1997 Women's World Ice Hockey Championships

Infobox IIHFWW
tourney_name = IIHF World Women's Championship
year = 1997
other_titles =


size =
caption =
country = Canada
dates = April 11 - April 17
num_teams = 8
venues = Brantford, Brampton, Hamilton, Kitchener, London, Mississauga, North York
cities = 7
winners = Canada
count = 4
games = 20
goals = 129
attendance =
scoring_leader = flagicon|FIN Riikka Nieminen
mvp =

The 1997 IIHF World Women Championships was held March 31-April 6, 1997 in seven Canadian cities all in the Province of Ontario. Team Canada won their 4th consecutive gold medal at the World Championships defeating the United States in a repeat of the previous three finals, however this time the United States took Canada in the closest final so far, losing in overtime. Finland picked up their fourth consectuive bronze medal, with a win over China who made the Semi-Final for the second consecutive year.

Qualification/Teams

The following teams participated in the championship. Qualification was the top three from the 1996 Pacific Rim Tournament, and the top five from the European Championship.

*ihw|CAN - Qualified as 1st in 1996 Pacific Rim Tournament
*ihw|CHN - Qualified as 3rd in 1996 Pacific Rim Tournament
*ihw|FIN - Qualified as 2nd in 1996 European Championship
*ihw|NOR - Qualified as 4th in 1996 European Championship
*ihw|RUS - Qualified as 2nd in 1996 European Championship
*ihw|SUI - Qualified as 5th in 1996 European Championship
*ihw|SWE - Qualified as 1st in 1996 European Championship
*ihw|USA - Qualified as 2nd in 1996 Pacific Rim Tournament

Format

The eight participating teams were divided up into two seeded groups as below. The teams played each other once in a single round robin format. The top two teams from the group proceeded to the Medal Round, while the remaining teams played in the placing games.

Group Stage

Results

All times local

Hockeybox2
bg = #eeeeee
date = March 31, 1997
time = 4:00pm
team1 = ihw-rt|NOR
score = 0 – 7
periods = ( 0 - 2 , 0 - 3 , 0 - 2 )
team2 = ihw|USA
goals1 =
goals2 = S. Looney 1:51
S. O'Sullivian 5:19
L. Baker 26:55
C. Granato 29:05
K. O'Leary 34:25
G. Ulion 42:19
S. Looney 46:21
stadium = Kitchener
attendance = 3,100
referee =

Hockeybox2
bg = #eeffff
date = March 31, 1997
time = 4:00pm
team1 = ihw-rt|FIN
score = 5 – 0
periods = ( 3 - 0 , 1 - 0 , 1 - 0 )
team2 = ihw|SWE
goals1 = T. Reima 00:37
P. Salo 03:58
T. Jaanenen 04:51
M. Ihalainen 20:32
T. Reima 56:09
goals2 =
stadium = Brampton
attendance =
referee =

Hockeybox2
bg = #eeeeee
date = April 1, 1997
time = 4:00pm
team1 = ihw-rt|NOR
score = 2 – 2
periods = ( 2 - 0 , 0 - 1 , 0 - 1 )
team2 = ihw|SWE
goals1 = T. Larson 08:59
B. Lersbryggen 17:17
goals2 = M. Rooth 36:56
G. Anderson 58:00
stadium = Kitchener
attendance = 3,068
referee =

Hockeybox2
bg = #eeffff
date = April 1, 1997
time = 7:00pm
team1 = ihw-rt|FIN
score = 3 – 3
periods = ( 1 - 2 , 0 - 1 , 2 - 0 )
team2 = ihw|USA
goals1 = T. Reima 17:38
R. Neiminen 51:56
S. Krooks 54:36
goals2 = P. Dunn 4:27
C. Granato 19:18
C. Granato 31:11
stadium = Brantford
attendance =
referee = Hockeybox2
bg = #eeeeee
date = April 3, 1997
time = 7:00pm
team1 = ihw-rt|NOR
score = 0 – 10
periods = ( 0 - 3 , 0 - 3 , 0 - 4 )
team2 = ihw|FIN
goals1 =
goals2 = R. Nieminen 03:13
R. Nieminen 11:06
J. Tkonen 16:12
M. Ihalainen 33:43
K. Riipi 34:47
K. Hanninen 37:12
R. Nieminen 40:52
A. Haanpaa 47:43
T. Reima 52:11
A. Haanpaa 59:55
stadium = Kitchener
attendance = 3,401
referee =

Hockeybox2
bg = #eeffff
date = April 3, 1997
time = 7:00pm
team1 = ihw-rt|USA
score = 10 – 0
periods = ( 4 - 0 , 3 - 0 , 3 - 0 )
team2 = ihw|SWE
goals1 = K. King 5:06
L. Brown-Miller 11:22
C. Granato 12:24
K. Bye 18:08
C. Granato 20:20
S. Whyte 20:37
K. Bye 39:09
S. Looney 42:25
T. Mounsey 46:05
K. Bye 50:36
goals2 =
stadium = London
attendance = 3,472
referee =

Playoff Stage

Placing Round

Hockeybox2
bg = #eeeeee
date = April 4, 1997
time = 4:00pm
team1 = ihw-rt|SWE
score = 7 – 1
periods = ( 2 - 0 , 1 - 1 , 4 - 0 )
team2 = ihw|SUI
goals1 = M. Rooth 1:49
A. Elfving 08:24
E. Holst 35:49
A. Elfving 43:38
E. Holst 49:36
K. Bergstrand 53:50
G. Andersson 54:07
goals2 = R. Fuhrer 21:07
stadium = Kitchener
attendance = 3,301
referee = Hockeybox2
bg = #eeffff
date = April 4, 1997
time = 7:30pm
team1 = ihw-rt|RUS
score = 2 – 1
periods = ( 1 - 1 , 1 - 0 , 0 - 0 )
team2 = ihw|NOR
goals1 = O. Tretiakova 8:07
E. Pashkevich 38:38
goals2 = B. Lersbryggen 17:15
stadium = Kitchener
attendance = 2,849
referee =

7th/8th Place Game

Hockeybox2
bg = #eeeeee
date = April 17, 1994
time = 2:00pm
team1 = ihw-rt|SUI
score = 1 – 0
periods = ( 0 - 0 , 0 - 0 , 1 - 0 )
team2 = ihw|NOR
goals1 = K. Lehmann 46:47
goals2 =
stadium = Kitchener
attendance = 565
referee =

5th/6th Place Game

Hockeybox2
bg = #eeffff
date = April 6, 1997
time = 1:00pm
team1 = ihw-rt|RUS
score = 1 – 3
periods = ( 1 - 0 , 0 - 2 , 0 - 1 )
team2 = ihw|SWE
goals1 = S. Nikolaeva 1:10
goals2 = G. Andersson 23:33
C. Kempe 23:33
C. Kempe 50:29
stadium = Kitchener
attendance = 2,471
referee =

Medal Round

Semi-2-no-groups
semi-date = 5 April 1997
final-date = 6 April 1997
pool-a-name = Group A
pool-b-name = Group B
top-position-name = 2nd
next-position-name = 1st
final-match-name = Gold Medal Game (AOT)
consolation-match-name = Bronze Medal Game
pool-a-second = ihw|CAN
pool-a-second-score = 2
pool-b-first = ihw|FIN
pool-b-first-score = 1
pool-b-second = ihw|USA
pool-b-second-score = 6
pool-a-first = ihw|CHN
pool-a-first-score = 0
f-team-top = ihw|CAN
f-score-top = 4
f-team-bot = ihw|USA
f-score-bot = 3
bronze-team-top = ihw|FIN
bronze-score-top = 3
bronze-team-bot = ihw|CHN
bronze-score-bot = 0

emi-Finals

Hockeybox2
bg = #eeeeee
date = April 5, 1997
time = 1:00pm
team1 = ihw-rt|CAN
score = 2 – 1
periods = ( 0 - 1 , 1 - 0 , 1 - 0 )
team2 = ihw|FIN
goals1 = H. Wickenheiser 25:27
V. Sunohara 59:36
goals2 = K. Haenninen 7:00
stadium = Kitchener
attendance = 4,963
referee = Hockeybox2
bg = #eeffff
date = April 5, 1994
time = 5:00pm
team1 = ihw-rt|USA
score = 6 – 0
periods = ( 2 - 0 , 2 - 0 , 2 - 0)
team2 = ihw|CHN
goals1 = S. Looney
T. Mounsey
K. Bye
S. O'Sullvian
L. Baker
G. Ulion
goals2 =
stadium = Kitchener
attendance = 3,832
referee =

Bronze Medal Game

Hockeybox2
bg = #FFDAB9
date = April 6, 1997
time = 4:00pm
team1 = ihw-rt|FIN
score = 3 – 0
periods = ( 0 - 0 , 0 - 0 , 3 - 0 )
team2 = ihw|CHN
goals1 = T. Paananen 53:37
Unknown
Unknown
goals2 =
stadium = Kitchener
attendance =
referee =

Final

Hockeybox2
bg = #F7F6A8
date = April 6, 1997
time =
team1 = ihw-rt|CAN
score = 4 – 3
periods = ( 1 - 0 , 1 - 2 , 1 - 1 , 1 - 0 )
team2 = ihw|USA
goals1 = N. Drolet 19:36
A. James 29:21
N. Drolet 40:11
N. Drolet 72:59
goals2 = A. Blahoski 27:15
S. O'Sullivan 34:14
K. King 42:26
stadium = Kitchener
attendance = 6,427
referee =

Champions

Tournament Awards

The following was selected as the All-Star team of the tournament:

* Goaltender - Patricia Sauter ihw-rt|SUI
* Defence - Cassie Campbell ihw-rt|CAN
* Defence - Kelly O'Leary ihw-rt|USA
* Forward - Hayley Wickenheiser ihw-rt|CAN
* Forward - Cammi Granato ihw-rt|USA
* Forward - Riikka Neminen ihw-rt|FIN

Final standings