Poulin returns as Team Canada defeats Germany to advance to Olympic semifinals
Marie-Philip Poulin and Team Canada have advanced to the semifinals of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games women’s hockey tournament.
Poulin scored in her return to the lineup to help Canada defeat Germany 5-1 in quarterfinal play at Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena. Brianne Jenner, Claire Thompson, Sarah Fillier and Blayre Turnbull also scored while goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer made 10 saves in the win.
Poulin missed Canada’s final two games of the preliminary round after suffering a lower body in the team’s second game of the tournament. The Canadian captain played 12:41 against Germany, recording two shots and scoring her 18th career goal at an Olympic Games, tying her with Hayley Wickenheiser for the most all-time.
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The victory ensures that Canada will play for a medal in Milan. The semifinals will take place Monday with the winners of those games advancing to the gold medal game while the losers will play for bronze. Both the gold and bronze medal games will take place Thursday.
Canada finished group play with a 3-1 record, posting wins over Switzerland, Czechia and Finland. Their lone loss was to the rival United States, who earned a spot in the semifinals with a 6-0 win over Italy on Friday.
Canada opened the scoring just 1:40 into the first period when Emma Maltais found Jenner in the slot, who redirected the puck past German netminder Sandra Abstreiter.
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Canada went to the power play at 4:12 but it would be Germany generating the best scoring chance when Laura Kluge had a shorthanded breakaway. Kluge’s scoring chance was thwarted by Poulin, who showed no signs of injury as she was able to catch up to the German forward.
Thompson gave Canada a 2-0 lead at 16:41. A point shot took a bounce on the ice and seemingly fooled Abstreiter down low, doubling Canada’s advantage.
Canada nearly made it 3-0 a few minutes into the second period when Jenner found Natalie Spooner with a cross crease feed but was denied by Abstreiter. The Canadians were able to generate a few chances off German turnovers in the middle frame.
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Fillier netted a power play goal at 17:30 to extend Canada’s lead, firing a sharp angle shot from along the goal line that beat Abstreiter. It was Canada’s sixth power play goal of these Olympic Games and Poulin’s marker in the third would make it seven.
Just 38 seconds into the third, Turnbull kept the puck on a two-on-one and slid it five-hole on Abstreiter, giving Canada a 4-0 lead.
Canada went back to the power play at 8:15. While shorthanded, a Renata Fast pass was picked off by Franziska Feldmeier at the blue line. Feldmeier had a long breakaway and beat Maschmeyer to get Germany on the board.
Poulin put Canada up 5-1 with a power play goal at 15:30, redirecting the puck past the German netminder. The Canadians had another power play late in the game but could not add to their lead.
This was the first meeting between Canada and Germany in Olympic women’s hockey. Germany’s last Olympic appearance came at Sochi 2014.
