Czechia Makes History at Women's World Championship Tournament

In its 32-year history, only 5 countries have earned a medal at the Women's World Championship tournament -- Canada, the United States, Finland, Sweden, and Russia. This summer, a sixth team joined the club as Czechia defeated Switzerland to secure the bronze medal with a 4-2 victory.

Parity on the women's international stage has been an issue in years past, but we are starting to witness the emergence of a new wave in women's hockey. Czechia earned its first medal in its history, Japan has emerged as an up & comer on the women's scene, and the talent pool has never been stronger. With icons such as Canada's captain, Marie Philip-Poulin and American Hilary Knight, women's hockey is still top-heavy, but it is shifting in the right direction.

The Premier Hockey Federation is in the expansion process, seeking to become the top women's league in the world and hopefully opening up the game to a whole new set of future athletes. The PHF recently announced the birth of its seventh club -- the Montreal Force -- bringing professional women's hockey to Quebec, one of hockey's hottest markets.

With Team Czechia securing its first medal in women's hockey history, it is only a matter of time until the next country makes its ascent. Programs like Switzerland and Japan are closing in on the rest of the pack. Hockey is growing on a global level, which is simply great for the sport.

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