photo: © International Ice Hockey Federation / Tim Austen
Canada didn’t leave much to chance in their game against Japan, nabbing an convincing 9-0 win.
Daryl Watts scored one and picked up an assist, as did Kendall Cooper. Eve Gascon made 14 saves en route to a shutout, and Riko Kawaguchi made 49 saves for Japan.
As expected, Canada dominated the play, and at 6:29, Chloe Primerano opened the scoring with her first IIHF Women’s World Championship goal after she banged in her own rebound from the slot.
Canada still has never lost to Japan, and the Japanese scored their first goal against Canada in the quarterfinal in Ceske Budejovice in 2025. Canada won the game 9-1.
In that game, Renata Fast picked up three assists, and tonight, she was wearing the C on her sweater. Fast and Laura Stacey act as co-captains. In Canada’s first game, it was Stacey who had the C and Fast the A.
It took Canada another eight minutes to extend their lead. It came after yet another long possession in Japan’s zone. Danielle Serdachny passed the puck to the slot, but two Japanese defenders tied up the Canadian there, and the puck ended up at Erin Ambrose’s feet. She had plenty of time to see where to shoot. She chose top shelf, and Canada had doubled their lead at 14:32.
Japan arrived late to the second period, literally, and got a bench penalty for delay of game, giving Canada a two-player advantage for the full two minutes. Akane Shiga’s high-sticking minor was pushed over to the second period after Canada held on to the puck for almost 90 seconds during the delayed penalty.
They let the puck do the work, cycled it all around Japan’s zone until xx delivered a perfect backdoor pass, and Daryl Watts had an easy job to slam it in for 3-0, assisted by Jessie Eldridge and Nicole Gosling.
It was Eldridge’s fourth point in the tournament. She last played in the IIHF Women’s World Championship in 2022, also held in Denmark, scored two points in seven games — and went home with a gold medal.
Japan defended well, but one turnover behind their own net became costly late in the third period. Watts snapped up the puck, and her backhand pass found Rosalie Tremblay at the doorstep, and she didn’t miss.
Canada 4, Japan 0 at 13:57.
Canada held on to the puck for the first half of the third period as they cycled the puck all around the Japanese zone, creating several chances. At 6:51, the puck landed on Kendall Cooper’s stick in the slot. She fired, Kawaguchi made her 40th save, but couldn’t stop Cooper’s second shot off the rebound.
Emma Maltais made it 6-0 off a solo effort at 12:52 in the third period before Sophie Jaques scored the Canadians’ seventh goal with a great shot from the point with 1:50 remaining in the game. It was a power play goal straight off a faceoff.
Just 37 seconds later, Sarah Woznewicz scxoed her first Womens Worlds goal that made it 8-0, with an equally impressive shot from the slot.
The final score, 9-0, was sealed by Caitlin Kramer with 18 seconds on the clock.
Daryl Watts scored one and picked up an assist, as did Kendall Cooper. Eve Gascon made 14 saves en route to a shutout, and Riko Kawaguchi made 49 saves for Japan.
As expected, Canada dominated the play, and at 6:29, Chloe Primerano opened the scoring with her first IIHF Women’s World Championship goal after she banged in her own rebound from the slot.
Canada still has never lost to Japan, and the Japanese scored their first goal against Canada in the quarterfinal in Ceske Budejovice in 2025. Canada won the game 9-1.
In that game, Renata Fast picked up three assists, and tonight, she was wearing the C on her sweater. Fast and Laura Stacey act as co-captains. In Canada’s first game, it was Stacey who had the C and Fast the A.
It took Canada another eight minutes to extend their lead. It came after yet another long possession in Japan’s zone. Danielle Serdachny passed the puck to the slot, but two Japanese defenders tied up the Canadian there, and the puck ended up at Erin Ambrose’s feet. She had plenty of time to see where to shoot. She chose top shelf, and Canada had doubled their lead at 14:32.
Japan arrived late to the second period, literally, and got a bench penalty for delay of game, giving Canada a two-player advantage for the full two minutes. Akane Shiga’s high-sticking minor was pushed over to the second period after Canada held on to the puck for almost 90 seconds during the delayed penalty.
They let the puck do the work, cycled it all around Japan’s zone until xx delivered a perfect backdoor pass, and Daryl Watts had an easy job to slam it in for 3-0, assisted by Jessie Eldridge and Nicole Gosling.
It was Eldridge’s fourth point in the tournament. She last played in the IIHF Women’s World Championship in 2022, also held in Denmark, scored two points in seven games — and went home with a gold medal.
Japan defended well, but one turnover behind their own net became costly late in the third period. Watts snapped up the puck, and her backhand pass found Rosalie Tremblay at the doorstep, and she didn’t miss.
Canada 4, Japan 0 at 13:57.
Canada held on to the puck for the first half of the third period as they cycled the puck all around the Japanese zone, creating several chances. At 6:51, the puck landed on Kendall Cooper’s stick in the slot. She fired, Kawaguchi made her 40th save, but couldn’t stop Cooper’s second shot off the rebound.
Emma Maltais made it 6-0 off a solo effort at 12:52 in the third period before Sophie Jaques scored the Canadians’ seventh goal with a great shot from the point with 1:50 remaining in the game. It was a power play goal straight off a faceoff.
Just 37 seconds later, Sarah Woznewicz scxoed her first Womens Worlds goal that made it 8-0, with an equally impressive shot from the slot.
The final score, 9-0, was sealed by Caitlin Kramer with 18 seconds on the clock.
Canada vs Japan - 2026 IIHF Women's World Championship
OF