Jason La Rose
GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. SWEDEN (NOV. 15)
Semifinal Sunday at the 2026 IIHF Women’s World Championship is upon us, and Canada’s National Women’s Team has a final-four date with Sweden at KVIK Hockey Arena—with the winner playing for gold.
Last Game
Canada booked its place in the semifinals with a 3-2 win over Czechia in its quarterfinal Friday. Sarah Fillier and Rebecca Leslie broke open a scoreless game with goals 2:43 apart early in the second period, and captain Renata Fast added the eventual game-winner late in the middle frame for the Canadians, who outshot Czechia 41-16 but had to survive a late push to advance.
The Swedes secured a spot in the semifinals for the first time since 2009 thanks a 1-0 quarterfinal victory over Switzerland. Sara Hjalmarsson provided the offence just shy of the 15-minute mark of the second period and Ebba Svensson Träff needed to make just nine saves to record the shutout.
Last Meeting
It was nine days ago that Canada and Sweden opened the Group B schedule in Herning. Jessie Eldridge opened and closed the scoring, Kendall Cooper added a goal and an assist, and the Canadians rode a three-goal first period to a 5-1 victory. Emily Clark and Rebecca Leslie had the other goals for Canada, while Ann-Renee Desbiens stopped 13 of 14 to record the win between the pipes.
What to Watch
Canada has been locked down defensively at 5-on-5—the only three goals it has allowed in the tournament (one against Sweden, two against Czechia) have come while shorthanded. But the defenders have been just as good at the other end of the rink; the eight blue-liners have all recorded points, combining for 25 points (8-17—25) in five games. The group is led by a pair of five-point performances, from Kendall Cooper (who we highlighted in this space earlier in the tournament) and Chloe Primerano. The 19-year-old North Vancouver native has staked her claim as a future Team Canada cornerstone, posting a goal (her first with Canada’s National Women’s Team) and four assists. But Primerano is far from an international rookie; she finished her U18 career as the all-time leading scorer with Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team, racking up 37 points (18-19—37) in 21 games, twice winning Best Defender honours at the IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship and captaining Canada to U18 Women’s Worlds gold in 2025—one year after she was tournament MVP.
Much like the Canadians, Sweden has a young standout defender tearing up the tournament. Just 21 years old, Mira Jungåker set up the lone goal in the quarterfinal win over Switzerland to give her nine points (1-8—9) in five games, putting her second in scoring among blue-liners behind U.S. dynamo Caroline Harvey (14). Jungåker is already appearing in her fifth world championship, having twice played in Women’s Worlds and U18 Women’s Worlds in the same season (2022 and 2023). She burst onto the senior scene in 2022 as a 16-year-old, posting five points (1-4—5) in six games, before earning Best Defender honours at the 2023 U18 Women’s Worlds (right before Primerano went back-to-back). She is in her junior season at Ohio State University, having helped the Buckeyes to back-to-back NCAA championship games. Jungåker was dominant at the college level before leaving for Denmark, posting 19 points (2-17—19) in just 10 games to lead the NCAA in assists and sit tied for fourth in scoring (while pacing all defenders).
A Look Back
While the faceoffs between the foes haven’t been as frequent in recent years, the Canadians and Swedes have a history. This will be the 85th time they have met, dating back to the inaugural Women’s Worlds in 1990.
Considering the considerable history between the teams, it is somewhat surprising that this will be just the second time they will meet in a Women’s Worlds semifinal. For the first, uou have to go back more than 27 years to the 1999 tournament in Finland, when Nancy Drolet scored twice in a 4-1 Canadian win.
All-time record: Canada leads 81-2-1 (1-1 in OT/SO) Canada goals: 519 Sweden goals: 72