Live updates: USA-Swiss game is a sellout, photos from Czechia, Sweden victories

After months of buildup, organizing, planning and hype, the IIHF Women's World Championship is finally here, with six teams ready to take the ice on the opening day of the tournament, including a Team USA vs. Switzerland nightcap.

The tournament is played annually, with the exception of Olympic years, and Canada has won gold in 12 of the 22 tournaments since 1990, with Team USA winning the other 10. Only once has the championship game featured a team other than the Americans or Canada.

The Utica Observer-Dispatch and Herkimer Times Telegram will feature coverage each day of the tournament, including stories on the games, players and the events happening around town. Be sure to download our app, sign up for push and email alerts, newsletters, and check our print editions each day to find out what's happening.

Keep checking back here all day as we update on the games and more.

Photos from Czechia's 4-0 victory over Finland

How the USA vs. Switzerland game might shape up

Team USA's opener against Switzerland is sold out, according to the tournament's ticket website. While it's not marked as a sellout, a search of the website just before 2 p.m. does not show any available seats.

The Americans have beaten the Swiss in each of the 11 games they've faced each other in this tournament. Amazingly, USA has a 99-6 goals advantage in those games. The Americans won the 2023 preliminary round matchup, 9-1, after Abbey Murphy scored a goal seven seconds in the game.

The teams meet against at 7 tonight at Adirondack Bank Center.

Sweet Sweden victory in opener

Reporter Jon Rathbun, our main sports reporter covering the tournament, dropped in on the tournament opener:

Sweden defeated Denmark, 3-1, allowing a single goal late in the game while outshooting its opponent 38-5.Sweden controlled the flow of play in the first game in Pool B at the 10-team tournament, limiting Denmark to two shots in the first period and none in the second in front of a vocal Adirondack Bank Center Kids Day crowd filled with busloads of children from area schools.

➤ Read the full story here.

Denmark vs. Sweden opens women's hockey championships

IIHF Women's World Championship schedule on Wednesday, April 3

All games at Adirondack Bank Center

• 11 a.m. — Denmark vs. Sweden

• 3 p.m. — Finland vs. Czechia

• 7 p.m. — USA vs. Switzerland

➤ Here is the full IIHF Women's World Champioship schedule.

Keep an eye on these players today

Forward Taylor Heise brings world championship experience to Team USA, which is hoping for a fast start against Switzerland. Heise, who played collegiately for Minnesota and currently plays for the state's PWHL team, had a tournament-high 11 assists at the world tournament last year, and earned MVP honors at the 2022 world championship.

Finland defenseman and captain Jenni Hiirikoski will be appearing at her 16th world championship tournament, having debuted on her 17th birthday in Canada 20 years ago. Hiirikoski was voted the most valuable player of the 2019 tournament played in her home country. Finland opens at 3 p.m. against Czechia.

Sweden forward Hilda Svensson is only 17 years old but the captain returns for her second world championship tournament after debuting with a goal 10 seconds into her first game against Germany last year. She had five goals and six assists in last year's tournament. Sweden and Denmark open this year's tournament at 11 a.m.

More: Players to watch at the IIHF world championship tournament

How to get tickets

Tickets for most of the IIHF Women’s World Championship games are still available and can be purchased by visiting 2024.womensworlds.hockey/tickets or stopping by the Adirondack Bank Center box office.

Today's tournament opener between Denmark and Sweden is sold out, as is Thursday's game between China and Japan. The marquee pool-play game of the tournament, between USA and Canada at 7 p.m. April 8, is also sold out.

As of Tuesday afternoon, tickets were available for all playoff games, including the gold medal game on April 14.

How to watch the games at home

In the United States, all games will be broadcast on NHL Network, including its streaming service. For international viewers, fans can catch the games on the following networks/streams:

• TSN/RDS (Canada)

• SVT (Sweden)

• Discovery (Finland)

• Czech TV (Czechia)

• Magenta (Germany)

• TBS (Japan)

• Swiss TV (Switzerland)

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: IIHF women's hockey tournament live updates from Utica, NY