photo: Matt Zambonin/IIHF
When Sweden and Japan take to the ice this afternoon in Utica, it will be the 500th game played at the IIHF Women’s World Championship. The first, back in 1990 in Ottawa, marked the start of women’s hockey at the IIHF that has grown exponentially in the 34 years since.
Let’s look back at what players recall of their experiences over the years.
Maria Dennis, is currently the Senior Director of Player Health and Safety & Senior Counsel for the NHL, but in 1990, she was a 24-year-old just happy to be part of history.
“What I remember most about the 1990 tournament is that for the gold-medal game we played in front of about 9,000 people, in a “real” arena. When you play in front of that many people, your feet are wings and you never get tired. I will never forget that feeling. I felt very proud and honoured to represent my country at the most important tournament in our sport at the time,” Dennis recalled. “In fact, we all felt a sense of relief that, finally, the national governing bodies recognized the growing number of girls and women who were playing hockey. We knew this first IIHF World Championship was just the first step, and that our next goal was to get women’s hockey into the Olympics. We hoped and felt confident that either Albertville (1992) or Lillehammer (1994) would include women’s hockey, and when they didn’t, many of us could not continue to put our lives on hold, and so we hung up our skates, including me.”
Dennis has maintained a love for the game and continues to follow the Women’s Worlds. Like so many, she marvels at how it has changed.
Let’s look back at what players recall of their experiences over the years.
Maria Dennis, is currently the Senior Director of Player Health and Safety & Senior Counsel for the NHL, but in 1990, she was a 24-year-old just happy to be part of history.
“What I remember most about the 1990 tournament is that for the gold-medal game we played in front of about 9,000 people, in a “real” arena. When you play in front of that many people, your feet are wings and you never get tired. I will never forget that feeling. I felt very proud and honoured to represent my country at the most important tournament in our sport at the time,” Dennis recalled. “In fact, we all felt a sense of relief that, finally, the national governing bodies recognized the growing number of girls and women who were playing hockey. We knew this first IIHF World Championship was just the first step, and that our next goal was to get women’s hockey into the Olympics. We hoped and felt confident that either Albertville (1992) or Lillehammer (1994) would include women’s hockey, and when they didn’t, many of us could not continue to put our lives on hold, and so we hung up our skates, including me.”
Dennis has maintained a love for the game and continues to follow the Women’s Worlds. Like so many, she marvels at how it has changed.
“Women’s hockey has advanced so much since its entrance onto the world stage in 1990,” she continued. “The skill level, the depth of rosters, and the athleticism are truly light years ahead of where we were in 1990. I cannot stop thinking about how far we have come. However, one thing that has not changed is the level of heart, dedication, and commitment all women players have always had for hockey. That will never change. Women athletes have proven that if we are given the resources and support that men receive, women’s sports can be just as successful, if not more.”
Fast forward a few years to when Fiona Smith-Bell made her debut with Canada. “My favourite memories of playing in the Women's World Championships came from my first tournament in Kitchener, Ontario back in 1997. It was not only memorable due to being my first time competing in the event, but what truly made it special to me was being able to play at home in Canada. We had unbelievable fan support at every game, and the energy in the Kitchener Auditorium was electric! Every seat was filled for our games, and it was so loud in the rink that we had a hard time hearing the whistle. And absolutely nothing can compare to standing along the blue line on home ice, arm-in-arm with your teammates, each with a gold medal around their neck, and singing our national anthem together as loud as we possibly could... it was the ultimate sense of accomplishment both as a team and an individual athlete!”
Like Dennis, Smith-Bell recognizes the stages of development of the game over the decades. “There are many things that are similar, but obviously the game has changed in many ways,” she continues. “I believe the same could be said for the men's game too, particularly when comparing the speed or skill from 25 years ago to now. One of the biggest differences in my opinion is the depth of talent. I had the privilege to play with many great individual players who stood out for being fast and strong, but when I watch the women's game today, they all look fast and strong! So many young girls are playing the game from an early age now, whereas it was still pretty new when I started to play. I, and many of the girls from my era, had to fight (or have people fight for us) just so we could play hockey on a boys team. In the current day and age, girls playing hockey is completely normal. Another significant change that I see is in the support of the women's game. There has been such a dramatic change in financial support.”
Kim Martin-Hasson is the general manager of Frolunda in the SDHL, but she was a star goalie with Sweden starting in 2001 when she was still a teen.
“I didn’t get to play much in my first world championship,” she noted, “but I did get to play the last game against Kazakhstan because the first goalie got sick. We won, and it was a great experience for me. Today, the players and the game are much better. I think the gap between the USA and Canada and everyone else is much smaller. Women’s hockey is moving in the right direction.”
Alina Muller is a star today in Utica and in the PWHL with Boston, but it’s crazy to realize sometimes that although she has been around ten years, she is still only 26 years old. She played in her first Women’s Worlds in 2015, shortly after her 17th birthday.
“I remember just having a lot of fun, going out on the ice playing against the big countries and realizing there's a lot of work ahead for us. And now we go out there and do a better job keeping them off the scoreboard. We've come a long way. I'm very proud of the process. I think there's a lot more skill now. Back then there were more great individuals, like Hayley Wickenheiser, who could do it alone. But now you need five players out there to score goals. Players like Hilary Knight are great, but they can't do it alone. Everybody can shoot now; everybody can pass, can skate.”
Canadian captain Marie-Philip Poulin is a rare North American player who moved up from U18 to the senior program in the same year. “When you move up, you have to play with and against your idols, your role models, so it's very special,” she explained. “The tournament today is growing. There are more media, more people around, people are talking about them and there are more good plays and play is much faster. From where it is now to where I started, you can see the future is bright.”
Her American counterpart, Hilary Knight, concurs. “Where the game has gone is outstanding and speaks to more access to resources and programming, more opportunities,” she said. “I think the U18 is a great step to feel that pressure and represent your country, and obviously development is so critical. We can have a greater player pool to choose from and that’s what you want.”
Her fondest memories focus in on two events in particular. “I think 2015 was super special, the way we were on and off the ice as a team. And 2017 was important because we fought for what we believed in. Without 2017 I’m not sure women’s hockey would be where it is today. Tremendous courage for all the leaders in that room and we were able to secure victory on the ice as well.”
Czechia coach Carla MacLeod has a unique perspective. She played in the dominant 2005-10 era for Canada, winning two Olympic gold and Women’s Worlds gold with that amazing 2007 team before turning to coaching in Europe.
“I remember watching Game One in 1990 as a young kid and just being glued to my television because that was the first time I’d ever seen women’s hockey” she enthused. “And to think now we’re at the 500th game! It’s hard to quantify, but it’s pretty exciting for the sport. What I’m really proud of is that every generation has done some heavy lifting to elevate it to the next level, and of course because we’re still so young we’re seeing the very best in this year’s edition. But I’m really proud of my era, too, proud to be a part of Team Canada in the middle to late 2000s and really privileged to play at the World Championships and also the Olympics. I know what those opportunities mean to me not only as a player but as a person. I think the growth of the game inspires everyone, and that’s why the fan base is growing.”
MacLeod brings her experiences as a player to her coaching and sees the benefits from her WW years. “I’ve never forgotten what it means to be a player. What I mean is that I never went on the ice to intentionally make a mistake. That was never my motive. But, of course, I certainly made a lot in my day, and so I’m always into the teaching side of the game more than the correcting side, and recognizing that every opportunity is an opportunity to learn. That’s all we can do.”
Given the option to choose, however, her fondest memories aren’t with her home and native land but with her adopted hockey country. “I think my purest memory is our first bronze medal with Czech. I just hadn’t experienced that true elation when we won that quarter-final, got over the hurdle. When you play on Team Canada, it was gold or bust, so when you win gold, it was exciting but also a lot of relief. That quarter-final team in 2022 felt pure joy, and that’s something I’ll take with me for the rest of my life. I’m honoured to be a part of it.”
Finland’s longtime captain Jenni Hiirikoski relishes every moment she has at the Women’s Worlds. “It’s a place where you see all the best women players and that creates motivation for the next generation of players,” she explained. “For me, it’s about being able to represent my country and be there fighting for victory with your teammates. But it’s also exciting to meet and play against the best players from the other countries.”
She doesn’t hesitate to pick a favourite memory. “The first one, in Halifax, Canada in 2004. I was just a 17-year-old girl playing behind so many idols on my team and also being on the ice with so many great players. It was exciting for me, and I appreciated it even more when we won the bronze medal, and you can see from your own teammates what it means to win a medal at a world championship for your country. That’s the best moment in my career.”
Fast forward a few years to when Fiona Smith-Bell made her debut with Canada. “My favourite memories of playing in the Women's World Championships came from my first tournament in Kitchener, Ontario back in 1997. It was not only memorable due to being my first time competing in the event, but what truly made it special to me was being able to play at home in Canada. We had unbelievable fan support at every game, and the energy in the Kitchener Auditorium was electric! Every seat was filled for our games, and it was so loud in the rink that we had a hard time hearing the whistle. And absolutely nothing can compare to standing along the blue line on home ice, arm-in-arm with your teammates, each with a gold medal around their neck, and singing our national anthem together as loud as we possibly could... it was the ultimate sense of accomplishment both as a team and an individual athlete!”
Like Dennis, Smith-Bell recognizes the stages of development of the game over the decades. “There are many things that are similar, but obviously the game has changed in many ways,” she continues. “I believe the same could be said for the men's game too, particularly when comparing the speed or skill from 25 years ago to now. One of the biggest differences in my opinion is the depth of talent. I had the privilege to play with many great individual players who stood out for being fast and strong, but when I watch the women's game today, they all look fast and strong! So many young girls are playing the game from an early age now, whereas it was still pretty new when I started to play. I, and many of the girls from my era, had to fight (or have people fight for us) just so we could play hockey on a boys team. In the current day and age, girls playing hockey is completely normal. Another significant change that I see is in the support of the women's game. There has been such a dramatic change in financial support.”
Kim Martin-Hasson is the general manager of Frolunda in the SDHL, but she was a star goalie with Sweden starting in 2001 when she was still a teen.
“I didn’t get to play much in my first world championship,” she noted, “but I did get to play the last game against Kazakhstan because the first goalie got sick. We won, and it was a great experience for me. Today, the players and the game are much better. I think the gap between the USA and Canada and everyone else is much smaller. Women’s hockey is moving in the right direction.”
Alina Muller is a star today in Utica and in the PWHL with Boston, but it’s crazy to realize sometimes that although she has been around ten years, she is still only 26 years old. She played in her first Women’s Worlds in 2015, shortly after her 17th birthday.
“I remember just having a lot of fun, going out on the ice playing against the big countries and realizing there's a lot of work ahead for us. And now we go out there and do a better job keeping them off the scoreboard. We've come a long way. I'm very proud of the process. I think there's a lot more skill now. Back then there were more great individuals, like Hayley Wickenheiser, who could do it alone. But now you need five players out there to score goals. Players like Hilary Knight are great, but they can't do it alone. Everybody can shoot now; everybody can pass, can skate.”
Canadian captain Marie-Philip Poulin is a rare North American player who moved up from U18 to the senior program in the same year. “When you move up, you have to play with and against your idols, your role models, so it's very special,” she explained. “The tournament today is growing. There are more media, more people around, people are talking about them and there are more good plays and play is much faster. From where it is now to where I started, you can see the future is bright.”
Her American counterpart, Hilary Knight, concurs. “Where the game has gone is outstanding and speaks to more access to resources and programming, more opportunities,” she said. “I think the U18 is a great step to feel that pressure and represent your country, and obviously development is so critical. We can have a greater player pool to choose from and that’s what you want.”
Her fondest memories focus in on two events in particular. “I think 2015 was super special, the way we were on and off the ice as a team. And 2017 was important because we fought for what we believed in. Without 2017 I’m not sure women’s hockey would be where it is today. Tremendous courage for all the leaders in that room and we were able to secure victory on the ice as well.”
Czechia coach Carla MacLeod has a unique perspective. She played in the dominant 2005-10 era for Canada, winning two Olympic gold and Women’s Worlds gold with that amazing 2007 team before turning to coaching in Europe.
“I remember watching Game One in 1990 as a young kid and just being glued to my television because that was the first time I’d ever seen women’s hockey” she enthused. “And to think now we’re at the 500th game! It’s hard to quantify, but it’s pretty exciting for the sport. What I’m really proud of is that every generation has done some heavy lifting to elevate it to the next level, and of course because we’re still so young we’re seeing the very best in this year’s edition. But I’m really proud of my era, too, proud to be a part of Team Canada in the middle to late 2000s and really privileged to play at the World Championships and also the Olympics. I know what those opportunities mean to me not only as a player but as a person. I think the growth of the game inspires everyone, and that’s why the fan base is growing.”
MacLeod brings her experiences as a player to her coaching and sees the benefits from her WW years. “I’ve never forgotten what it means to be a player. What I mean is that I never went on the ice to intentionally make a mistake. That was never my motive. But, of course, I certainly made a lot in my day, and so I’m always into the teaching side of the game more than the correcting side, and recognizing that every opportunity is an opportunity to learn. That’s all we can do.”
Given the option to choose, however, her fondest memories aren’t with her home and native land but with her adopted hockey country. “I think my purest memory is our first bronze medal with Czech. I just hadn’t experienced that true elation when we won that quarter-final, got over the hurdle. When you play on Team Canada, it was gold or bust, so when you win gold, it was exciting but also a lot of relief. That quarter-final team in 2022 felt pure joy, and that’s something I’ll take with me for the rest of my life. I’m honoured to be a part of it.”
Finland’s longtime captain Jenni Hiirikoski relishes every moment she has at the Women’s Worlds. “It’s a place where you see all the best women players and that creates motivation for the next generation of players,” she explained. “For me, it’s about being able to represent my country and be there fighting for victory with your teammates. But it’s also exciting to meet and play against the best players from the other countries.”
She doesn’t hesitate to pick a favourite memory. “The first one, in Halifax, Canada in 2004. I was just a 17-year-old girl playing behind so many idols on my team and also being on the ice with so many great players. It was exciting for me, and I appreciated it even more when we won the bronze medal, and you can see from your own teammates what it means to win a medal at a world championship for your country. That’s the best moment in my career.”