2021 IIHF Women's World Championship
The 2021 IIHF Women's World Championship was an international ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), which was contested in Calgary, Alberta, from 20 to 31 August 2021, at WinSport Arena. It was originally scheduled to be contested in Halifax and Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada. It was the 20th edition of the IIHF Women's World Championship Top Division tournament.
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country | Canada |
| Venue(s) | 1 (in 1 host city) |
| Dates | 20–31 August |
| Opened by | Mary Simon |
| Teams | 10 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Canada (11th title) |
| Runner-up | United States |
| Third place | Finland |
| Fourth place | Switzerland |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Games played | 30 |
| Goals scored | 140 (4.67 per game) |
| Attendance | 0 (0 per game) |
| Scoring leader(s) | Mélodie Daoust (12 points) |
| MVP | Mélodie Daoust |
| Website | Official homepage |
No divisional promotion and relegation occurred after this tournament as the Division I tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally scheduled from 7 to 17 April, the tournament was postponed to 6 to 16 May 2021 on 4 March. On 21 April 2021, the Province of Nova Scotia informed Hockey Canada and the IIHF that the tournament had been cancelled at the recommendation of Premier Iain Rankin "due to concerns over safety risks associated with COVID-19."
The IIHF and Hockey Canada released a joint statement pledging to explore all avenues for hosting the event in a different Canadian city during the summer of 2021. IIHF President René Fasel emphasized, "This does not mean that we will not have a Women's World Championship in 2021. We owe it to every single player that was looking forward to getting back on the ice after such a difficult year that we do everything possible to ensure this tournament can be moved to new dates and played this year." On 30 April 2021, the IIHF announced that the tournament would take place between 20 and 31 August 2021. On 2 June 2021, the venue was identified as WinSport Arena at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary.
The tournament was played behind closed doors.
Canada won the tournament for the eleventh time after defeating the United States in the final. Finland captured bronze, by winning against Switzerland.