2025 Women’s Ice Hockey World Championship
Photo courtesy of John Mac / Wikimedia Commons
This past Sunday, the United States defeated Canada in a 4-3 overtime win to claim the gold medal in the 2025 Women’s Ice Hockey World Championship. It was a thrilling match-up after the US fell to Canada in a 6-5 overtime win at last year’s tournament in Utica, NY. The rivalry between these two teams runs deep. The IIHF’s website stated, “To illustrate how tight this rivalry is, Canada and the US came into this game with identical 104-104 goal differences against each other. Also, it was the twenty-third time in the last 24 Women’s Worlds finals that the North Americans have battled each other.”
In 2019, host Finland defeated Canada in the semi-final before falling to the US in the final. With this win over the past weekend, the United States now holds 11 Women’s Worlds gold medals. Despite the loss for Canada, they still lead the world tournament with 13 gold medals.
According to the IIHF’s website, the game was scoreless in the first period, with Canada outshooting the United States 14-8. Things started picking up in the second period. Each team tallied goals in just two minutes. The Americans broke the game wide open with two quick goals just 29 seconds apart, both coming from their young stars.
In the third period, the physicality ramped up, going as far as the US goaltender, Aerin Frankel, being forced out of the game after a collision with Canadian right-wing Laura Stacey. Frankel recorded 27 saves before being replaced by Gwenyth Philips, who held down the fort for the rest of the game.
In overtime, United States forward Taylor Heise set up fellow forward Tessa Janecke for the game-winning goal with just 2:54 left in overtime. Janecke wasted no time celebrating her goal, as she immediately threw her stick into the stands after scoring. She said, “It’s just sweeter, coming back from losing last year and being able to persevere.” Janecke’s goal capped off the longest game in Women’s Worlds history.
As for some exciting numbers for the Canadians, captain and center Marie-Philip Poulin had four goals and eight assists for 12 points. She claimed the tournament scoring title for the second time in her career, having previously topped the charts with 13 points in 2013. Poulin remains the only player to score in four Olympic finals (2010, 2014, 2018, 2022), and she has a strong chance to make it five in Milan during the Winter Olympics in February 2026.
After the win, US captain and forward Hilary Knight captured the record-setting tenth Women’s Worlds gold medal of her career. Although 35 years old, she is also the tournament’s all-time leading scorer with 67 goals and 120 points. She said, “I think this is a watershed moment for women's hockey, and it's exciting to be a part of.”
Following a spectacular tournament that drew a record-breaking 122,331 fans, women’s ice hockey supporters are already counting the days to February. Canada will be chasing its sixth Olympic gold (2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2022), while the US will be looking to capture its third (1998, 2018).
As the dust settles on an unforgettable 2025 Women’s World Championship, one thing is clear: the rivalry between the United States and Canada is as fierce and thrilling as ever. From last year’s heartbreak in Utica to this year’s overtime redemption, the Americans proved their resilience, while Canada showcased the depth of its talent and leadership. Now, all eyes turn to Milan 2026, where the stakes will be even higher, and the next chapter of this rivalry is set to unfold on Olympic ice.