ZURICH – The 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship in Ottawa, Canada, 2-9 April 2013, will feature the Canada vs. USA rivalry on the opening day at Scotiabank Place.

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The Ottawa Senators’ arena will be the main venue for the event hosting the top group and all games of the final round. Group B of the preliminary round and the relegation round will be staged at the Nepean Sportsplex.

Group A features the top-four teams in women’s hockey according to last year’s ranking: Canada, USA, Switzerland and Finland, while Group B includes Sweden, Russia, Germany and newly promoted Czech Republic.

It will be the last big event for the top women’s teams of the world before the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.

The opening day on 2 April 2013 features a rematch of last year’s bronze medal game Finland vs. Switzerland in the afternoon before Canada and the United States will continue their fierce rivalry the same night.

This year in Burlington, Vermont, when the new format was used for the same time, the Americans humbled their rivals with a 9-2 victory in the preliminary-round clash on home ice, but Canada edged the U.S. 5-4 in overtime in the gold medal game.

Canada’s tenth world title ended the United States’ golden reign with three straight Women’s World Championships.

The 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship will mark the sixth time Canada has hosted the tournament, adding to 1990 in Ottawa, 1997 in Kitchener, 2000 in Mississauga, 2004 in Halifax, and 2007 in Winnipeg.

Ticket packages for the event can be bought here.