2026 IIHF Women’s World Championship: Top quarterfinal standouts, semifinals preview

The first day of the knockout stage at the 2026 IIHF Women’s World Championship is in the books, with four teams now set to play for a medal of some kind.

The quarterfinals saw some surprising matchups after an exciting group stage, with both tournament favorites facing underdogs hoping to prove they can hang with the best players in the world.

Let’s look back at what happened in the quarters on Friday, and which players stood out.

Canada 3, Czechia 2

While Canada is a certified favorite to advance to the gold medal game, Czechia certainly put up a fight.

The first period was a physical battle between two countries that have become rivals on the ice. Czechia was able to keep Canada off the board until the early stages of the second period, when the Canadians started to take control. Less than 90 seconds into the frame, Sarah Fillier scored her third goal of the tournament, before Rebecca Leslie scored a beauty on the power play just a few minutes later, potting her second of the event.

Yet, Czechia wouldn’t go away. On the player advantage around the halfway mark of the middle stanza. Kristyna Kaltounkova, not long after throwing a hard hit on Kristin O’Neill, banged home a rebound for her first of the tournament to put the Czechs on the board. However, Canada restored its two-goal lead with Renata Fast notching her second in Denmark.

Kaltounkova made things interesting with another goal early in the third period. Even as Canada continued to outplay Czechia, the Czechs vied for the game-tying goal. However, Canada held firm to secure the victory. It marks the first time since 2021 that Czechia has failed to reach the semifinals at the WWC.

Canada outshot Czechia, 41-16. Eve Gascon, making her second start of the tournament, made 14 saves in the win. Canada went 1-for-4 on the power play, with both of Kaltounkova’s tallies coming on the player advantage.

Canada

#91 Rebecca Leslie, F (Ottawa Charge): A first-year member of the Women’s Worlds roster, Rebecca Leslie continues to impress with her ability to score big goals, just as she has with the Charge. Her goal in the second period was her utilizing both her speed and vision on the offensive end, creating space herself before unleashing a wicked wrister to give Canada some breathing room. Don’t expect her to fall into the weeds as Canada goes deeper into the tournament.

#10 Sarah Fillier, F (New York Sirens): Remember when we were all nervous when Fillier was hurt during a pre-tournament game against the U.S., and missed the first two games of the tournament as a result? The former first-round pick has assured everyone that she’s 100 percent with her play in the past few games. Along with scoring on the power play to put Canada out in front, she helped generate several scoring chances throughout the game with her playmaking ability that has established her as one of the best players in the world.

Czechia

#98 Kristyna Kaltounkova, F (New York Sirens): I know people scoff at the style of play Kaltounkova shows on a nightly basis, but you can’t say it isn’t effective. The Sirens star was trying to impose her will against Canada, physically, and it certainly gave her team some confidence. Both of her goals came in the goal mouth, because she was willing to get into the dirty areas. While her run at the WWC is done, the fact that Kaltounkova looks to be in midseason form is a good sign for New York.

#29 Klara Peslarova, G: I don’t know how you can pin this loss on Peslarova. The Czech backstop was the victim of bad bounces and bad defensive zone coverage against the swarming Canadians. Yet, she was able to make 38 saves on Friday, keeping a game that could’ve been a lot more one-sided than the final score showed. It’s a bummer that a netminder of her quality never received an honest opportunity in the PWHL.

Germany 0, Finland 6

While Germany was feeling good after finishing second in Group A, Finland certainly brought them back down to Earth.

The Finns, familiar with elimination games at this point in the tournament, showed that experience early on, controlling the play throughout. Michelle Karvinen put her team on the board with her first of the tournament, with Julia Schalin finding the back of the net for the second time in the tournament, giving Suomi a 2-0 lead at the end of the first.

Finland kept on the attack in the middle frame, overwhelming Germany on the forecheck. It led to a power play, where Viivi Vainikka scored to give the Finns an even greater cushion. The Finns kept on piling on the lead in the third period, with Petra Nieminen, Krista Parkkonen and Elisa Holopainen adding goals en route to the victory.

Finland outshot the Germans 32-11. Sandra Abstreiter made 26 saves in the loss, while Finland’s Sanni Ahola picked up the shutout with 11 saves. Suomi went 1-for-3 on the power play, while Germany failed to score on their one chance with the player advantage. 14 different players picked up a point for Finland.

Finland is heading into the semifinals for the third straight time at the Women’s Worlds, while Germany’s semifinal drought extends to nine years.

Finland

#16 Petra Nieminen, F (Montreal Victoire): Big games require big names to come through. Nieminen had been pretty quiet earlier in the tournament, scoring just one goal in the group stage. On Friday, we saw that scoring touch that has made her one of the most dominant players in the SDHL. Her vision and skill were prevalent, leading to a three-point performance.

#14 Krista Parkkonen, D: For those who have followed her career, including her time with Minnesota Duluth, Parkkonen isn’t necessarily the biggest offensive contributor (outside of a 21-point season at Vermont). Prior to Friday, she hadn’t scored a goal since the 2022 Women’s Worlds. She was clearly saving herself for this game, as the 24-year-old came up with a goal and an assist against Germany. Even though she isn’t on the top pair, Parkkonen is still a viable asset on the back end for the Finns.

Germany

#23 Lilli Welcke, F: This was a tough game for the Germans, who were held to just one shot on goal in the second period. Yet, as she has done all tournament, Lilli Welcke was part of the team’s offensive attack. Though she wasn’t able to get on the scoresheet, one half of the Welcke twins registered three of her team’s 11 shots in the losing effort.

#20 Daria Gleissner, D: Giving Daria Gleissner a well-deserved shoutout. The German captain played in what was her final game for the women’s national team. The 33-year-old has been on the senior national team since the 2012 WWC, and has experienced highs and lows with the program. Yet, she goes out on a high. Not only did Germany have one of its best performances at the Women’s Worlds in almost a decade, but it came less than a year after the team competed at the Winter Olympics, the only time Gleissner got to play on sport’s biggest stage. Gleissner, who posted four points in Milan, posted six points in 57 career WWC appearances.

United States 14, Denmark 0

Even though Denmark making it to the knockout stage has been a great story, we got mostly what we expected when they faced off with the mighty Americans on Friday.

The U.S. got off to a strong start with three goals in the first three minutes of the contest, leading 5-0 after the first period. They followed that up with another five goals in the second period, as the reigning Olympic champions asserted their dominance against the home team. The U.S. finished things off with four more in the third, advancing to the semifinals once again.

Team USA had 11 different goal scorers in the victory, with 10 players posting at least two points. Hannah Bilka had a goal and two assists, while Kelly Pannek scored two goals and four points in the win. The Americans set a Women’s Worlds record with 85 shots on goal, breaking their previous record of 82, set in the 1997 tournament. Gwyneth Philips had to make just eight saves in the victory.

There is a little bit of concern coming out of the win for Team USA. Star forward Abbey Murphy was involved in a knee-on-knee collision in the first period, knocking her out of the game.

United States

#4 Caroline Harvey, D (Vancouver Goldeneyes): Harvey is on her way to making more history at this tournament. The first-overall pick in this year’s PWHL Draft posted two goals and five points against Denmark, tying her own record for most points by a defender at the WWC with 14, a mark she hit in 2023. The versatile blueliner leads all skaters with 14 points, sitting second in goals (5) and assists (9).

#8 Haley Winn, D (Boston Fleet): How about some more love for defenders? With her brothers in attendance, Winn had her most productive game of the tournament. While she hasn’t had to score to make an impact so far in Denmark, the reigning PWHL Rookie of the Year matched Harvey’s performance with two goals and three assists for her own.

Denmark

#33 Emma-Sofie Nordstrom (Hamilton Havoc), #30 Caroline Bjergstad, G: You had to feel for the two netminders. Nordstrom faced the brunt of the onslaught for the first two periods, making 51 saves on 61 shots. Then, Bjergstad came in to make 20 saves in the third. It’s never easy going up against the Americans, but these two goaltenders deserve some love after their effort on Friday.

Sweden 1, Switzerland 0

This was certainly the most anticipated game of the day, and, in terms of storylines, the rematch from the bronze medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics didn’t disappoint.

While Switzerland had consistently been in Group A, they looked like the inferior team on Friday. Sweden outplayed the Swiss for most of the contest, using a persistent forecheck and strong defensive pressure to keep the opposition at bay. The game was scoreless through the first half, until Sara Hjalmarsson tipped in a Mira Jungaker point shot for her third goal of the tournament.

From there, Sweden put the brakes on Switzerland’s top scorers, frustrating the likes of Alina Muller and Ivana Wey. Switzerland only had one shot on goal in the second period, and even when they sought a tying goal in the third, Damkronoma limited them to just four shots, picking up the win and getting a little bit of revenge for their loss in Milan.

Sweden outshot Switzerland 25-9, with Ebba Svensson Traff picking up the shutout. Both teams went 0-for-2 on the power play.

Sweden will now be playing for a medal at the Women’s Worlds for the first time since 2009. Switzerland has missed out on the semifinals for the third consecutive WWC.

Sweden

#7 Mira Jungaker, D: I know Maja Nylen Persson is widely regarded as the best European defender in women’s hockey, but Jungaker has closed the gap over the past year. Consistently getting the toughest matchups and thriving every game. Her two-way efficiency was exceptional again on Friday, as she was a key part in stifling the Swiss’ top players.

#19 Sara Hjalmarsson, F (Toronto Sceptres): Hjalmarsson has had a pretty quiet tournament, but what she thrived in doing on Friday was helping maintain puck possession. She didn’t need to light up the scoreboard; she just had to do her part in keeping Switzerland from having possession for long periods of time, which is what Hjalmarsson and Sweden did to get to the semifinals.

Switzerland

#29 Saskia Maurer, G (Vegas Vanguards): Yes, starting Brandli might’ve been the better play, but Maurer more than showed she’s capable of playing in big games. 24 saves in a do-or-die game against a stronger team is nothing to cry about; the Vanguards draft pick should’ve come away with a win given her effort, but the team in front of her just couldn’t do anything with the puck.

Austria Relegates Japan

Also on Friday, Austria and Japan met in the relegation game. The Austrians stunned the Japanese with an overtime win, with captain Anna Meixner scoring the winner, keeping Austria in the top division for another year. Japan has been relegated to the D1A Women’s Worlds for the first time since 2017.

Semifinal Matchups

The two semifinals are set for Sunday in Herning:

United States vs. Finland – 9 a.m. ET

A matchup that has become synonymous with the Women’s Worlds. Since the controversial ending to the 2019 WWC, every time Finland and the U.S. face off, everyone wants to see if the upset could happen. The Americans have done their best to make sure that doesn’t happen, with their lone loss to the Finns coming back in the 2008 tournament. Team USA last beat Finland in the knockout stage in the 2024 semifinals.

Canada vs. Sweden – 1 p.m. ET

Sweden was the last team to come close to knocking Canada out prior to the gold medal game. In 2023, Hilda Svensson’s tying goal forced overtime in Brampton. Though Canada prevailed that night, Sweden’s women’s program was noticeably on the rise. While Damkronoma is back to contending for medals on a consistent basis, they are still outmatched by Canada, who beat them 5-1 in their preliminary round opener.

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