The United States opened their defense of the women’s ice hockey world championship with a 7-0 victory over Switzerland on Friday in Esbjerg, Denmark.

Hannah Bilka and Laila Edwards scored twice each, while Kirsten Simms, Hilary Knight and Casey O’Brien also found the net as the Americans pulled away after a competitive opening period. Caroline Harvey contributed three assists.

Bilka broke the deadlock nine minutes into the game, but Switzerland goaltender Andrea Brändli kept the favorites at bay for the remainder of the first period. The Americans took control in the second, with O’Brien doubling their lead before Edwards converted a power play just 15 seconds after a Swiss penalty.

The US outshot Switzerland 15-3 in the second period before adding four more goals in the third, including Bilka’s second and a solo effort from Simms.

Knight, the United States’ longest-tenured player making her 16th world championship appearance, scored midway through the final period to extend her tournament records to 68 goals and 121 points in 88 games. The 37-year-old is the competition’s all-time leader in both categories.

Aerin Frankel earned the shutout in goal, stopping all eight shots she faced as the Americans improved to 14-0 all-time against Switzerland, bronze medalists at February’s Olympics.

All but one member of the American roster, forward Joy Dunne, plays in the Professional Women’s Hockey League.

Canada opened their tournament by easing past Sweden 5-1 on Friday in Herning.

The youngest Canadian team since 2013, with an average age of 26, jumped to a 3-0 lead in the opening period with goals from Eldridge, Emily Clark and Rebecca Leslie.

Kendall Cooper added the fourth on a power play midway through the second period.

Hanna Thuvik pulled one back for Sweden on a power play in the final period before Eldridge completed the scoring with her second goal.

Canada goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens stopped 13 shots in the Group B game.

In Group A, the Czech Republic rallied to beat Austria 4-1. Austria are playing in the top division for the first time. Katerina Mrazova led the Czechs with two goals and an assist.

Last year’s bronze medalists Finland faced hosts Denmark in Herning later Friday.

The US and Canada are the tournament favorites, continuing a long-standing cross-border rivalry. Canada have won 13 world titles, followed by the US with 11 across the previous 24 championships.

The Americans have won 10 of the past 14 world championships and arrived in Denmark as reigning world and Olympic champions, having claimed the 2025 title in the Czech Republic and gold at the Milan-Cortina Games in February, beating Canada in overtime in both finals.

Finland are the only other team apart from Canada and the US to reach the final, doing so in 2019.

The 11-day, 10-nation tournament in the Danish cities of Esbjerg and Herning is the first to take place in November after the IIHF moved it to begin before the PWHL season.

Rather than having the top five teams grouped together as before, the field has been split into two groups of five based on rankings, with the US leading one group and Canada the other.

The top four from each group qualify for the playoffs, with the final set for 16 November. The bottom two will play a relegation game.

Canada and the US are wearing generic jerseys without their national logos, mandated by the International Ice Hockey Federation and designed by IIHF supplier True Hockey.

Hockey Canada and USA Hockey have their own apparel and jersey contracts with Bauer and CCM, respectively.

The two federations are suing the IIHF over the dispute in a Swiss court.