IT’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON! Dylan Nazareth from The Ice Garden here on this thrilling Hockey Friday, as the 2026 IIHF Women’s World Championship gets underway today.
The marquee tournament sees ten nations battling for the title of World Champion over ten days in Denmark. The United States are coming in hot after winning last year’s edition and picking up gold at the Winter Olympics back in February. Of course, the Canadians are never far behind.
As the global talent pool continues to grow, there’s space aplenty for upsets and surprises. With the beginning of a new Olympic cycle, many teams are pushing to prioritize young talent, building up to another Games in four years’ time. Accordingly, I’m here today with five young players you’ll want to keep an eye on in Denmark.
Help shape what’s next for The IX Sports! Take our short reader survey:
USA – KK Harvey
(D, Vancouver Goldeneyes, PWHL)
American defender KK Harvey is coming off a career season, winning gold with Team USA at the Olympics and a National Championship with the Wisconsin Badgers. Along the way, she was named Olympic MVP and IIHF Female Player of the Year, won the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, and was selected first overall by the Vancouver Goldeneyes in the PWHL Draft. Oh yeah, and she’s only 24. There’s not much more to write about this rising star except to say, how can she possibly top it this season?
Canada – Chloe Primerano
(D, Minnesota, NCAA)
After a silver medal finish at the Olympics, Canada begins this next cycle with an injection of youth on its roster. This includes 19-year-old defender Chloe Primerano. The young blueliner has been one to watch in the Canadian program for some time now, and many felt her exclusion from the Olympic roster was a big mistake. Set to appear in her second World Championship, she’ll look to cement her place as part of the next generation of the senior team.
Sweden – Mira Hallin
(F, MoDo Hockey, SDHL)
Mira Hallin is off to a hot start in the SDHL this season, tallying a league-leading seven goals in eight games. Her 13 total points is second only to Finland’s Noora Tulus. Per The Ice Garden’s Natalia Rachman, the 20-year-old is an early favorite for MVP as she takes on a bigger role with MoDo this season. She had just one goal at the Olympics earlier this year, but could see more opportunity and more scoresheet contributions this time around.
Listen now to The IX Sports Podcast and Women’s Sports Daily
We are excited to announce the launch of TWO new podcasts for all the womenโs sports fans out there looking for a daily dose of womenโs sports news and analysis. Stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or anywhere you listen to podcasts, and make sure to subscribe!
Switzerland – Alessia Baechler
(D, Northeastern, NCAA)
Switzerland earned its second-ever Olympic bronze medal back in February and will now fight for a top-three finish in Denmark, despite dealing with a number of injuries and retirements. 21-year-old Alessia Baechler is one young player primed for a bigger role. The defender has been playing top-pairing minutes at Northeastern and will be crucial to helping maintain Switzerland’s defensive integrity.
Czechia – Adรฉla ล apovalivovรก
(F, Wisconsin, NCAA)
Adรฉla ล apovalivovรก is just 20 years old, but has already been part of Czechia’s senior national team for over half a decade. She had a fantastic rookie season at Wisconsin with 37 points in 31 games and will now look to continue that momentum in her sophomore year. What better way to kick that off than with a big showing on the international stage?
More Worlds coverage from The Ice Garden
Looking for more reading to get set for Worlds? Check out our ten team previews:
CANADA – Preview by Dylan Nazareth
UNITED STATES – Preview by Melissa Burgess
SWEDEN – Preview by Natalia Rachman
CZECHIA – Preview by Maya Smith
FINLAND – Preview by Giselle Velazquez
GERMANY – Preview by Amelia Ballingall
SWITZERLAND – Preview by Emma Sullivan
JAPAN – Preview by Silvia Leija Rosas
DENMARK – Preview by Reid Lemker
AUSTRIA – Preview by LJ Bachenheimer
Your business can reach women’s sports fans who share your passion!
Here at The IX Sports, our audience is a collection of the smartest, most passionate women’s sports fans in the world. If your business has a mission to serve these fans, you should reach out to our team at BAlarie@theixsports.com to discuss ways to work together in 2026.
Soccer: Annie Peterson, @AnnieMPeterson, AP Womenโs Soccer
Tennis: Joey Dillon, @JoeyDillon, Freelance Tennis Writer
Basketball: Howard Megdal, @HowardMegdal, The IX Sports
Softball: Maren Angus-Coombs, @Maren-Angus, The IX Sports
Golf: Marin Dremock, @MDremock, The IX Sports
Hockey: @TheIceGarden, The Ice Garden
Gymnastics: Jessica Taylor Price, @jesstaylorprice, Freelance Writer
