Women’s Worlds 2026: Canada Edges Czechia, But Doubts Linger

Special teams were the story in Canada’s 3–2 win over Czechia. Rebecca Leslie had all kinds of room on a second-period power play and made Czechia pay, putting Canada up 2–0.

Czechia entered the game 0-for-13 on the power play, and Kristýna Kaltounková had yet to score in the tournament. She broke both droughts with her first power-play goal, then added another. Canada couldn’t contain Kaltounková in front of the net on either goal, giving Ève Gascon little chance to make the save.

Four minutes after Kaltounková’s first goal cut Canada’s lead to 2–1, Czechia had a chance to tie it on another power play when Laura Stacey was penalized for an illegal hit. Just 61 seconds into the advantage, Kateřina Mrázová was called for boarding.

Even more costly was a questionable elbowing call on Kristýna Kaltounková with less than two minutes left in the third. It was her third minor of the game, and it took away Czechia’s chance to pull its goalie for a six-on-five push for the tying goal. Czechia’s penalty trouble goes beyond Kaltounková. Three Czech players are among the tournament’s top four in penalty minutes so far.

That’s the trade-off with Kaltounková. Last season with New York, she scored 11 goals in just 21 games and finished second in the league with 45 penalty minutes.

Even beyond Kaltounková’s two goals, Canada didn’t impress me. The Canadians were too passive, gave Czechia too much time and space, and and failed to dominate the details of the game.

I still expect Canada to win its semifinal, whether it faces Sweden or Finland. But based on what I’ve seen over the last two games, Canada may have to grind out a win, especially in a rematch with Finland.

Two days ago, the U.S. beat Czechia 8–1, scoring six goals at even strength and another shorthanded.

What I saw from Canada against Finland and Czechia gave me little reason to change my pre-tournament pick. I’m still taking the U.S. to win gold.

If you’ve watched Canada’s games at the Women’s Worlds, you’ve probably noticed the empty seats.

A lot of them.

That’s especially striking given where attendance has been headed. Average attendance at the Women’s Worlds rose from 1,915 fans per game in Brampton, Ontario in 2023 to 2,349 in Utica, New York in 2024 and 4,218 in Czechia in 2025.

At the Olympics in February, women’s hockey drew an average of 5,647 fans per game, the highest for an Olympic women’s hockey tournament outside North America. Those numbers reflect the growth we’ve seen in women’s hockey since the PWHL launched.

Through 23 games, the Women’s Worlds in Denmark have drawn an average of 649 spectators per game.

The home team has been the exception. Before facing the United States, Denmark drew an average of 1,446 fans across its first four games.

The Women’s Worlds have struggled to draw crowds in Denmark before. When it hosted in 2022, the tournament averaged 696 fans per game, similar to what the tournament drew this year. 

It’s a bad look. A really bad look.

And it raises a fair question for the IIHF. How much of an audience is there for women’s hockey in Denmark, and what made it the choice to host twice in five editions?

I wouldn’t be surprised if Québec City sets a new attendance high for the Women’s Worlds in the PWHL era next year. That’s what the IIHF should be looking for when it picks its hosts. Put the best players in the world in cities that can fill an arena and give the tournament the atmosphere a world championship deserves.

• I was pleasantly surprised to see Ève Gascon get the start in the quarter-final. Canada has traditionally turned to its No. 2 goaltender for that game, but after seeing all three goalies play in the preliminary round, I expected Ann-Renée Desbiens to start the rest of the tournament. Giving Gascon the crease in an elimination game says a lot about how much Canada believes in her as part of the team’s future.

• What stood out to me on Sarah Fillier’s goal was Rosalie Tremblay’s effort. She took a big hit in front of the net, got right back up and got just enough of her stick on the puck for Fillier to pick it up and score. Tremblay’s impact at the Women’s Worlds has gone beyond goals and assists. She ranks fourth in shots on goal, eighth in faceoff percentage and 12th in plus-minus.

• Every Canadian skater logged at least 10 minutes of ice time against Czechia.

• Austria’s win over Japan sent the Japanese down to Division I Group A for 2027. France will take Japan’s place in the top division at next year’s Women’s Worlds in Quebec City.