Canada, for instance, doesn’t have a single rookie, while the Czechs have nothing but rookies (this being their first WW at the top level). Switzerland has eight WW rookies while Sweden, having a tough time without three veterans—Erika Holst, Gunilla Andersson Danijela Rundqvist—has six WW first-timers. Russia has a new general manager, former NHLer Alexei Yashin, who is trying to inject a sense of urgency and higher ambition into his program, and the Americans have a nice blend of old and new.

Few players, though, leave the game and return many years later, but Finland’s Vilma Tarvainen is a special case. The 26-year-old hasn’t played at the Women’s Worlds since 2008, her one and only top-level tournament. The Finns beat Switzerland, 4-1, that year to win bronze, and Tarvainen disappeared thereafter.

“I continued to play ice hockey, but not with the national team,” she said. “Now I feel motivated to play and work hard to do my best, so I’m back with the national team. From 2008 to now, I played for me, because I love to play. I was with the club team Oulu Karpat.”

At 5’2” and 152 lbs. (157cm/69kg), she is the second shortest player at the tournament (Monika Bittner of Germany, at 5’1”/156cm has the greater distinction in this regard) and has noticed the difference in five years.

“For me, players are always big because I’m small,” she said with a laugh. “But the players are definitely faster and more skilled than they were five years ago, that’s for sure. And I’m five years older, so it’s tougher than before.”