski. 

Up front, the Finns will turn to returning players, including Petra Nieminen and Viivi Vainikka, and hope the long-awaited emergence of young star Sanni Vanhanen comes now. Similarly, 22-year-old​​ Julia Liikala had a breakout season in Naisten Liiga scoring 66 points in 30 games to finish third in league scoring. Anni Keisala, the 2020-21 World Championship and back-to-back Naisten Liiga best goaltender, will be counted upon to hold ground for Finland, get the nation back into Group A and avoid Finland sliding farther from their once cemented consensus position as the third-best women’s hockey nation in the world.

An obvious youth movement is on in Sweden, as Tre Kronor’s roster includes two 16-year-olds and a 17-year-old. Ebba Hedqvist and Hilda Svensson are up front, along with defender Mira Jungaker, who scored five points in six games as a 16-year-old at the 2022 World Championship. Having these youngsters gain experience will be crucial to moving Sweden’s international competitiveness forward. 

Up front, Hanna Olsson will be expected to carry the load offensively. She’s been Sweden’s top scorer at almost all recent international competitions. This season, she did not play in the SDHL but racked up points, breaking the 100-point mark in Sweden’s Division I league. Defensively, aside from Jungaker, Maja Nylen Persson is the key returnee, and Emma Soderberg, the WCHA goaltender of the year and NCAA goalie of the year finalist, is back in net. Sweden continues to improve and could play their way into the medal round.

North America was introduced to Fanni Garat-Gasparics this season as she joined the PHF’s Metropolitan Riveters. She was spectacular at the PHF All-Star Game representing Team World and will be counted upon heavily to provide offense for Hungary. 

Alongside Garat-Gasparics will be Hungary’s next wave of talent, including 19-year-old Mira Seregely, who plays NCAA hockey for Maine. Franciska Kiss-Simon returns to the blueline as one of Hungary’s most consistent performers in recent international competition. Perhaps the most important player for Hungary, however, will be netminder Aniko Nemeth, 26. Nemeth was paramount for Hungary’s rapid rise from Division 1B to Division 1A and now to the top tier of the World Championship. Nemeth will need to be on her game if Hungary wants to play a quarterfinal game and avoid the relegation round.

Haruka Toko returns as the centerpiece for Team Japan after a strong first season in the SDHL, scoring 27 points in 29 games for Linkoping. Her sister, Ayaka Toko, also adapted well to the SDHL and will be needed on the Japanese blueline. 

Akane Shiga returns and will be one of the top sought-after international players for SDHL and PHF teams looking to add talent to their roster next season. Shiga was Japan’s top goal-scorer at the 2022 World Championship. 

In net, it will be interesting to see if Japan goes with Miyuu Masuhara, who got the bulk of Japan’s time in recent international competitions, or Riko Kawaguchi, who showed well for Team Japan at the U-18 tournament. This is the first season notable Japanese players have played outside of Japan, including blueliner Ayaka Hitosato who also played for Linkoping. The increased competition for these players should benefit Japan.

It will take everything France has to avoid relegation, although there is enough skill on their roster to surprise other Group B nations. 

The most experienced player on France’s roster will be SDHL and CWHL veteran Lore Baudrit, who, at 6-foot-3, is a unique player in the women’s game. Baudrit, 31, has been a member of France’s national team for 15 years. She’ll be joined by NCAA star Chloe Aurard, who finished eighth in NCAA scoring this season with 54 points in 38 games with Northeastern. 

Other players to watch include former Naisten Liiga all-star and leading scorer Estelle Duvin, who plays in Switzerland, and current Naisten Liiga standout Clara Rozier, who plays for HIFK. Defensively, blueliner Athena Locatelli and goaltender Caroline Lambert will give France upset potential in Group B.

There is an intriguing group of NCAA standouts representing Germany this time around. Nina Jobst-Smith notched 25 points in 39 games from the blueline with Minnesota-Duluth, and netminder Sandra Abstreiter was a finalist for the NCAA’s goaltender of the year honor for the second straight season after shining with Providence College. Maine sisters Luisa and Lilli Welcke made the team as well.

The absence of Tanja Eisenschmid, the team’s top scorer and blueliner in the 2022 World Championship, is a major loss. Scoring will be a significant challenge for this team.