Canada's Jennifer Gardiner (#94) scored two goals and added an assist in her Women's Worlds debut, a 5-0 victory over Finland.
photo: PHOTO: © INTERNATIONAL ICE HOCKEY FEDERATION / MATT ZAMBONIN
Canada kicked off its 2025 IIHF Women’s World Championship in world-class form. The defending champions jumped out to a three-goal first-period lead en route to a 5-0 win over Finland on Thursday evening.
Jennifer Gardiner enjoyed a memorable tournament debut with two goals and an assist alongside captain Marie-Philip Poulin and Laura Stacey, her regular PWHL linemates with the Montreal Victoire. Poulin and defender Ella Shelton each chipped in a goal and an assist.
"You couldn’t have told me this would happen in my wildest dreams," Gardiner said.
"We started strong," said Poulin. "We had a couple of great forecheck goals there. We're not satisfied yet. It was the first 60 minutes for us all together. We're going to have to play a bit harder and put more pucks in the net for the next couple games."
The Finns – who won the bronze medal at both the 2022 Olympics and 2024 Women’s Worlds – were hoping to rebound after a 7-1 shellacking by the Americans on Day One. That decidedly did not happen as they struggled to minimize mistakes and generate quality opportunities. Canada outshot Finland 35-24.
"We just have to be better in the D-zone and then build on the O-zone as well when we get our chances and score from the places we're going to get," said Finnish defender Nelli Laitinen.
Goalie Kristen Campbell – who served as a backup at the last Olympics and four Women’s Women's but never played – finally appeared between the pipes and was solid for the shutout. Number one goalie Ann-Renee Desbiens, who suffered a lower-body injury sustained with the Victoire in mid-March, was just activated from LTIR and is expected to suit up in Ceske Budejovice.
"We started out okay for kind of a first game, but I thought we were really flat in the second period," said Canadian coach Troy Ryan. "[Campbell] made some saves that we maybe didn't expect her to have to make, like odd-man rushes. It's a good game for her."
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Finnish starter Emilia Kyrkko was pulled from her first Women’s Worlds game in favour of Anni Keisala early in the second period after conceding four goals on 13 shots. The 21-year-old Kyrkko splits netminding duties at St. Cloud State with Sanni Ahola, who got the night off.
Canada methodically controlled the play from the outset. Gardiner opened the scoring at 6:02 on a wrister from the left faceoff circle that caught Kyrkko off guard.
At 12:22, Shelton doubled Canada’s lead from the right circle, picking the far top corner with the Finnish goalie well-screened.
Finland struggled with the Canadian pace and physicality. Gardiner found Poulin in front with a centering pass from behind the net and the legendary ace made no mistake for a 3-0 lead at 17:12.
"When you’re playing with Marie-Philip, it’s just about putting the puck on her stick," Gardiner said. "She’s going to be in the right spot, and she’s going to put the puck in the net if she has it."
Two minutes later, Viivi Vainikka was shaken up in a blue line collision with Poulin and had to be helped off. She did not return.
"Obviously she's an important player for us," Laitinen said of Vainikka, who ranked third in SDHL scoring this year. "So it's hard to see that, but hopefully she's OK."
There was more tough luck for Suomi to start the second period. Gardiner sent the puck toward the net from the left side and it deflected in off defender Sanni Rantala’s skate. Although it was too late to change up the momentum, Finnish coach Juuso Toivola replaced Kyrkko with Keisala, who was named Best Goalie at the 2021 tournament in Calgary.
In the third, the Finns picked things up a little but couldn't break Campbell's shutout during their second power play of the night with Claire Thompson off for tripping. Emma Maltais made it 5-0 at 11:14, tipping in Micah Zandee-Hart's point shot off a faceoff in the Finnish end.
That marked the fifth time Motley Crue's "Kickstart My Heart," Canada's 2025 goal song, was played. Asked about how it was chosen, Poulin said: "I love it. I think Blayre [Turnbull] and Emma [Maltais] and the whole group...I think it was a group decision. So just an oldie but a goodie!"
Gardiner and Campbell weren't the only noteworthy first-timers for Canada.
This game saw the highly anticipated Women’s Worlds debut of 18-year-old Chloe Primerano. Twice named Best Defender and an all-star at the U18 Women’s Worlds, the North Vancouver native saw time alongside veteran Jocelyne Larocque. Primerano, coming off her freshman campaign with the University of Minnesota, is the lone non-PWHL skater on this Canadian roster.
Laitinen, Primerano's Minnesota teammate, said: "She's so young but so talented. I'm excited for her. Hopefully she will play more in the future games."
Daryl Watts, who is third in PWHL scoring with 26 points for the Toronto Sceptres, also got into her first Women's Worlds action.
The Finns have beaten Canada just twice in 28 Women’s Worlds meetings. Those upsets came in the 2017 preliminary round (4-3 in Plymouth, Michigan) and 2019 semi-finals (4-2 in Espoo, Finland). Canada has now won four straight against the blue-and-white squad.
Canada takes on Switzerland on Friday, while the Finns will seek their first win against host Czechia on Saturday.
"I'm excited for that," Laitinen said about battling the Czechs. "It's probably going to be a full house and there's going to be a lot of energy going."
Jennifer Gardiner enjoyed a memorable tournament debut with two goals and an assist alongside captain Marie-Philip Poulin and Laura Stacey, her regular PWHL linemates with the Montreal Victoire. Poulin and defender Ella Shelton each chipped in a goal and an assist.
"You couldn’t have told me this would happen in my wildest dreams," Gardiner said.
"We started strong," said Poulin. "We had a couple of great forecheck goals there. We're not satisfied yet. It was the first 60 minutes for us all together. We're going to have to play a bit harder and put more pucks in the net for the next couple games."
The Finns – who won the bronze medal at both the 2022 Olympics and 2024 Women’s Worlds – were hoping to rebound after a 7-1 shellacking by the Americans on Day One. That decidedly did not happen as they struggled to minimize mistakes and generate quality opportunities. Canada outshot Finland 35-24.
"We just have to be better in the D-zone and then build on the O-zone as well when we get our chances and score from the places we're going to get," said Finnish defender Nelli Laitinen.
Goalie Kristen Campbell – who served as a backup at the last Olympics and four Women’s Women's but never played – finally appeared between the pipes and was solid for the shutout. Number one goalie Ann-Renee Desbiens, who suffered a lower-body injury sustained with the Victoire in mid-March, was just activated from LTIR and is expected to suit up in Ceske Budejovice.
"We started out okay for kind of a first game, but I thought we were really flat in the second period," said Canadian coach Troy Ryan. "[Campbell] made some saves that we maybe didn't expect her to have to make, like odd-man rushes. It's a good game for her."
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CANADA VS FINLAND
GAME HIGHLIGHTS | CONDENSED GAME
Finnish starter Emilia Kyrkko was pulled from her first Women’s Worlds game in favour of Anni Keisala early in the second period after conceding four goals on 13 shots. The 21-year-old Kyrkko splits netminding duties at St. Cloud State with Sanni Ahola, who got the night off.
Canada methodically controlled the play from the outset. Gardiner opened the scoring at 6:02 on a wrister from the left faceoff circle that caught Kyrkko off guard.
At 12:22, Shelton doubled Canada’s lead from the right circle, picking the far top corner with the Finnish goalie well-screened.
Finland struggled with the Canadian pace and physicality. Gardiner found Poulin in front with a centering pass from behind the net and the legendary ace made no mistake for a 3-0 lead at 17:12.
"When you’re playing with Marie-Philip, it’s just about putting the puck on her stick," Gardiner said. "She’s going to be in the right spot, and she’s going to put the puck in the net if she has it."
Two minutes later, Viivi Vainikka was shaken up in a blue line collision with Poulin and had to be helped off. She did not return.
"Obviously she's an important player for us," Laitinen said of Vainikka, who ranked third in SDHL scoring this year. "So it's hard to see that, but hopefully she's OK."
There was more tough luck for Suomi to start the second period. Gardiner sent the puck toward the net from the left side and it deflected in off defender Sanni Rantala’s skate. Although it was too late to change up the momentum, Finnish coach Juuso Toivola replaced Kyrkko with Keisala, who was named Best Goalie at the 2021 tournament in Calgary.
In the third, the Finns picked things up a little but couldn't break Campbell's shutout during their second power play of the night with Claire Thompson off for tripping. Emma Maltais made it 5-0 at 11:14, tipping in Micah Zandee-Hart's point shot off a faceoff in the Finnish end.
That marked the fifth time Motley Crue's "Kickstart My Heart," Canada's 2025 goal song, was played. Asked about how it was chosen, Poulin said: "I love it. I think Blayre [Turnbull] and Emma [Maltais] and the whole group...I think it was a group decision. So just an oldie but a goodie!"
Gardiner and Campbell weren't the only noteworthy first-timers for Canada.
This game saw the highly anticipated Women’s Worlds debut of 18-year-old Chloe Primerano. Twice named Best Defender and an all-star at the U18 Women’s Worlds, the North Vancouver native saw time alongside veteran Jocelyne Larocque. Primerano, coming off her freshman campaign with the University of Minnesota, is the lone non-PWHL skater on this Canadian roster.
Laitinen, Primerano's Minnesota teammate, said: "She's so young but so talented. I'm excited for her. Hopefully she will play more in the future games."
Daryl Watts, who is third in PWHL scoring with 26 points for the Toronto Sceptres, also got into her first Women's Worlds action.
The Finns have beaten Canada just twice in 28 Women’s Worlds meetings. Those upsets came in the 2017 preliminary round (4-3 in Plymouth, Michigan) and 2019 semi-finals (4-2 in Espoo, Finland). Canada has now won four straight against the blue-and-white squad.
Canada takes on Switzerland on Friday, while the Finns will seek their first win against host Czechia on Saturday.
"I'm excited for that," Laitinen said about battling the Czechs. "It's probably going to be a full house and there's going to be a lot of energy going."
Canada vs Finland - 2025 IIHF Women's World Championship
OF