2009 IIHF Women's World Championship


The 2009 IIHF Women's World Championship was the 12th edition of the Top Division of the Women's Ice Hockey World Championship, organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation.
The Top Division tournament was held in Hämeenlinna, Finland, from 4 to 12 April 2009. The defending champions United States defeated Canada 4–1 in the final match to win the gold medal and retain their top standing another year.
This was the last world championships with nine teams in the Top Division. Two teams—Japan and China—were relegated to Division I, replaced by only one—Slovakia—promoted from there. Division I also relegated two, Czech Republic and France, while receiving only one team through promotion, Latvia, along with the two from the top division. Division II only relegated one team, the Netherlands, but did not receive any promoted teams from the lower divisions. The lower divisions of III, IV, and V, were canceled for the 2009 cycle, with the lowest seeded team in each to be dropped down one division. The final result was that the Top Division will be reduced in size by one team for 2011, while the lowest division will increase by one team.

Top Division

Preliminary round

''All times are local.''

Qualifying round

''All times are local.''

Relegation round

''All times are local.''

Final standings

RankTeam
4
5
6
7
8
9

Awards and statistics

Scoring leaders

GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/− = P Plus–minus; PIM = Penalties In Minutes
Source:

Goaltending leaders

PosPlayerCountryTOIGAGAASv%SO
1Kim St-Pierre120:0000.00100.002
2Jessie Vetter120:0010.5098.211
3Valentina Lizana240:0051.2593.332
4Azusa Nakaoku208:10113.1792.470
5Charline Labonté179:0451.6891.232

TOI = Time on ice ; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; Sv% = Save percentage; SO = Shutouts
Source:

Directorate Awards

Source:

Media All-Stars

Source:

Division I

The Division I tournament was played in Graz, Austria, from 4 to 10 April 2009.
''All times are local.''

Awards and statistics

Scoring leaders

GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/− = P Plus–minus; PIM = Penalties In Minutes
Source:

Goaltending leaders

PosPlayerCountryTOIGAGAASv%SO
1Christine Smestad177:4082.7092.520
2Sandra Borschke125:0041.9292.450
3Viona Harrer180:1272.3392.220
4Zuzana Tomčíková300:00142.8091.760
5Nina Geyer179:43113.6791.200
TOI = Time on ice ; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; Sv% = Save percentage; SO = Shutouts
Source:

Directorate Awards

Source:

Division II

The Division II tournament was played in Torre Pellice, Italy, from 12 to 18 April 2009.
''All times are local.''

Awards and statistics

Scoring leaders

GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/− = P Plus–minus; PIM = Penalties In Minutes
Source:

Goaltending leaders

PosPlayerCountryTOIGAGAASv%SO
1Lolita Andrisevska240:0020.5098.442
2Kelly Herring239:2371.7593.911
3Nanna Glaas250:59112.6390.430
4Hong Kum-sil288:39122.4990.240
5Claudia van Leeuwen290:51173.5189.820
TOI = Time on ice ; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; Sv% = Save percentage; SO = Shutouts
Source:

Directorate Awards

Source:

Division III, Division IV and Division V

The Division III, Division IV and Division V were not played this year. The respective tournaments were cancelled. The reasons seem to be multiple. No country wanted to assume the financial costs of the tournaments. The tournaments will be scheduled for 2011. It has the effect the following changes:
  • Iceland is not promoted to the Division III, but stay in the Division IV.
  • Turkey is now relegated from Division IV to the new Division V.
  • Division V will then consist of Turkey, and the four new nations who were to play in 2009: Bulgaria, Ireland, Poland and Spain.