PWHL Players at the 2025 Worlds: Full Tournament Reflection
A final update on how every PWHL player performed at the 2025 Worlds.
Hello again, PWHL fans! After an exciting 12 days, the 2025 IIHF Women’s World Championships came to a close on Sunday. The United States emerged victorious, with Canada landing the silver medal and Finland capturing bronze. Before the PWHL season starts back up, let’s look back at how all 57 players performed throughout the tournament. For an idea of how they performed in the group stage round, check out my first and second half recaps.
Canada
An odd tournament ended in bitter disappointment for Canada, as they fell to their archrivals, the United States, in overtime in the gold medal game. Before that, they went 3-0-0-1 in the preliminary round and steamrolled Japan (9-1) and Finland (8-1) in the knockout rounds. Still, the wins weren’t without their challenges, as Canada often relied on scoring in bunches to pull away from the tougher European countries in Czechia and Finland. There are some questions for them to answer if they want to claim gold at next year’s Olympics, although one imagines that either way, they’ll be right there in the gold medal game as usual.
Minnesota Frost:
- Sophie Jaques (D)
- Claire Thompson (D)
Jaques was the seventh defender in four of her six games, potting two goals while averaging 9:50 TOI. As for Thompson, she was a second-pairing defender in all six of her appearances, racking up two goals and five assists, which was good for second among Canadian defenders.
Montréal Victoire:
- Jennifer Gardiner (F)
- Kristin O’Neill (F)
- Marie-Philip Poulin (F)
- Laura Stacey (F)
- Erin Ambrose (D)
- Ann-Renée Desbiens (G)
The all-Montréal top line (except against Japan) of Gardiner, Poulin, and Stacey had themselves a tournament. They produced 12 goals and 18 assists combined, with Poulin leading the tournament with 12 points (4G, 8A). Gardiner was second with 10 points in her senior Worlds debut (6G, 4A) and Stacey was part of the four-way tie for fourth place (2G, 6A).
As for O’Neill, she was productive from her primarily fourth-line role, notching two goals and three assists in 11:17 average TOI. On defense, Ambrose anchored the team’s second pairing, tallying one goal and two assists in 18:21 average TOI. Finally, Desbiens made four starts, turning aside 88 of 95 shots for a 1.64 GAA and 0.926 SV%. She also became the winningest goaltender in Women’s Worlds history, securing her 22nd career win in the semifinals against Finland.
New York Sirens:
- Sarah Fillier (F)
- Ella Shelton (D)
- Micah Zandee-Hart (D)
Fillier spent the tournament on Canada’s second line, producing three goals and one assist, including the third-period tying goal in the gold medal game. As for Shelton, she held down the fort on the first pairing, tallying two goals and two assists while averaging 21:31 TOI, which was second on the team. Finally, Micah Zandee-Hart made three appearances, all as the seventh defender, scoring a goal and an assist in 10:19 average TOI.
Ottawa Charge:
- Emily Clark (F)
- Brianne Jenner (F)
- Danielle Serdachny (F)
- Jocelyne Larocque (D)
Clark and Jenner were Canada’s third-line wing pairing. Clark tallied two goals and three assists, while Jenner notched two assists. As for Serdachny, she was a fourth-line wing in five of her six appearances. She earned two goals and two assists in 9:30 average TOI. Finally, Larocque spent the tournament on the third pairing alongside young defenders (primarily 18-year-old NCAA player Chloe Primerano), tallying three assists in 19:16 average TOI.
Toronto Sceptres:
- Emma Maltais (F)
- Sarah Nurse (F)
- Natalie Spooner (F)
- Blayre Turnbull (F)
- Daryl Watts (F)
- Renata Fast (D)
- Kristen Campbell (G)
Nurse and Watts were the second-line wing pairing for most of the tournament. Watts had a debut tournament to remember, banking four goals and an assist (while also getting thrown out of the semifinal game against Finland for an illegal check to the head). As for Nurse, she earned a goal and three assists while firing 20 shots on goal in 17:41 average TOI. Meanwhile, Spooner was a fourth-line forward in three of her four appearances, potting one goal and an assist.
Moving on to Turnbull, she was Canada’s third-line center, tallying one assist plus 19 shots on goal. On defense, Fast led all Canadian defenders with eight points (all assists), and was part of the four-way tie for fourth in tournament points. She was on the first pairing and tied for the team lead with Stacey for shots on goal (23) while averaging a team-high 23:43 TOI. Last but not least, Campbell saw her first senior Worlds action this year after being their third goaltender for the previous four tournaments. She made three starts, stopping 47 of 49 shots for a tournament-leading* 0.67 GAA and 0.959 SV%.
*Among goaltenders who played at least 40% of their team's minutes, which is the IIHF's ranking cutoff.
Czechia
Czechia had a rocky preliminary round, going 1-0-0-3 en route to a fourth-place finish. After demolishing Switzerland 7-0 in the quarterfinals, they nearly pulled off a massive upset in the semis but ultimately lost to Team USA, 2-1. It looked like they would still walk away with a medal on home ice when they hopped out to a 3-0 lead over Finland in the bronze medal game, but their tournament ended in bitter disappointment after they fell 4-3 in overtime. Still, it was a tournament to remember for the Czechs, who got to play in front of electric home crowds every night. They even broke the all-time Worlds attendance record in their first time hosting, which is a great sign for the sport’s growth in Czechia.
Boston Fleet
- Daniela Pejšová (D)
- Klára Peslarová (G)
Pejšová ended the tournament with one goal and four assists in seven games, which led all Czech defenders. She took four minor penalties to go along with it, which was second on the team, while averaging 20:35 TOI, narrowly behind captain Aneta Tejralová for the team lead.
As for Peslarová, she earned two shutouts in the tournament, including one in the quarterfinals. She played in six games, although she was pulled from the preliminary round meeting with Canada after they scored three quick goals in the third period. All in all, she turned aside 160 of 175 shots for a 2.59 GAA and 0.914 SV%.
Minnesota Frost:
- Klára Hymlárová (F)
- Denisa Křížová (F)
Hymlárová finished the tournament with one goal and one assist while playing primarily on the team’s third line. On the other hand, Křížová bounced between the second and third lines, tallying one goal and two assists while averaging 17:07 TOI.
Montréal Victoire:
- Dominika Lásková (D)
Lásková tallied her first point of the tournament at a crucial moment, scoring the third goal against Finland in the bronze medal game. She averaged 16:48 TOI after starting the tournament on the third pairing before being elevated to the second ahead of the final preliminary game, where she stayed through the knockout rounds.
Ottawa Charge:
- Kateřina Mrázová (F)
- Tereza Vanišová (F)
- Aneta Tejralová (D)
Mrázová missed her last 11 PWHL games heading into the tournament with an injury, which she revealed to Czech media was two broken bones and a torn ligament in her wrist. She didn’t seem to miss much of a beat, racking up five assists on the first line while averaging 18:24 TOI across her six appearances, which was second only to NCAA player Kristýna Kaltounková among forwards.
As for Vanišová, she spent most of the tournament on the second line, where she tallied two goals and two assists to go along with 13 shots on goal. On the back end, Tejralová tallied three assists while taking three minor penalties and averaging a team-leading 20:55 TOI.
Toronto Sceptres:
- Noemi Neubauerová (F)
Neubauerová started the tournament on the third line before being bumped to the fourth starting with the final preliminary game. She was held without a point in seven games while taking two penalties and firing six shots on goal.
Finland
Finland didn’t take the easiest path to the bronze medal. They went 2-0-0-2 in the preliminary round while never making things easy on themselves. Then, they had to battle back from a three-goal deficit in the bronze medal game. Still, they managed to secure their 15th bronze medal, so while there is work to do ahead of the Olympics, this tournament can still be considered a success.
Boston Fleet:
- Susanna Tapani (F)
Tapani was the team’s top-line center. She didn’t get on the scoresheet much, tallying just one goal and one assist, but she led all forwards in average TOI at 21:04.
New York Sirens:
- Noora Tulus (F)
Tulus didn’t score as the team’s second-line center, but she still notched four assists en route to being third on the team in scoring. She fired 13 shots on goal to go along with the assists in 16:30 average TOI.
Ottawa Charge:
- Ronja Savolainen (D)
Savolainen had a monster tournament for Finland from the second defense pairing. She led the team in scoring with three goals and three assists while averaging 21:59 TOI, which only trailed their top defense pairing.
Germany
Germany did not have quite the tournament they hoped for. They wanted to challenge for the top seed in Group B again, but went 2-0-0-2 in the preliminary round, so they had to settle for the third. That meant they drew the United States in the quarterfinals, but thanks to a brilliant performance from Sandra Abstreiter, they kept the score to a respectable 3-0 despite getting outshot 51-12.
Montréal Victoire:
- Sandra Abstreiter (G)
Abstreiter played every minute of the tournament for Germany, putting up impressive numbers despite Germany’s 2-0-0-3 overall record. She turned aside 132 of 143 shots faced for a 2.22 GAA and 0.923 SV%.
Toronto Sceptres:
- Laura Kluge (F)
Kluge put up one goal and three assists while landing ten shots on goal as the top-line center, which tied NCAA player Lilli Welcke for the team lead in points. She averaged 22:37 TOI, which led all German forwards.
Sweden
A promising preliminary round gave way to a disappointing knockout round for Sweden. They looked hungry to become the rare Group B team to compete for a medal after going 4-0-0-0 in the group stage. However, they suffered a tough 3-2 loss to Finland in the quarterfinals and then failed to rally against Switzerland, falling to them by the same score to finish sixth.
Boston Fleet:
- Emma Söderberg (G)
Söderberg had an outstanding tournament, starting five of Sweden’s six games. She secured two shutouts in the preliminary round, turning aside 101 of 109 total shots for a 1.61 GAA and 0.927 SV%. Both figures were good for third* in the tournament behind only Canada’s Kristen Campbell and USA’s Aerin Frankel.
*Among goaltenders who played at least 40% of their team's minutes, which is the IIHF's ranking cutoff.
Montréal Victoire:
- Lina Ljungblom (F)
Ljungblom spent the tournament as the team’s second-line center, where she tallied two goals and an assist while firing 18 shots on goal, which was second on the team.
Toronto Sceptres:
- Anna Kjellbin (D)
Kjellbin was an anchor on Sweden’s top defense pairing. She banked one goal and two assists while averaging 21:39 TOI, just 13 seconds behind SDHL player Jenna Raunio for the team lead.
Switzerland
Switzerland did not have a good tournament. They went winless in the preliminary round and got whooped by Czechia in the semifinals, 7-0. However, they recovered just in time for the fifth-place game, and eked by Sweden 3-2 to stay in fifth place for next year.
Boston Fleet:
- Alina Müller (F)
Until the fifth-place game, Müller's unassisted goal was Switzerland’s lone tally of the tournament. She added two assists against Sweden as the top-line center to tie for the team lead in points with Rahel Enzler. She fired a team-leading 24 shots on goal while averaging 20:34 TOI, which was third on the team.
United States
For the first time since 2021, a team went undefeated at Worlds. Team USA pulled off the overtime win over Canada to reclaim gold, avenging last year’s overtime loss on home ice. Nearly everything was clicking for them this tournament, setting them up nicely for next year’s Olympics.
Boston Fleet:
- Hilary Knight (F)
- Megan Keller (D)
- Aerin Frankel (G)
Hilary Knight broke yet another record this tournament, becoming the all-time assists leader at Worlds during the group stage closer against Switzerland. In total, she tallied two goals and seven assists, which was good for third in tournament points. On the back end, Keller potted a goal and four assists from the top pairing, where she averaged 20:48 TOI, which was behind only NCAA player Caroline Harvey.
Last but not least, Frankel had a typically strong tournament, starting five of the team’s seven games. However, she left the gold medal game injured about five minutes into the third period. It’s unclear if the injury will affect her availability for the Fleet when the league starts back up. Scary moment aside, Frankel turned aside 86 of 91 shots for a 1.05 GAA and 0.945 SV%, which were both good for second* in the tournament behind Kristen Campbell.
*Among goaltenders who played at least 40% of their team's minutes, which is the IIHF's ranking cutoff.
Minnesota Frost:
- Kendall Coyne Schofield (F)
- Britta Curl-Salemme (F)
- Taylor Heise (F)
- Kelly Pannek (F)
- Grace Zumwinkle (F)
- Lee Stecklein (D)
Coyne Schofield and Pannek played together on the third line for all but one game, with Pannek (4G, 4A) ending up in the tie for fourth in tournament points. Coyne Schofield added two goals and two assists of her own to go along with 19 shots on goal. As for Heise, she was the second-line center, tallying two goals and three assists. Meanwhile, Zumwinkle bounced around the lineup in her six appearances, producing one assist and seven shots on goal in 8:48 average TOI. Finally, Stecklein was a third-pairing defender for her six games in the lineup. Known primarily for her defensive play, she banked two goals and an assist, plus seven shots on goal in 17:06 average TOI.
Montréal Victoire:
- Cayla Barnes (D)
- Anna Wilgren (D)
Barnes was a third-pairing defender, firing ten shots on goal and tallying an assist in 15:41 average TOI. As for Wilgren, she played just two games this tournament, both as the seventh defender. She tallied an assist while averaging 10:14 TOI.
New York Sirens:
- Alex Carpenter (F)
Carpenter had another outstanding tournament, potting two goals and six assists to be part of the tie for fourth place in tournament points. She also fired 16 shots on goal in 17:31 average TOI.
Ottawa Charge:
- Gwyneth Phillips (G)
Phillips didn’t have the busiest tournament, seeing just 13 shots across a game and a half of preliminary action. However, after Frankel’s injury in the gold medal game, Phillips saved the day, stopping 17 of 18 shots as Team USA recaptured gold. It was a remarkable performance from the young netminder, who owned a 0.49 GAA and 0.968 SV% across 123:35 minutes played between three games.
Toronto Sceptres:
- Jesse Compher (F)
- Hayley Scamurra (F)
- Savannah Harmon (D)
Compher didn’t have a large role this tournament, bouncing between the fourth line and 13th forward slot in six appearances. She landed three shots on goal while averaging 7:36 TOI. As for Scamurra, she had a hot start offensively, scoring USA’s first two goals. She played on the fourth line and later added an assist while landing 12 total shots on goal. Finally, Harmon was the seventh defender for five of her six appearances. She tallied two assists while averaging 8:49 TOI.
Comments ()