# 1997 IIHF Women's World Championship

The 1997 IIHF Women's World Championships was held March 31 – April 6, 1997, in seven Canadian cities all in the Province of Ontario. Team Canada won their fourth consecutive gold medal at the World Championships defeating the United States, however this time the United States took Canada in the closest final so far, losing in overtime. Finland picked up their fourth consecutive bronze medal, with a win over China who made the Semi-Final for the second consecutive year.
This tournament also served as the qualifier for the Nagano Olympics, with the top five finishers joining host Japan. Sweden defeated first Switzerland, then Russia, in the consolation round to join the four semi-finalists in the Olympics.

## Qualification

The following teams participated in the championship. Qualification was the top three from the 1996 Pacific Rim Championship, and the top five from the 1996 European Championship.
* Pacific Rim Championship:
** Canada
** China
** United States
* European Championship:
** Finland
** Norway
** Russia
** Switzerland
** Sweden

## Final tournament

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 Final Round, while the remaining teams played in the consolation round.

## First round
### Group A
#### Standings

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Canada | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 2 | +20 | 6 | Advanced to Final round |
| 2 | China | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 12 | +6 | 4 | Advanced to Final round |
| 3 | Russia | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 18 | −12 | 1 | Sent to Consolation round |
| 4 | Switzerland | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 20 | −14 | 1 | Sent to Consolation round |

#### Results

All times local
| Hong S. 7:36 Guo W. 11:22 Yang 12:26 Hong D. 27:23 Hong D. 37:03 Hong Sang 40:36 | Goals | E. Pashkevich 20:06 L. Mishina 33:51 |
| V. Sunohara 07:36 H. Wickenheiser 21:25 D. Goyette 32:04 N. Drolet 58:28 A. James 59:36 R. Fahey 59:51 | Goals |
| Zhang L. 4:06 Liu H. 7:44 Zhang L. 8:27 Guo L. 8:54 Gong M. 11:47 Zhang J. 28:47 Wang W. 30:24 Liu H. 38:19 Guo W. 50:52 Liu H. 54:38 Yang X. 59:17 | Goals | M. Walder 9:42 D. Wyss 19:26 Penalty Shot 59:17 |
| J. Hefford 11:06 V. Sunohara 14:19 L. Letendre 19:49 S. Wilson 23:52 L. Schuller 24:57 H. Wickenheiser 36:54 K. Nyrstrom 42:53 D. Goyette 44:49 F. St. Louis 45:49 | Goals | M. Misropian 48:43 |
| M. Noethiger 8:20 R. Kuenzle 25:19 M. Baechler 27:01 | Goals | E. Pachkevitch 28:31 V. Simanova 34:03 E. Bialkovskaya 36:52 |
| C. Campbell 8:34 L. Dupuis 9:30 H. Wickenheiser 12:29 V. Sunohara 13:36 C. Campbell 14:56 G. Heaney 23:20 L. Dupuis 56:55 | Goals | Guo W. 44:48 |

### Group B
#### Standings

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | United States | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 3 | +17 | 5 | Advanced to Final round |
| 2 | Finland | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 3 | +15 | 5 | Advanced to Final round |
| 3 | Sweden | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 17 | −15 | 1 | Sent to Consolation round |
| 4 | Norway | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 19 | −17 | 1 | Sent to Consolation round |

#### Results

All times local
| Goals | 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 |
| T. Reima 00:37 P. Salo 03:58 T. Paananen 04:51 M. Ihalainen 20:32 T. Reima 56:09 | Goals |
| T. Larson 08:59 B. Lersbryggen 17:17 | Goals | M. Rooth 36:56 G. Andersson 58:00 |
| T. Reima 17:38 R. Nieminen 51:56 S. Krooks 54:36 | Goals | T. Dunn 4:27 C. Granato 19:18 C. Granato 31:11 |
| Goals | R. Nieminen 03:13 R. Nieminen 11:06 J. Ikonen 16:12 M. Ihalainen 33:43 K. Riipi 34:47 K. Hänninen 37:12 R. Nieminen 40:52 A. Haanpää 47:43 T. Reima 52:11 A. Haanpää 59:55 |
| 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 | Goals |

## Playoff round
### Consolation round 5–8 place

| M. Rooth 1:49 Å. Elfving 08:24 E. Holst 35:49 Å. Elfving 43:38 E. Holst 49:36 K. Bergstrand 53:50 G. Andersson 54:07 | Goals | R. Fuhrer 21:07 |
| O. Tretiakova 8:07 E. Pashkevich 38:38 | Goals | B. Lersbryggen 17:15 |

### Consolation round 7–8 place

| K. Lehmann 46:47 | Goals |

### Consolation round 5–6 place

| S. Nikolaeva 1:10 | Goals | G. Andersson 23:33 C. Kempe 23:33 C. Kempe 50:29 |

### Final round

| Semi finals 5 April 1997 | Semi finals 5 April 1997 | Semi finals 5 April 1997 | Finals 6 April 1997 | Finals 6 April 1997 | Finals 6 April 1997 |
| A1 | Canada | 2 | | | |
| B2 | Finland | 1 | | | |
| B2 | Finland | 1 | Canada | Canada | 4 |
| | | | United States | United States | 3 |
| B1 | United States | 6 | United States | United States | 3 |
| A2 | China | 0 | Bronze Medal Game | Bronze Medal Game | Bronze Medal Game |
| | | | Finland | Finland | 3 |
| | | | China | China | 0 |

### Semifinals

| H. Wickenheiser 25:27 V. Sunohara 59:36 | Goals | K. Hänninen 7:00 |
| S. Looney T. Mounsey K. Bye S. O'Sullvian L. Baker G. Ulion | Goals |

### Match for third place

| T. Paananen 53:37 Unknown Unknown | Goals |

### Final
## Champions

* 1997 IIHF World Women Championship winners
* Canada 4th title

## Tournament Awards

The following was selected as the All-Star team of the tournament:
* Goaltender - Patricia Sautter Switzerland
* Defence - Cassie Campbell Canada
* Defence - Kelly O'Leary United States
* Forward - Hayley Wickenheiser Canada
* Forward - Cammi Granato United States
* Forward - Riikka Nieminen Finland

## Final standings

| Rk. | Team | Notes |
| | Canada | Qualified for the 1998 Winter Olympic Games |
| | United States | Qualified for the 1998 Winter Olympic Games |
| | Finland | Qualified for the 1998 Winter Olympic Games |
| 4. | China | Qualified for the 1998 Winter Olympic Games |
| 5. | Sweden | Qualified for the 1998 Winter Olympic Games |
| 6. | Russia | Qualified for the 1999 World Championships Qualification Tournament |
| 7. | Switzerland | Qualified for the 1999 World Championships Qualification Tournament |
| 8. | Norway | Qualified for the 1999 World Championships Qualification Tournament |

## Scoring leaders

| Player | GP | G | A | Pts |
| Riikka Nieminen | 5 | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| Hayley Wickenheiser | 5 | 4 | 5 | 9 |
| Cammi Granato | 5 | 5 | 3 | 8 |
| Tiia Reima | 5 | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| Cassie Campbell | 5 | 2 | 6 | 8 |
| Nancy Drolet | 5 | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| Shelley Looney | 5 | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| Karyn Bye | 5 | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| Liu Hongmei | 5 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| Guo Wei | 5 | 3 | 3 | 6 |