TV schedule, how to watch, tournament format and more
The 2022 IIHF Women’s World Championship begins on Thursday, August 25th and runs through September 4th. It is the first time that the top division Women’s World Championship will be played in the Olympic year since women’s hockey debuted at the 1998 Nagano Winter Games.
Ahead of the tournament, which will take place in Frederikshavn and Herning, Denmark, here is a guide that includes information on how fans in the US can watch on TV, an overview of the tournament format and overtime procedures.
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How to watch the 2022 Women’s Ice Hockey World Championship
Fans in the United States can watch the 2022 IIHF Women’s World Championship on television on NHL Network, which will air coverage from TSN. All group games in the USA and Canada will be broadcast live.
It currently seems unlikely that fans in the US will be able to watch group games that include neither the US nor Canada, which is notable, especially compared to the coverage of the U18 Women’s World Cup earlier this summer. This guide will be updated as additional coverage is added.
Women’s Hockey World Championship Games on NHL Network (group game):
- 08/25/2022: Japan vs. USA (9am ET)
- 08/25/2022: Finland vs. Canada (1 p.m. ET)
- 8/27/2022: USA vs Finland (9am ET)
- 08/27/2022: Canada vs. Switzerland (1 p.m. ET)
- 08/28/2022: Japan vs Canada (9am ET)
- 08/29/2022: USA vs. Switzerland (1 p.m. ET)
- 08/30/2022: Canada vs. USA (2 p.m. ET)
Women’s Hockey World Championship Games on NHL Network (KO Round):
- 9/1/2022: Quarterfinals #1 (10am ET)
- 9/1/2022: Quarterfinals #2 (2pm ET)
- 09/03/2022: Semifinals #1 (08:00 ET)
- 9/3/2022: Semifinals #2 (12pm ET)
- 9/4/2022: Bronze Medal Game (9:00 AM ET)
- 9/4/2022: Gold Medal Game (1:30 PM ET)
Tournament format for the 2022 IIHF Women’s World Championship
Just like the recent World Championships, the women’s hockey competition in Denmark will feature two weighted pools, with the top-ranked nations competing in Group A.
As a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the team representing the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) – a designation that is the result of the nation’s state-sponsored doping program – is currently suspended by the IIHF. With Russia suspended, Sweden were invited and placed in Group B, while Japan were promoted to Group A.
The tournament begins with a round robin game, with each team playing four games against the other teams in the group.
Group A:
- Canada
- United States
- Finland
- Switzerland
- Japan
Group B:
- Czech Republic
- Sweden
- Germany
- Denmark
- Hungary
At the end of the group match, all five teams from Group A advance to the Quarterfinals. The top three teams in Group B will join them, while the bottom-placed team will be relegated to the lower division tournament for next year’s World Cup competition.
Overtime Rules for Women’s Ice Hockey World Championships
Given hockey history, it seems likely that this information will become important at least once or twice during the 2022 IIHF Women’s World Championship:
- When a group match ends in a draw, a five-minute Sudden Death overtime will be played. Each team has three field players and a goalkeeper. If no goal is scored, a penalty shootout will determine the winner.
- When a playoff game (other than the gold medal game) ends in a tie, a 10-minute Sudden Death overtime will be played. Each team has three field players and a goalkeeper. If no goal is scored, a penalty shootout will determine the winner.
- If the gold medal game ends in a draw, 20-minute Sudden Death overtime will be played until a goal is scored. Each team has three field players and a goalkeeper.
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