Who Is The Best Women's Hockey Player From Every Country? We Try To Answer

The Hockey News counts down the best player from the IIHF's top 20 women's hockey nations as the 2024 IIHF World Championships approach.

Women's hockey is rapidly becoming a more global game. Originally a world dominated by only Canada and USA, Finland, Czechia, and Sweden have climbed into the conversation, which Switzerland fighting to gain ground as well.

But outside of these teams, women's hockey across the globe is booming with stars at all levels. Here's a look at the top player, or sometimes players, from each of the IIHF's top 20 ranked nations. Russia, who was frozen in the IIHF's rankings at sixth, is not included in this list.

1. Canada - Marie-Philip Poulin - She's the best player on the planet, and likely will be for a few more seasons. When she's done, the door for a new Canadian star will be wide open. Chloe Primerano looks like that next generation star, but Canada's cupboard remains full.

2. USA - Caroline Harvey - Or Taylor Heise, or a number of other stars entering the prime of their careers. USA has significant star power in the NCAA right now, but Harvey is all-world. She was USA Hockey's Player of the Year in 2023, and it would be difficult to find another defender anywhere who can do what she does each night.

3. Switzerland - Alina Muller - Muller is one of the best in the world, and aside from Lara Stalder, there is no Swiss player who would even come into this conversation. Muller is off to a strong start with PWHL Boston, and will remain the heart and soul of Switzerland's international game for the next decade.

4. Finland - Petra Nieminen - If there's any country where this title is under debate, it's Finland. Jenni Hiirikoski is certainly one of the best players in the world, and Noora Tulus has been stating her case for this title, but Nieminen combines physical strength, scoring and star power to earn this spot.

5. Czechia - Tereza Vanisova - No nation plays a better team game without a singular superstar, or even line that stands above the others. This discussion could lean toward Katerina Mrazova, youngster Adela Sapovalivova, or even netminder Klara Peslarova, but Tereza Vanisova has busted out this year in the PWHL, and looks like that star player every other nation will have to respect when she's on the ice. Flashy skills, speed to burn, and a dogged puck pursuer, Vanisoza is a player on the rise.

6. Japan - Akane Shiga - Forever it's been a nearly impossible task to judge Japanese players against the world. That's become more simple in recent years as top players move to the SDHL, and this season, as Akane Shiga joined the PWHL. The league's youngest player has good speed and puck skills. At times she looks ready to jump on the scoresheet far more regularly. Haruka Toko has been putting up good numbers in Europe, but this remains Shiga's team.

7. Sweden - Hanna Olsson - No player threatens each game for Sweden or from Sweden like Hanna Olsson. If not for a serious early season injury suffered from an illegal hit by Petra Nieminen, Olsson would be a name more are talking about in terms of what she can bring to the PWHL when her contract runs out following next season. Hilda Svensson may take this spot at some point, Lina Ljungblom when she arrives in the PWHL, or Maja Nylen Persson for that matter, and no one can overlook Emma Soderberg's international play, but Olsson remains Tre Kronor's top star.

8. Germany - Sandra Abstreiter - No nation in the World Championship's top division is falling behind in terms of player development more than Germany. With that in mind, the player who keeps them in everything is netminder Sandra Abstreiter. Abstreiter is big, reliable, and the best thing Germany has going for them on the international stage at the moment. She needs to find somewhere to play however, as she's been buried behind Emerance Maschmeyer in PWHL Ottawa this season.

9. Hungary - Fanni Gasparics - Gasparics has good skills and a knack for the net. She's struggled to find a place in the PWHL with Ottawa, but is in the league signalling she remains among the best in the league. There's hope that Hungary's captain will soon have reinforcement from young players like Emma Kreisz or Regina Metzler. Defender Taylor Baker who plays for PWHL New York also deserves note from Hungary.

10. Denmark - Emma-Sofie Nordström - Until recently, the answer to this was clearly Josefine Jakobsen, but it's the young netminder who is the cornerstone of this program. Starring at St. Lawrence, Nordström earned All-ECAC honors this season, and if Denmark holds hopes to be promoted again, it will be on the back of Nordström. 

11. France - Chloe Aurard - A legitimate argument could be made for Estelle Duvin here, but she's never played at a high enough level of competition to accurately see what she's capable of having spent her career in Naisten Liiga and the SWHL. Aurard is a burgeoning star in the women's game. Her stats don't scream that with PWHL New York, but she's been underutilized by her coach for most of the season.

12. Austria - Anna Meixner -  Or Theresa Schafzahl. Meixner is Austria's captain and the reigning SDHL most valuable player. Injuries have plagued her this season, and it's likely that Scafzahl will take over this title, but right now it's the shifty Meixner who takes this title. It will be interesting to see if a PWHL team mines her talent for next year.

13. China - Leah Lum - If Hannah Miller decides to represent China again, it's Miller, until then, the versatility of Lum, who can play the blueline or a top line role for China takes the cake. Anna Segedi deserves legitimate recognition here after another spectacular year in the NCAA with St. Lawrence. Sadly, none of these players will represent China at the upcoming Worlds.

14. Norway - Emma Bergesen - Norway actually has several players who could factor into this conversation including Andrea Dahlen, Ena Nystrom, Mathea Fischer, and Millie Rose Sirum, but no player has the impact at both ends of the ice that Emma Bergesen has. The blueliner was an All-Canadian last year and scored the national championship winning goal for Mount Royal. She is a player to watch with potential to make the jump from USports to the PWHL next year.

15. Slovakia - Nela Lopusanova - No surprise here, Lopusanova is one of the top names globally. She's a prospect everyone is excited to see in the NCAA and someday PWHL, and she's the biggest hope for Slovakia's future, but not the only hope as the nation has several young player sin Lopusanova's cohort that can play solid secondary roles.

16. Netherlands - Kayleigh Hamers - For the past decade, this was Savine Wielenga, and recently forward Bieke Van Nes has carried a lot of offensive load, but Hamers has either been named Netherlands' top player, the tournament's top defender, or led the Worlds in scoring by a defender almost every time she's put on a national team jersey. Playing for SDE in Sweden, Hamers is an on-ice leader for the Netherlands. A strong skater, Hamers is a name to watch in the PWHL Draft this year.

17. Italy - Nadia Mattivi - Hosting the Olympic Games in 2026, Italy will get a first hand look at the top players in the world. If they want to be competitive, players like Nadia Mattivi will need to carry the load. Mattivi will likely declare for the PWHL draft this year, but is more likely destined for Europe after finishing her NCAA career with Boston University, where she captained her team this season.

18. Korea - Hee Won Kim - Without the veteran leadership of Soo Jin Han or Jong Ah Park, Korea would not be the nation they are internationally. But the next wave looks promising from goaltender Eun Bee Huh to forward Hee Won Kim. Kim, 22, continues to drive offense for Korea at international competition. The nation could take a major step forward internationally if they found a way to get more competition. Perhaps putting their national team into the Chinese Women's League would be a step forward.

19. Poland - Malgorzata Zakrzewska - She hasn't arrived on the international stage yet, but the 14-year-old, 2010 born player was the leading scorer in Poland's domestic league notching 62 points in 15 games this season. It's a very weak league, but she also scored more than two points per game in Poland's U-16 boys league and was a strong performer against women in the stronger EWHL. 

20. Slovenia - Pia Dukaric - Pia Pren and Sara Confidenti could be the answer for this, but Yale netminder Pia Dukaric has been a star internationally and in the NCAA. She's a goaltender who could eventually play her way into the PWHL, and if not, she could choose a long and successful career in Sweden or another European league.