The U.S. Women's National Team closes out preliminary round play at the 2021 IIHF Women's World Championship against Canada today. Puck drop is slated for 6 p.m. ET at WinSport Arena in Calgary, Alberta and the game will be broadcast live in the U.S. on NHL Network.
SERIES VS. CANADA
The U.S. and Canada have met on 28 separate occasions at the IIHF Women's World Championship and the U.S. leads the series 11-4-5-8 (W-OTW-OTL-L) and the two are even in goal differential 79-79 at the event. Prior to the 2019 tournament where Team USA faced Finland in the gold-medal game, the U.S. had played Canada in the gold-medal game in all 18 of the previous events.
THE LAST TIME OUT
The U.S. and Canada last met on Feb. 8, 2020 in Game 5 of the Rivalry Series where Team USA defeated Canada 4-3 in overtime in front of a record-breaking crowd in Anaheim, California. Megan Bozek (Buffalo Grove, Ill.) scored on the power play 42 seconds into overtime to secure the win for Team USA and earn Player of the Game honors. The two teams played in front 13,320 fans, which set a record for the most-attended women's national hockey team game ever played on U.S. soil. The previous record was 10,158, which was established on Jan. 6, 2002, when the U.S. faced Canada at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.
RECORD WATCH
Hilary Knight (Sun Valley, Idaho) broke the all-time IIHF Women’s World Championship goal record after scoring a goal against ROC in Game 3 of the preliminary round of the IIHF Women’s World Championship. With an assist on Knight's goal, Brianna Decker (Dousman, Wis.) became the all-time U.S. assist leader in women's world championship play. Knight's goal was her 45th in the women's worlds, eclipsing Hockey Hall of Famer Cammi Granato, while Decker's assist was her 39th, passing Jenny Potter and Krissy Wendell. With her three points this tournament, Knight is now one point away from tying the U.S. all-time points record at the WWC (78), which is also currently held by Granato.