The 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship marks another huge milestone in Czechia’s hockey history. It’s the first time this proud Central European nation has ever hosted the Women’s Worlds.
 
The 10-team tournament in Ceske Budejovice (9-20 April) could add to the overall momentum that Czech hockey currently enjoys. That includes bronze medals at the 2022 and 2023 Women’s Worlds, silver (2024) and bronze (2025) at the U18 Women’s Worlds, gold at the 2024 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in Prague, and silver (2023) and bronze medals (2024, 2025) at the World Juniors.
 
Of course, there are questions. How will the host Women’s Worlds nation fare in practice? Who will take the gold medal? Who will step up with superstar performances? Which records will fall?
 
Nobody’s got a crystal ball here. However, taking a look back at the previous seven times a nation hosted the Women’s Worlds provides us with some valuable historical context as the countdown to Ceske Budejovice continues.

1990: Canada

This is where it all began. The first official Women’s Worlds in Ottawa did not disappoint as the host nation – sporting their infamous pink uniforms in a gendered bid to bring attention to the sport – downed the rival Americans 5-2 in the gold medal game. Close to 10,000 fired-up fans packed the Civic Centre (now renovated as TD Bank Place). Finland beat Sweden 6-3 in the bronze medal game.
 
The U.S.’s Cindy Curley set a single-tournament points record (11+12=23) that still stands, while power forward Angela James (11+2=13) dominated for the victors. Today, women’s hockey is becoming increasingly physical, but Ottawa remains the lone Women’s Worlds where full-scale bodychecking, including open-ice hits, was permitted.

1992: Finland

Thirty-seven years after Tampere first hosted the men’s Worlds (1965), it was time for women to shine here in IIHF competition. Once again, the North American archrivals clashed in the final. Canada, which never trailed in this tournament, blanked the U.S. 8-0 for the most lopsided gold-medal win in Women’s Worlds history. Danielle Goyette, whose 10 points tied the U.S.’s Cammi Granato for the overall lead, stepped up with a goal and three assists in the final.
 
Fellow future IIHF Hall of Famer Riikka Nieminen (now Sallinen) gave Tampere fans something to cheer about. The 18-year-old forward tallied the penalty shootout winner as Finland edged Sweden 5-4 for bronze.

1994: United Sates

In Lake Placid, unlike the 1980 “Miracle on Ice,” there would be no extraordinary results among the traditional hockey powers. Canada captured its third of an eventual record eight straight Women’s Worlds titles with a 6-3 final victory over the host Americans. Top scorers Nieminen (4+9=13),  Goyette (9+3=12), and Granato (5+7=12) remained dominant forces.
 
China achieved its best-ever Women’s Worlds finish (fourth place), falling 8-1 to the Finns in the bronze medal game.

2005: Sweden

When Linkoping and Norrkoping co-hosted the tournament for the first time, it shook up the established women’s hockey pecking order. With a dramatic 1-0 gold-medal win, the Americans finally ended Canada’s monopoly at the Women’s Worlds. Superstar blueliner Angela Ruggiero got the shootout winner on Kim St-Pierre –amazingly the only goal Canada conceded all tournament—while MVP Krissy Wendell took the scoring crown (4+5=9).
 
The Swedes – although winners of Olympic bronze in Salt Lake City (2002) – had lost all five of their previous bronze-medal showdowns with neighbouring Finland. This time, they wouldn’t be denied. Maria Rooth scored twice and goalie Kim Martin made 31 saves to defeat Suomi 5-2.

2008: China

The Chinese were originally slated to welcome the Women’s Worlds in 2003, but the SARS outbreak that year scuttled those plans. The Americans proved resilient when the tournament debuted five years later in the northern hockey stronghold of Harbin. In the gold medal game, the U.S. hung on for a 4-3 victory over Canada, whose late rally fell short as Natalie Darwitz’s second-period goal stood up as the winner. It was just the U.S.’s second championship ever.
 
The Swiss lost 4-1 to Finland in the bronze medal game, but achieved a new peak with their fourth-place finish. Finnish goalie Noora Raty was named MVP in her second Women’s Worlds. As for China, it avoided relegation with a 3-1 win over Germany.

2011: Switzerland

Hopes were high when Zurich and Winterthur hosted the Women’s Worlds, but the Swiss couldn’t get on a roll despite a 2-1 overtime upset of Finland in the group stage. In the quarter-finals, the host nation squandered a 3-0 second-period lead and fell 5-4 in overtime to the Russians. Switzerland ultimately settled for sixth place.
 
Meanwhile, the Americans got some payback after losing the 2010 Olympic final 2-0 to Canada in Vancouver. Hilary Knight scored the 3-2 overtime winner at 7:48, and Jessie Vetter won her goaltending duel with Shannon Szabados as final shots favoured Canada 53-50. For bronze, Finland’s Minttu Tuominen scored twice in regulation and Karoliina Rantamaki potted the 3-2 sudden-death marker against the Russians.

2022: Denmark

Denmark – a host nation for the men’s Worlds in both 2018 and 2025 – showed its growing commitment to women’s hockey by bringing the Women’s Worlds to Herning and Frederikshavn. This marked the first time a Women’s Worlds had ever taken place in an Olympic year. Due to ongoing scheduling disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic, the tournament kicked off in August for the second straight year.
 
The Canadians continued their dominance under coach Troy Ryan, who had led them to Olympic gold in Beijing earlier that year. Reigning Olympic MVP Brianne Jenner shone again with both goals in a 2-1 gold-medal win over the Americans. The individual U.S. highlight was seeing Knight surpass Hayley Wickenheiser’s 86 career Women’s Worlds points to become the all-time tournament scoring leader. The Czechs won the BMG against Switzerland to claim their first-ever medal in history.
 
It was a tough run for the still-developing Danes, who finished tenth and were relegated, having only a 1-0 win over Hungary to celebrate.