After much uncertainty, the puck is set to drop on the 2021 IIHF Women's World Championship — and all eyes will be on Canada.
The host nation has not captured gold since 2012 and in 2019 (the last time the tournament was held), the Canadians did not play for the top prize. Canada was upset by Finland in the semifinals, marking the first time the country was not in the gold-medal game in the tournament's history. The country has won the most gold medals (10) dating to the start in 1990.
In 2021, 25 players will hit the ice in Calgary, Alta., to reclaim the gold. This year's championship will also serve as a tune-up — and a chance to set the tone — for the 2022 Olympics scheduled to take place in February in Beijing.
Here's everything to know about the tournament, including how to watch live games in Canada, and a complete schedule with updated scores and standings.
Team Canada's schedule, results at Women's World Championship
The format for the 2021 Women's World Championship consists of two groups of five teams playing a preliminary round-robin to determine seeding, followed by a single-elimination tournament. Canada is in Group A with Finland, Switzerland, ROC and the United States. Every team in Group A advances to the quarterfinals with only three making it out of the preliminary stage from Group B.
Circle Aug. 26 on your calendar. The 2021 edition of the Battle of North America will commence in the preliminary round with the expectation of a rematch at some point.
(All times Eastern)
| Date | Opponent | Result | TV info |
| Fri., Aug. 20 | Finland | W, 5-3 | 6 p.m. (TSN, NHLN) |
| Sun., Aug. 22 | ROC | W, 5-1 | 6 p.m. (TSN, NHLN) |
| Tue., Aug. 24 | Switzerland | W, 5-0 | 6 p.m. (TSN, NHLN) |
| Thu., Aug. 26 | USA | W, 5-1 | 6 p.m. (TSN, NHLN) |
| Sat., Aug. 28 | QF vs. Germany | W, 7-0 | 7 p.m. (TSN, NHLN) |
| Mon., Aug. 30 | SF vs. Switzerland | W, 4-0 | 7 p.m. (TSN, NHLN) |
| Tue., Aug. 31 | Gold vs. USA | W, 3-2 (OT) | 7:30 p.m. (TSN, NHLN) |
How to watch Canada games live online
All of Canada's games will be played at WinSport Arena in Calgary, Alta. TSN owns exclusive broadcast rights for the 2021 Women's World Championship in Canada and will show every game live during the tournament across its various television channels. Canadian viewers can find a live stream for games online at TSN.ca or through the TSN app and TSN Direct.
MORE: Time, TV channel, live stream, schedule
Team Canada's 2021 Women's World Championship roster
As usual, Canada's roster consists of some of the top players in women's hockey. The roster consists of 25 players selected from the 29 chosen to centralize in preparation for the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Eight players will be making their world championship debuts: Victoria Bach, Ashton Bell, Kristen Campbell, Sarah Fillier, Emma Maltais, Kristin O’Neill, Ella Shelton and Claire Thompson.
Five players return from the 2012 team that won the country's last title: Jocelyne Larocque, Rebecca Johnston, Brianne Jenner, Natalie Spooner and Marie-Philip Poulin
Every player on Canada's roster, except for Sarah Fillier (Princeton University) and Ashton Bell (University of Minnesota Duluth), plays in the PWHPA.
Here's the roster that will go for gold for Canada.
| No. | Name | Position | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Rebecca Johnston | Forward | Sudbury, Ont. |
| 7 | Laura Stacey | Forward | Kleinburg, Ont. |
| 10 | Sarah Fillier | Forward | Georgetown, Ont. |
| 11 | Jill Saulnier | Forward | Halifax, N.S. |
| 15 | Mélodie Daoust | Forward | Valleyfield, Que. |
| 19 | Brianne Jenner (A) | Forward | Oakville, Ont. |
| 20 | Sarah Nurse | Forward | Hamilton, Ont. |
| 24 | Natalie Spooner | Forward | Scarborough, Ont. |
| 26 | Emily Clark | Forward | Saskatoon, Sask. |
| 27 | Emma Maltais | Forward | Burlington, Ont. |
| 29 | Marie-Philip Poulin (C) | Forward | Beauceville, Que. |
| 40 | Blayre Turnbull (A) | Forward | Stellarton, N.S. |
| 43 | Kristin O'Neill | Forward | Oakville, Ont. |
| 47 | Jamie Lee Rattray | Forward | Kanata, Ont. |
| 51 | Victoria Bach | Forward | Milton, Ont. |
| 3 | Jocelyne Larocque (A) | Defense | Ste. Anne, Man. |
| 14 | Renata Fast | Defense | Burlington, Ont. |
| 17 | Ella Shelton | Defense | Ingersoll, Ont. |
| 21 | Ashton Bell | Defense | Deloraine, Man. |
| 23 | Erin Ambrose | Defense | Keswick, Ont. |
| 25 | Jaime Bourbonnais | Defense | Mississauga, Ont. |
| 42 | Claire Thompson | Defense | Toronto, Ont. |
| 35 | Ann-Renée Desbiens | Goaltender | La Malbaie, Que. |
| 38 | Emerence Maschmeyer | Goaltender | Bruderheim, Alta. |
| 50 | Kristen Campbell | Goaltender | Brandon, Man. |
2021 Women's World Championship standings
Considered the "Power 5," every team from Group A will advance to the quarterfinals. The top three teams from Group B also will advance. The teams that lose in the quarterfinals will compete in a separate bracket with the winning team earning the No. 5 slot and a spot in Group A in the 2023 tournament.
GROUP A
| Team | Wins | Losses | OTL | Points |
| 1. Canada | 4 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| 2. Canada | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| 3. Finland | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| 4. ROC | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 5. Switzerland | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
GROUP B
| Team | Wins | Losses | OTL | Points |
| 1. Czech Republic | 4 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| 2. Japan | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| 3. Germany | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| 4. Hungary | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 5. Denmark | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Wins in regulation = 3 points
Overtime win = 2 points
Overtime loss = 1 point
Full schedule for the 2021 Women's World Championship
Participating teams are each guaranteed four group-stage games. Teams that advance to the final day of competition (bronze-medal or gold-medal game) will play a total of seven contests.
(All times Eastern)
| FRIDAY, AUG. 20 | ||
| Czech Republic 6, Denmark 1 | 2 p.m. | TSN, ESPN+ |
| Canada 5, Finland 3 | 6 p.m. | TSN, NHLN |
| USA 3, Switzerland 0 | 9:30 p.m. | TSN, NHLN |
| SATURDAY, AUG. 21 | ||
| Germany 3, Hungary 0 | 2 p.m. | TSN, ESPN+ |
| ROC 3, Switzerland 1 | 6 p.m. | TSN, ESPN+ |
| Japan 1, Denmark 0 | 9:30 p.m. | TSN, ESPN+ |
| SUNDAY, AUG. 22 | ||
| Czech Republic 4, Hungary 2 | 2 p.m. | TSN, ESPN+ |
| Canada 5, ROC 1 | 6 p.m. | TSN, NHLN |
| USA 3, Finland 0 | 9:30 p.m. | TSN, NHLN |
| MONDAY, AUG. 23 | ||
| Germany 3, Denmark 1 | 2 p.m. | TSN, ESPN+ |
| Japan 0, Czech Republic 4 | 6 p.m. | TSN, ESPN+ |
| TUESDAY, AUG. 24 | ||
| USA 6, ROC 0 | 2 p.m. | TSN, NHLN |
| Switzerland 0, Canada 5 | 6 p.m. | TSN, NHLN |
| Hungary 1, Japan 4 | 9:30 p.m. | TSN, ESPN+ |
| WEDNESDAY, AUG. 25 | ||
| ROC 0, Finland 4 | 2 p.m. | TSN, ESPN+ |
| Czech Republic 2, Germany 0 | 6 p.m. | TSN, ESPN+ |
| Denmark 1, Hungary 5 | 9:30 p.m. | TSN, ESPN+ |
| THURSDAY, AUG. 26 | ||
| Finland 6, Switzerland 0 | 2 p.m. | TSN, ESPN+ |
| USA 1, Canada 5 | 6 p.m. | TSN, NHLN |
| Japan 2, Germany 1 | 9:30 p.m. | TSN, ESPN+ |
| SATURDAY, AUG. 28 | ||
| QF: ROC 2, Switzerland 3 (OT) | Noon | TSN, NHLN |
| QF: USA 10, Japan 2 | 3:30 p.m. | TSN, NHLN |
| QF: Canada 7, Germany 0 | 7 p.m. | TSN, NHLN |
| QF: Finland 1, Czech Republic 0 | 10:30 p.m. | TSN, NHLN |
| MONDAY, AUG. 30 | ||
| SF: USA 3, Finland 0 | 3 p.m. | TSN, NHLN |
| SF: Canada 4, Switzerland 0 | 7 p.m. | TSN, NHLN |
| TUESDAY, AUG. 31 | ||
| Bronze: Finland 3, Switzerland 1 | 3:30 p.m. | TSN, NHLN |
| Gold: USA 2, Canada 3 (OT) | 7:30 p.m. | TSN, NHLN |