1997 IIHF Women's World Championship

1997 IIHF World Women's Championship

Tournament details
Host country	Canada
Dates	March 31 – April 6
Officially opened by	Roméo LeBlanc
Teams	8
Venue(s)	Brantford, Brampton, Hamilton, Kitchener, London, Mississauga, North York (in 7 host cities)
Final positions
Champions	Canada (4th title)
Runner-up	United States
Third place	Finland
Fourth place	China
Tournament statistics
Matches played	20
Goals scored	129 (6.45 per match)
Attendance	60,418 (3,021 per match)
Scoring leader(s)	Riikka Nieminen 10 points
← 1994 1999 →

The 1997 IIHF World Women's Championships was held March 31 – April 6, 1997, in seven Canadian cities all in the Province of Ontario. 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[]

	Teams proceed to Final round
	Teams sent to Consolation round

Group A[]

Standings[]

Rk.	Team	GP	W	T	L	GF	GA	DIF	PTS
1.	Canada	3	3	0	0	22	2	+20	6
2.	China	3	2	0	1	18	12	+6	4
3.	Russia	3	0	1	2	6	18	-12	1
4.	Switzerland	3	0	1	2	6	20	-14	1

Results[]

All times local

March 31, 1997 7:00 pm

China

6 – 2 ( 3 - 0, 2 - 2, 1 - 0)

Russia

Hamilton Attendance: 750

	7:36 Guo W. 11:22 Yang 12:26 27:23 37:03 40:36 Goals E. Pashkevich 20:06 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 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 7:44 Zhang L. 8:27 Guo L. 8:54 Gong M. 11:47 Zhang J. 28:47 Wang W. 30:24 38:19 Guo W. 50:52 54:38 Yang X. 59:17 Goals 9:42 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 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 48:43

April 3, 1997 7:30 pm

Switzerland

3 – 3 ( 1 - 0 , 2 - 3 , 0 - 0 )

Russia

North York Attendance: 1,089

	8:20 25:19 27:01 Goals 28:31 34:03 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[]

Rk.	Team	GP	W	T	L	GF	GA	DIF	PTS
1.	United States	3	2	1	0	20	3	+17	5
2.	Finland	3	2	1	0	18	3	+15	5
3.	Sweden	3	0	1	2	2	17	-15	1
4.	Norway	3	0	1	2	2	19	-17	1

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 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

	08:59 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 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 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 23:33 50:29

Final round[]

	Semi finals 5 April 1997					Finals 6 April 1997
	A1	Canada	2			Gold Medal Game (OT)
	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

	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 - 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[]

• 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[]

• Summary from the Women's Hockey Net
• Detailed summary from passionhockey.com