Team Canada won their first game on Wednesday at the 2023 Women’s World Hockey Championship from the CAA Centre in Brampton, Ontario. In a solid performance offensively and defensively, the Canadians blanked Switzerland 4-0.
Canadian Olympic gold medalist Ann-Renee Desbiens of La Malbaie, Quebec made 12 saves for the shutout. She made nine saves in the first period, two saves in the second period, and one save in the third period.
Three Canadian Olympic gold medalists had multi-point games. Sarah Fillier of Georgetown, Ontario, Sarah Nurse of Hamilton, Ontario, and Natalie Spooner of Scarborough, Ontario each had one goal and one assist. The other Canadian goal was scored by Canadian Olympic gold medalist Rebecca Johnston of Sudbury, Ontario. Johnston is a triple Olympic gold medalist as she won gold at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, and the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. Spooner is a double Olympic gold medalist as she won the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, and the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. Fillier, Nurse, and Desbiens won the gold medal at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing.
Canada outshot Switzerland 49-12. After a rather even first period where Switzerland actually outshot Canada 9-8, Canada outshot Switzerland 41-3 thereafter. In other action, the United States beat Japan 7-1 and Finland trounced France 14-1.
