Only once in the 35-year history of the IIHF Women’s World Championship has the title game featured a matchup other than Team USA vs. Canada. That’s not likely to change this year. The North American rivals once again are gold-medal favorites at worlds, which begin Wednesday in České Budějovice, Czechia. In the 23 championships since the tournament’s inception in 1990, Canada has won 13 gold medals to 10 for the United States — including one from last year’s tournament, when the Canadians beat the Americans, 6-5, in overtime in Utica, N.Y. The Americans have prevailed in five of the past eight tournaments, including in 2019, when they beat Finland, 2-1, in a shootout — the only championship game that didn’t feature Canada. The United States and Canada also are the only teams to have won Olympic gold in women’s ice hockey since the sport was added to the Games in 1998. The frequency of their meetings have created a fierce rivalry deepened by the advent of the PWHL. The small size of the league has allowed elite players from both sides of the border to compete with and against their international rivals more frequently than ever. This year’s championship is the last major international tournament before the 2026 Milan Olympics. The Olympic field is already set, so this year’s worlds won’t factor into qualification. The top six teams from the 2024 IIHF world rankings and Italy, the Olympic host nation, qualified automatically, while Japan, Sweden, and Germany earned spots via tournament play. Still, the world championships are a prime opportunity for teams to evaluate the state of their rosters. Here’s everything you need to know about the IIHF Women’s World Championships. Format and dates The tournament begins Wednesday and runs through April 20. The 10 competing teams are split into two groups. Group A features Canada, Czechia, Finland, Switzerland, and the United States; while Group B is Germany, Hungary, Japan, Norway, and Sweden. Each team will play four preliminary-round games during the first week of the tournament, one each against all other teams in its group. Quarterfinal games will take place on April 17, followed by the semifinals on April 19. The bronze medal game will be played on April 20 (8 a.m. EDT), followed by the gold medal game at noon. All games will be broadcast on NHL Network in the United States and TSN in Canada. The IIHF also launched its own web stream that has “global access to all IIHF tournaments,” though some restrictions may apply due to media rights agreements. Introducing https://t.co/3FEusPRGhH – new go-to destination for international hockey! 🏒🔥🎥 600+ games per season live, game highlights, exclusive content🌍 Global access to all IIHF tournaments🚀 Launching April 7 with live action from upcoming Women’s tournaments💻… pic.twitter.com/XSrhaQynWK— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) April 4, 2025 Here’s the schedule for Team USA’s preliminary-round games. All times are listed in Eastern Daylight Time. Wednesday, April 9: USA vs. Finland, 9 a.m. Friday, April 11: USA vs. Czechia, 1 p.m. Sunday, April 13: USA vs. Canada, 1 p.m. Tuesday, April 15: USA vs. Switzerland, 1 p.m. Click here for the full tournament schedule. Team USA roster The United States roster is packed with New England talent, including Fleet players, college alumnae, and natives. Fleet players on Team USA’s roster include goaltender Aerin Frankel (Northeastern), defender Megan Keller (Boston College), and Hilary Knight. Other New Englanders include goaltender Gwyneth Philips (Northeastern); defenders Cayla Barnes (New Hampton School/BC) and Caroline Harvey (Salem, N.H.); and forwards Hayley Scamurra (Northeastern), Jesse Compher (Boston University), Alex Carpenter (Governor’s Academy/BC), and Kendall Coyne Schofield (Berkshire School/Northeastern). Doug Ferry, Team USA’s manager for hockey operations and events, hails from Warwick, R.I. Team USA head athletic trainer Amanda Kelley works for the Fleet. Fleet players on international rosters Across the PWHL, 57 players and 15 staff members are set to represent their countries at worlds. In addition to the three Fleet players on Team USA, the team landed five players on international rosters: Susanna Tapani (Finland), Daniela Pejšová (Czechia), Klára Peslarová (Czechia), Alina Müller (Switzerland), and Emma Söderberg (Sweden).