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)
Dates	March 31 – April 6, 1997
Opened by	Roméo LeBlanc
Teams	8
Final positions
Champions	Canada (4th title)
Runner-up	United States
Third place	Finland
Fourth place	China
Tournament statistics
Games played	20
Goals scored	129 (6.45 per game)
Attendance	60,418 (3,021 per game)
Scoring leader(s)	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.

Pacific Rim Championship:
- Canada
- China
- United States
European Championship:
- Finland
- Norway
- Russia
- Switzerland
- Sweden

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	Advanced to Final round
3	Russia	3	0	1	2	6	18	−12	1	Sent to Consolation round
4	Switzerland	3	0	1	2	6	20	−14	1	Sent to Consolation round

Source: ^{[citation needed]}

Results

All times local

March 31, 1997
7:00 pm

China

6 – 2
( 3 - 0, 2 - 2, 1 - 0)

Russia

Hamilton
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

Goals

E. Pashkevich 20:06
L. Mishina 33:51

March 31, 1997
7:30 pm

Canada

6 – 0
( 1 - 0 , 2 - 0 , 3 - 0 )

Switzerland

Kitchener
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 )

Switzerland

Mississauga
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

Goals

M. 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 )

Russia

Kitchener
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

Goals

M. Misropian 48:43

April 3, 1997
7:30 pm

Switzerland

3 – 3
( 1 - 0 , 2 - 3 , 0 - 0 )

Russia

North York
Attendance: 1,089

M. Noethiger 8:20
R. Kuenzle 25:19
M. Baechler 27:01

Goals

E. 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 )

China

Kitchener
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

Goals

Guo 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	Advanced to Final round
3	Sweden	3	0	1	2	2	17	−15	1	Sent to Consolation round
4	Norway	3	0	1	2	2	19	−17	1	Sent to Consolation round

Source: ^{[citation needed]}

Results

All times local

March 31, 1997
4:00 pm

Norway

0 – 7
( 0 - 2 , 0 - 3 , 0 - 2 )

United States

Kitchener
Attendance: 3,100

Goals

S. 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 )

Sweden

Brampton

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 )

Sweden

Kitchener
Attendance: 3,068

T. Larson 08:59
B. Lersbryggen 17:17

Goals

M. Rooth 36:56
G. Andersson 58:00

April 1, 1997
7:00 pm

Finland

3 – 3
( 1 - 2 , 0 - 1 , 2 - 0 )

United States

Brantford

T. Reima 17:38
R. Nieminen 51:56
S. Krooks 54:36

Goals

T. 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 )

Finland

Kitchener
Attendance: 3,401

Goals

R. 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 )

Sweden

London
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 )

Switzerland

Kitchener
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

Goals

R. Fuhrer 21:07

April 4, 1997
7:30 pm

Russia

2 – 1
( 1 - 1 , 1 - 0 , 0 - 0 )

Norway

Kitchener
Attendance: 2,849

O. Tretiakova 8:07
E. Pashkevich 38:38

Goals

B. Lersbryggen 17:15

Consolation round 7–8 place

April 6, 1997
2:00 pm

Switzerland

1 – 0
( 0 - 0 , 0 - 0 , 1 - 0 )

Norway

Kitchener
Attendance: 565

K. Lehmann 46:47

Goals

Consolation round 5–6 place

April 6, 1997
1:00 pm

Russia

1 – 3
( 1 - 0 , 0 - 2 , 0 - 1 )

Sweden

Kitchener
Attendance: 2,471

S. Nikolaeva 1:10

Goals

G. 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 )

Finland

Kitchener
Attendance: 4,963

H. Wickenheiser 25:27
V. Sunohara 59:36

Goals

K. Hänninen 7:00

April 5, 1997
5:00 pm

United States

6 – 0
( 2 - 0 , 2 - 0 , 2 - 0)

China

Kitchener
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 )

China

Kitchener

T. Paananen 53:37
Unknown
Unknown

Goals

Final

April 6, 1997

Canada

4 – 3
(1-0 , 1-2 , 1-1 , 1-0)

United States

Kitchener
Attendance: 6,247

Referee:

Sandra Dombrowski^[2]

N. Drolet (S. Wilson, J. Diduck) - 19:36	1-0
	1-1	27:15 - A. Blahoski (L. Baker, K. King)
A. James (C. Campbell, H. Wickenheiser) (PP) - 29:21	2-1
	2-2	34:14 - S. O'Sullivan (C. Granato, Mounsey) (PP)
N. Drolet (J. Hefford, G. Heaney) (PP) - 40:11	3-2
	3-3	42:26 - K. King (C. Granato, A. Blahoski)
N. Drolet (H. Wickenheiser, C. Campbell) - 72:59	4-3

35

Shots

27

Champions

1997 IIHF World Women Championship winners
Canada 4th title

Tournament Awards

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

Goaltender - Patricia Sautter Switzerland
Defence - Cassie Campbell Canada
Defence - Kelly O'Leary United States
Forward - Hayley Wickenheiser Canada
Forward - Cammi Granato United States
Forward - Riikka Nieminen Finland

Final standings

Rk.	Team	Notes
	Canada	Qualified for the 1998 Winter Olympic Games
	United States	Qualified for the 1998 Winter Olympic Games
	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
Riikka Nieminen	5	5	5	10
Hayley Wickenheiser	5	4	5	9
Cammi Granato	5	5	3	8
Tiia Reima	5	4	4	8
Cassie Campbell	5	2	6	8
Nancy Drolet	5	4	2	6
Shelley Looney	5	4	2	6
Karyn Bye	5	4	2	6
Liu Hongmei	5	3	3	6
Guo Wei	5	3	3	6

References

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

Duplacey, James (1998). Total Hockey: The official encyclopedia of the National Hockey League. Total Sports. pp. 487–9. ISBN 0-8362-7114-9.
Podnieks, Andrew (2010). IIHF Media Guide & Record Book 2011. Moydart Press. pp. 26–7, 229–30.

External links

[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.

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