After a relative return to normalcy in the international hockey calendar, the women’s circuit saw two major tournaments in the same year for the first time ever, with the IHLC contended at both the Olympics and Women’s World Championship, and twenty one games total over the course of 2022.

The IHLC saw a tumultuous start to the year, just like the previous, with the final two games of the Canada-U.S. Rivalry Series cancelled due to the pandemic. This meant that Canada, who entered 2022 as IHLC holders, would carry the title into the Beijing Olympics, where they put on one of the most dominant performances in women’s hockey history, winning seven straight by a combined score of 57-10, and defeating Team USA in convincing fashion twice, to capture their fifth Olympic Gold Medal.

2022 also saw the first ever appearance of the Women’s World Championship in an Olympic year, with Herning and Frederikshavn, Denmark hosting for the first time. History was made in many ways in Denmark, with the hosts having their first IHLC matchup in thirty years against Canada, along with the emergence of two surprising teams at the tournament, Hungary and Czechia, who both faced the United States in their first-ever women’s IHLC matchups, the latter winning a shocking Bronze over Finland, helped by the IIHF’s ban of Russia from all competition after invading Ukraine on 24 February. It was Canada again besting Team USA, this time with a tight overtime victory, to capture their second straight and twelfth overall World Championship ever.

The Rivalry Series rounded out the calendar year, with Team USA winning three straight in November, before dropping their final two contests in December to Canada, losing consecutive games on home ice in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, leaving the best-of-seven series at a three-to-two lead for the Americans going into 2023.

The following games were contested over the women’s IHLC in 2022 (click for game recaps and boxscores):
400. 🇨🇦 CAN 12-1 SUI 🇨🇭 – 03 Feb 2022 – OG – Beijing 🇨🇳
401. 🇨🇦 CAN 11-1 FIN 🇫🇮 – 05 Feb 2022 – OG – Beijing 🇨🇳
402. 🇨🇦 CAN 6-1 ROC 🇷🇺 – 07 Feb 2022 – OG – Beijing 🇨🇳
403. 🇨🇦 CAN 4-2 USA 🇺🇸 – 08 Feb 2022 – OG – Beijing 🇨🇳
404. 🇨🇦 CAN 11-0 SWE 🇸🇪 – 11 Feb 2022 – OG – Beijing 🇨🇳
405. 🇨🇦 CAN 10-3 SUI 🇨🇭 – 14 Feb 2022 – OG – Beijing 🇨🇳
406. 🇨🇦 CAN 3-2 USA 🇺🇸 – 17 Feb 2022 – OG – Beijing 🇨🇳 🏅
407. 🇨🇦 CAN 14-1 DEN 🇩🇰 – 20 Aug 2022 – EX – Rødovre 🇩🇰
408. 🇨🇦 CAN 3-1 USA 🇺🇸 – 23 Aug 2022 – EX – Herning 🇩🇰
409. 🇨🇦 CAN 4-1 FIN 🇫🇮 – 25 Aug 2022 – WWC – Herning 🇩🇰
410. 🇨🇦 CAN 4-1 SUI 🇨🇭 – 27 Aug 2022 – WWC – Herning 🇩🇰
411. 🇨🇦 CAN 9-0 JPN 🇯🇵 – 28 Aug 2022 – WWC – Herning 🇩🇰
412. 🇺🇸 USA 5-2 CAN 🇨🇦 – 30 Aug 2022 – WWC – Herning 🇩🇰
413. 🇺🇸 USA 12-1 HUN 🇭🇺 – 01 Sep 2022 – WWC – Herning 🇩🇰
414. 🇺🇸 USA 10-1 CZE 🇨🇿 – 03 Sep 2022 – WWC – Herning 🇩🇰
415. 🇨🇦 CAN 2-1 USA 🇺🇸 – 04 Sep 2022 – WWC – Herning 🇩🇰 🏅
416. 🇺🇸 USA 4-3 CAN 🇨🇦 (SO) – 15 Nov 2022 – RS – Kelowna 🇨🇦
417. 🇺🇸 USA 2-1 CAN 🇨🇦 – 17 Nov 2022 – RS – Kamloops 🇨🇦
418. 🇺🇸 USA 4-2 CAN 🇨🇦 – 20 Nov 2022 – RS – Seattle 🇺🇸
419. 🇨🇦 CAN 3-2 USA 🇺🇸 – 15 Dec 2022 – RS – Henderson 🇺🇸
420. 🇨🇦 CAN 3-2 USA 🇺🇸 (OT) – 19 Dec 2022 – RS – Los Angeles 🇺🇸

The IHLC Rankings for 2022 were as follows (total all-time wins and rankings in parentheses):
01. 🇨🇦 CANADA – 15 wins (251, 1st)
02. 🇺🇸 UNITED STATES – 6 wins (151, 2nd)

Team Canada will carry the IHLC into the new year, with two games in the Rivalry Series remaining, set to be played in early 2023 and hosted in Canada. The winner of the Rivalry Series will likely be the ones to carry the IHLC into the Women’s World Championship, beginning 05 April 2023 in Brampton, Ontario, Canada.

Photo Credit: Beijing 2022 – IIHF – HHOF – IOC