The United States and Canada have emerged as the top two dominant forces in women's ice hockey. Becoming a virtual certainty that at least one of the two appear in the championship of the world's biggest tournaments. Often times, it ends up being a straight-up match-up between them for the gold medal.
Such was the case for the 2023 edition of the International Ice Hockey Federation Women's World Championship. Canada was also serving as the host nation for the tournament. But they would not walk away with the top prize.
USA takes World Championship gold medal
The United States can lay claim to having the world's top women's ice hockey team again. Taking down their archrivals in Team Canada in the process. The meeting was largely and evenly matched and back-and-forth affair. But a late flurry of scoring resulted in the United States coming out on top.
Team USA Captain Hilary Knight notched a historic hat trick in her gold medal efforts. On the Canadian side, Brianne Jenner also had a standout performance. Knight would be chosen as the Most Valuable Player of the gold medal round. Canada's Sarah Fillier would be named as the tournament's overall Most Valuable Player.
For some members of Team USA, it was the second championship in as many months.
As noted by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, many of them recently won a national championship with the Wisconsin Badgers. The University of Wisconsin-Madison is also the alma mater of Knight and a number of other members of Team USA and Team Canada.
John Wroblewski, a Wisconsin native himself, served as the U.S. head coach.
Wroblewski had in the past done work for the men's side of USA Hockey. Including as the head coach of its National Team Development Program.
His other coaching stops include being head coach of the then-Gwinnett Gladiators and the Ontario Reign. The Gladiators are the ECHL affiliate of the now-Arizona Coyotes of the National Hockey League.
Wroblewski led the team to two division championships during his tenure. The Reign are the American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL's Los Angeles Kings.
Team Czechia (Czech Republic) scored the tournament's bronze medal. Ultimately securing it in the end over Team Switzerland.
The United States is slated to host the next IIHF Women's World Championship
Team USA is set to be the host team, along with reigning world champions, for the 2024 event. Canada had been in the same situation going into this year's go-round. Quite certainly, the U.S. will hope and try for better results than their predecessors in defending their title. It would mark the fifth time that the World Championship takes places in the United States.
The 2023 men's edition of the World Championship is scheduled for May. Finland and Latvia have been enlisted to share the hosting duties. At least the next three years-worth of host nations in the years to follow have already been selected. The Czech Republic in 2024, Sweden and Denmark in 2025 and Finland, solo this time, in 2026.
