Team Canada defeats Japan at women’s world hockey championship
Team Canada took down Team Japan 9-1 in quarterfinal action on Thursday at the 2025 IIHF Women’s World Championship, taking place in Ceske Budejovice, Czechia. Canada finished second in Group A of the preliminary round, while Japan finished second in Group B.
In their four preliminary round games, the Canadians scored 17 goals, with eight of them coming from the top line centred by captain Marie-Philip Poulin. Team Japan had a disciplined preliminary round, having taken only two penalties in prelim play (Team Canada took five in its last game against Czechia alone).
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The game marked a special milestone for Captain Clutch, as Poulin became just the fourth player ever to mark 200 games for Team Canada’s women’s national team, joining a special club that includes Hayley Wickenheiser, Jayna Hefford, and Caroline Ouellette.
Claire Thompson opened the scoring for the Canadians with a beautiful shot through traffic, assisted by Renata Fast and Emily Clark. The game also marked Thompson’s 50th appearance for the national team.
Moments later Jennifer Gardiner scored her fourth of the tournament, beating Japanese goaltender Miyuu Masuhara. Gardiner was assisted by earlier goal-scorer, Thompson.
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The first period of action closed out with Team Canada up 2-0, and leading Japan in shots 11-2.
Mei Miura made history for Japan in the second period, scoring Japan’s first-ever goal against Team Canada in program history off of a dramatic breakaway that got the best of Canadian goaltender Kristen Campbell. Even Team Canada fans could smile about an exciting moment for a nation still nurturing its love of hockey.
But 90 seconds later, Canada re-secured its two-goal lead with a goal by Ella Shelton, assisted by Daryl Watts.
Then Sarah Fillier got her first of the tournament, assisted by Natalie Spooner and Fast.
Japan, the least-penalized team in the tournament, then provided Team Canada with a powerplay advantage that it took advantage of almost immediately. Julia Gosling’s quick release from the high slot took the score up to 5-1. Gosling was assisted by Poulin and Fast.
Then it was Japan’s turn on the powerplay when Emma Maltais took a tripping penalty. But Team Canada’s penalty kill unit retained the perfect record it has logged throughout this tournament.
Team Canada headed to the dressing room after the second period with a 5-1 lead, and outshooting Japan 30-3.
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Canada kicked off the scoring in the third, with Gardiner notching her second of the game, assisted by Kristin O’Neill. Fillier also claimed her second of the night, weaving her way through the Japanese defenders for a beauty of a shot, assisted by Jocelyne Larocque. And then seconds later, Emily Clark claimed her first goal of the tournament, for Canada’s eighth, yes eighth, goal. Clark was assisted by Blayre Turnbull.
But Canada wasn’t done yet. To mark the last minute of play, defender Sophie Jaques claimed her second goal of the tournament, assisted by O’Neill and Thompson.
The clock ran down on 60 minutes of play for a final score of 9-1, with the Canadians absolutely dominating the shot count, 62-6.
Miura was awarded player of the game for Team Japan to mark her historic goal. Ella Shelton was the player of the game for Canada.
Canada will play its first semifinal game on Saturday.
