 | |
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country |  Canada |
| Venue(s) | Brantford, Brampton, Hamilton, Kitchener, London, Mississauga, North York (in 7 host cities) |
| Dates | March 31 – April 6, 1997 |
| Opened by | Roméo LeBlanc |
| Teams | 8 |
| Final positions | |
Champions  | Canada (4th title) |
Runner-up  |  United States |
Third place  |  Finland |
| Fourth place |  China |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Games played | 20 |
| Goals scored | 129 (6.45 per game) |
| Attendance | 60,418 (3,021 per game) |
| Scoring leader(s) | Riikka Nieminen 10 points |
The 1997 IIHF Women's World Championships was held March 31 – April 6, 1997, in seven Canadian cities all in the Province of Ontario.[where?] Team Canada won their fourth consecutive gold medal at the World Championships defeating the United States, however this time the United States took Canada in the closest final so far, losing in overtime. Finland picked up their fourth consecutive bronze medal, with a win over China who made the Semi-Final for the second consecutive year.[1]
This tournament also served as the qualifier for the Nagano Olympics, with the top five finishers joining host Japan. Sweden defeated first Switzerland, then Russia, in the consolation round to join the four semi-finalists in the Olympics.