Canada, United States to renew rivalry in another Olympic gold medal game
It’s that time again.
For a fifth straight Olympic Winter Games, Canada will face the United States in the gold medal game of the women’s hockey tournament. The matchup at Milano Cortina 2026, which is scheduled for Thursday at 1:10 p.m. ET, will be the seventh all-time meeting between the two countries in the Olympic final.
Canada will try and defend the gold they won at Beijing 2022 when they defeated the Americans 3-2. Four of the previous six gold medal meetings between the rivals have ended with a 3-2 score, showing just how close the two programs are.
Olympic history has been on Canada’s side, with the red and white winning five gold medals compared to the United States’ two. Recent history, though, has been on the side of the red, white and blue. The Americans carry a seven-game winning streak over the Canadians into Thursday’s matchup, something that has become a major storyline in recent months.
“It’s a non-factor,” Team Canada head coach Troy Ryan said of the losing skid. “It’s a one-game showdown and there are many different aspects of those seven games. In our room and as our group, we know we’d like to play better in those seven games, [but] I don’t think they’re going to impact the gold medal a bit.”
The United States won gold at last year’s IIHF Women’s World Championship, defeating Canada 4-3 in overtime. The Americans then went on to sweep Canada in this season’s four-game Rivalry Series.
At Milano Cortina 2026, the United States defeated Canada 5-0 in the preliminary round, one of the most lopsided results in the rivalry’s history. Canada played that game without captain Marie-Philip Poulin, who was injured earlier in the preliminary round and returned for the quarterfinals.
“It’s been a four-year process. There have been ups and downs. Obviously, the last year, we’re all aware of where we’re at,” Poulin said.
“[The winning team] is going to be the group in the dressing room that believes, and go from there.”
The 34-year-old has been one of, if not the most prominent player in the rivalry between Canada and the United States. Referred to as “Captain Clutch,” Poulin has scored the game-winning goal in three Olympic gold medal games and is the only player—male or female—to score in four of them.
“Her work ethic is unmatched and that allows her to shine in moments like this,” said Team Canada’s Renata Fast of Poulin. “Very few people can be clutch, after clutch, after clutch. Year, after year, after year. It does not happen by fluke.
“She means so much to our team and our country.”
Poulin has three goals and an assist in just four games at Milano Cortina 2026. She was injured in Canada’s second preliminary round game and missed the following two matches. While Poulin has shown signs that she’s not quite back to her fully healthy self, her return gave Canada a needed spark after that shutout loss to the Americans.
READ: Poulin pushes Team Canada into women’s hockey gold medal game
While the Canadians are 5-1 and have outscored opponents 21-8 in this Olympic tournament, the team hasn’t quite found their top gear just yet, which is something they’ll look to find in the gold medal game. Canada is coming off their tightest semifinal victory at an Olympic Games, defeating Switzerland 2-1 thanks to a pair of goals from Poulin.
Canada has been led offensively by first-time Olympian Daryl Watts, who has two goals and six assists. Poulin, Sarah Fillier and Julia Gosling each have a team high three goals.
On the backend, Canada mixed up their pairings in the semifinal to try and give the team’s offense a boost. Claire Thompson is the lone Canadian defenseman who has scored at Milano Cortina 2026.
In net, Ann-Renée Desbiens has started four of Canada’s six games, posting a 3-1 record to go along with a .901 save percentage and 1.81 goals against average. Desbiens was pulled late in the 5-0 loss to the Americans and will no doubt be looking for some revenge in the gold medal game.
READ: Team Canada falls to United States as Olympic women’s hockey rivalry is renewed
The Americans, who are 6-0 at Milano Cortina 2026 and have outscored opponents 31-1, are led by Caroline Harvey who has two goals and seven assists for nine points. Hannah Bilka leads the team in goals with four while goaltender Aerin Frankel has posted three shutouts and allowed just one goal.
“There’s no doubt they’re a very high level of skill,” said Ryan of the Americans. “They play the game fast. Pretty good physicality when they get pucks deep. They have generally a very simplified game plan, but they’re committed to playing it right now.
“They’re just a good hockey team. There’s nothing magical in the mix that they have there.”
While the stats may favour the Americans heading into the gold medal match, these Olympic Games have shown that anything can happen. Who could forget Canada’s improbable overtime win in the gold medal game of Sochi 2014, when the Canadians trailed 2-0 with three-and-a-half minutes to play. The scorers in that game? Brianne Jenner and Poulin. Canada will lean on the experience of those two and others to lead them into this gold medal game 12 years later.
That Sochi comeback is just one of several classic moments between Canada and the United States in women’s hockey at the Olympic Games. There are more to come this week.
