Olympic women: three medallists returning to Women’s Hockey League

Five players with experience in Russia’s Women’s Hockey League are leaving Beijing with medals at the end of the Olympic tournament — and three of them are due back in the Women’s Hockey League next week.

Thursday’s final saw Canada edge defending champion USA 3-2 in the latest instalment of that North American rivalry. As a result, Alex Carpenter and Megan Bozek, who helped KRS Vanke Rays to the Russian title in 2020 and the playoff final a year later, collected silver medals once again. Carpenter, who had an assist on the second American goal in the final, finished the tournament with a point a game, compiling 7 (3+4) in total. Defender Bozek had three assists from her seven games. Both women were recalled to the Olympic team after playing in Sochi in 2014 but missing out four years later in PyeongChang.

The previous day, Finland faced Switzerland for bronze and, once again, there was a Vanke Rays connections. Minttu Tuominen, Michelle Karvinen and Susanna Tapani all featured for our Chinese franchise in pre-season and are booked to return to the club for the resumption of the championship next week. They’ll be arriving with bronze medals in their hand luggage after the Finns won 4-0. Tapani and Karvinen were both on the scoresheet in that game and consistently found the net during the Games. Tapani led her country in scoring with 8 (6+2) points, Karvinen was right behind her with 7 (3+4). Defender Tuominen chipped in with two goals and an assist of her own.

Team ROC, beset by problems with COVID protocols throughout the competition, lost out to the Swiss in the quarter-finals. But there was special credit for the team from IIHF Council Member and head of the women’s committee Zsuzsanna Kolbenheyer in the post-tournament press conference.

“I’d like to give special thanks to the ROC women’s team for their patience and cooperation,” Kolbenheyer said. “Throughout the tournament, the team faced serious problems in respect of COVID. But, despite this, the team continued to put up a real fight and showed its character on the ice.”