United States open women’s worlds with 7-0 shutout of Switzerland in Esbjerg as Canada beat Sweden 5-1
The United States opened their defense of the women’s ice hockey world championship with a 7-0 win over Switzerland on Friday in Esbjerg, Denmark. Hannah Bilka broke a scoreless game nine minutes in, but Swiss goaltender Andrea Brändli held the Americans there through the rest of a competitive first period. Casey O’Brien made it 2-0 in the second before Laila Edwards scored on a power play 15 seconds after a Swiss penalty; the United States outshot Switzerland 15-3 in that period. Four more goals came in the third, including Bilka’s second and a solo effort from Kirsten Simms. Edwards also scored twice. Hilary Knight, 37 and in her 16th worlds as the Americans’ longest-tenured player, scored midway through the third to extend her tournament records to 68 goals and 121 points in 88 games; she remains the competition’s all-time leader in both. Caroline Harvey had three assists. Aerin Frankel stopped all eight shots for the shutout as the United States improved to 14-0 all-time against Switzerland, bronze medalists at February’s Olympics. All but one American, forward Joy Dunne, play in the Professional Women’s Hockey League.
Canada opened in Herning with a 5-1 Group B win over Sweden. The youngest Canadian team since 2013, averaging 26 years old, led 3-0 in the first through Eldridge, Emily Clark and Rebecca Leslie. Kendall Cooper added a power-play goal midway through the second. Hanna Thuvik replied on a power play in the third before Eldridge scored her second. Ann-Renée Desbiens stopped 13 shots. In Group A the Czech Republic rallied to beat Austria 4-1, with Katerina Mrazova contributing two goals and an assist; Austria are in the top division for the first time. Finland, last year’s bronze medalists, faced hosts Denmark in Herning later Friday.
Canada have 13 world titles and the United States 11 across 24 previous championships; the Americans have won 10 of the past 14 and arrived as reigning world and Olympic champions after 2025 in the Czech Republic and gold at the Milan-Cortina Games in February, beating Canada in overtime in both finals. Finland are the only other finalist, in 2019. The 11-day, 10-nation event in Esbjerg and Herning is the first held in November after the IIHF moved it ahead of the PWHL season. Two groups of five are split by ranking, with the United States and Canada heading one each; the top four from each group reach the playoffs, the final is on 16 November, and the bottom two play a relegation game. Canada and the United States are in generic jerseys without national logos, mandated by the IIHF and designed by supplier True Hockey, while Hockey Canada and USA Hockey have apparel deals with Bauer and CCM. The federations are suing the IIHF in a Swiss court over the dispute.
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