Canada's Ann-Frederik Naud shoots the puck while USA's Makenna Webster (#12) and Mallory Uihlein (#8) defend. The two North American teams have played most of the finals in the IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship.
photo: Steve Kingsman / HHOF-IIHF Images
The 13th edition of the IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship is coming to Slovakia for the first time, and Bratislava is the host city. Having just co-hosted last year’s World Championship, the Slovak capital is more than ready to welcome the women, who will be playing, like the World Juniors, over Christmas and New Year’s. All games will be streamed live on IIHF.com.
Canada won gold last year, defeating their arch-rivals United States, 3-2, on a Maddi Wheeler goal in overtime, and although this will be one storyline to follow, there are several others worth noting.
With the North Americans, the other teams in Group A are Finland and Russia, the former beating the latter, 3-0, in last year’s bronze medal game in Obihiro, Japan.
Canada won gold last year, defeating their arch-rivals United States, 3-2, on a Maddi Wheeler goal in overtime, and although this will be one storyline to follow, there are several others worth noting.
With the North Americans, the other teams in Group A are Finland and Russia, the former beating the latter, 3-0, in last year’s bronze medal game in Obihiro, Japan.
Rachel Weiss celebrates as Canada ended the United States’ dominance by winning the last IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship one year ago.
photo: Robert Hradil / HHOF-IIHF Images
The eight-team tournament will started with a two-tiered preliminary round. The “lower” Group B will consist of Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Sweden and Slovakia. The Swedes stunned Canada at the 2018 tournament and went on to win an historic silver medal, but last year they fell to fifth place after losing to the Finns in the quarter-finals. They had previously won four bronze medals at the WW18, and for much of the last decade their WW18 results have eclipsed their results at the senior women’s level.
The Czechs have won two bronze medals (2008, 2014), but placed 7th in the last tournament and sixth the previous two. Playing in their neighbours’ arena will feel a lot like home for them, and they are expecting better results. The last time they played for a medal was in 2015, when they finished fourth.
The Swiss have rarely had a particularly strong WW18 team, but they have stayed in the top level for six years, and their ambitions are to make it seven this year. Hosts Slovakia could not have timed things any better. They have played in the Division IA for the last three years under coach Peter Kudelka, and after two narrow misses they earned promotion last year and quickly applied to host in 2020. Of course, they hope to leverage the home fans to stay up another year, but the competition will be fierce.
The Czechs have won two bronze medals (2008, 2014), but placed 7th in the last tournament and sixth the previous two. Playing in their neighbours’ arena will feel a lot like home for them, and they are expecting better results. The last time they played for a medal was in 2015, when they finished fourth.
The Swiss have rarely had a particularly strong WW18 team, but they have stayed in the top level for six years, and their ambitions are to make it seven this year. Hosts Slovakia could not have timed things any better. They have played in the Division IA for the last three years under coach Peter Kudelka, and after two narrow misses they earned promotion last year and quickly applied to host in 2020. Of course, they hope to leverage the home fans to stay up another year, but the competition will be fierce.
Freshly promoted to the top division, the Slovaks will play host to the 2020 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship in Bratislava.
photo: Nicolas Zangerle
Regardless, it’s impossible not to give a large advantage to the North American teams in the top pool. They have proved strong and resilient, and their development programs are so entrenched in their hockey systems that even as the European nations have improved, the North Americans have stayed further ahead. Canada’s loss in 2018, though, does suggest cracks might be appearing in that domination.
While the senior Women’s Worlds recently went to ten teams, the WW18 is still an eight-team event, and only one team is demoted. The last two teams in Group B play a relegation best-of-three to determine that result, while the top two teams in Group A advance directly to the semi-finals. The bottom-two Group A and the top-two Group B teams will play quarter-final clashes.
This is the first time the tournament will be held at this time of year. Most often it is played in the second week of January, and several earlier editions were scheduled for the first week of the New Year. This time, however, the preliminary round will start on Boxing Day and the medal games will be played on 2 January 2020. This also gives under-16 players on the rosters the opportunity to participate in the Winter Youth Olympic Games in January.
All games from both rinks in Bratislava will be streamed live and for free. Before the start or during the game just visit IIHF.com or 2020.u18womensworlds.hockey and find the live stream in the game box or the game centre of the respective game.
While the senior Women’s Worlds recently went to ten teams, the WW18 is still an eight-team event, and only one team is demoted. The last two teams in Group B play a relegation best-of-three to determine that result, while the top two teams in Group A advance directly to the semi-finals. The bottom-two Group A and the top-two Group B teams will play quarter-final clashes.
This is the first time the tournament will be held at this time of year. Most often it is played in the second week of January, and several earlier editions were scheduled for the first week of the New Year. This time, however, the preliminary round will start on Boxing Day and the medal games will be played on 2 January 2020. This also gives under-16 players on the rosters the opportunity to participate in the Winter Youth Olympic Games in January.
All games from both rinks in Bratislava will be streamed live and for free. Before the start or during the game just visit IIHF.com or 2020.u18womensworlds.hockey and find the live stream in the game box or the game centre of the respective game.