Almost four months to the day after giving birth to her first child, Team Canada forward Natalie Spooner scored the game-winning goal on Wednesday to lift her team to a 4–0 win over Team Switzerland on the opening day of the 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship.
Spooner, 32, has been a Canadian national team mainstay for more than a decade, and she put her offensive expertise on full display to beat Swiss goalkeeper Andrea Braendli just 11:42 into regulation time on Wednesday.
After picking off an ill-advised pass right through the slot by Swiss defender Sarah Forster, Spooner wasted little time in firing a nifty wrister past the glove of Braendli for Canada’s first goal of the tournament — and her first with her son, Rory, in attendance.
NATALIE SPOONER OPENS THE SCORING FOR CANADA! #WomensWorlds pic.twitter.com/LEvSvROej7
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) April 5, 2023
Spooner also picked up an assist on Wednesday to put her up to 48 points (26 goals, 22 assists) in 45 career World Championship games, good to rank 19th in all-time tournament scoring.
Fellow Team Canada veteran Rebecca Johnston sits one spot behind Spooner on that leaderboard with 47 points in 55 career games. And after missing the 2022 tournament, the two-time World champion (and current Calgary Flames development staff member) added a goal of her own in the second period against Team Switzerland.
In Johnston’s case, she was Johnny on the spot. The puck found her in the slot after some excellent power-play puck movement by her Canadian teammates. Spooner and Jamie Lee Rattray picked up the assists on Johnston’s 23rd career World Championship goal.
Rebecca Johnston extends Canada's lead to 3-0!#WomensWorlds pic.twitter.com/2AHNjEPLCt
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) April 6, 2023
Team Canada stars Sarah Nurse and Sarah Fillier rounded out the scoring on Wednesday, with both Sarahs also adding an assist on the other’s goal. Ann-Renee Desbiens stopped all 12 shots she faced to open the tournament with a shutout; Braendli turned aside 45 of 49 at the other end.
After successfully looking the part of the defending champions in their tune-up game against the Swiss, Team Canada will face a much tougher test on Friday in Daniela Pejsova, Natalie Mlynkova, and the 2022 bronze medalist Team Czechia — albeit without star goaltender Klara Peslarova.
Jenniina Nylund walks in and scores a highlight reel goal #WomensWorlds pic.twitter.com/QWf7E2hwlG
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) April 5, 2023
THE CAPTAIN!!!@HilaryKnight makes it 7-1 @usahockey | #WomensWorlds pic.twitter.com/MglEhKgVhu
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) April 5, 2023
Team France 1, Team Finland 14
Team USA 7, Team Japan 1
Team Canada 4, Team Switzerland 0
Team Germany vs. Team Sweden — 11:00 a.m. ET
Team Japan vs. Team Czechia — 3:00 p.m. ET
Team France vs. Team Hungary — 7:00 p.m. ET
All games at CAA Centre in Brampton, Ont.
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