For the seventh time in Olympic women's hockey history, the United States and Canada will play for gold on Thursday at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics.
The United States and Canada have faced off in only one gold medal game since the addition of women's hockey to the Olympics in 1998. Thus, it comes as no surprise that the rivals meet once again on the big stage.
Canada leads all nations in women's Olympic ice hockey with five gold medals. The Americans have won twice, most recently at the 2018 PyeongChang Games.
The United States advanced to the final with a 5-0 win over Sweden on Monday, improving to 6-0-0-0 in Olympic play. The Americans outscored opponents 36–1 in six games; They have not allowed a goal since their opener against Latvia on February 5.
Kayla Barnes became the 15th different American to record a goal in these Games. She was one of five different USA skaters to find the back of the net in the semifinals, joining Kendall Coyne Scofield and Hayley Scamurra, who scored her third goal of the tournament.
Canada maintained its full presence in the gold medal game, albeit less effectively than its American counterparts. Captain Marie-Philippe Poulin scored two goals as Canada registered a 2-1 win over Switzerland on Monday.
The Canadians outscored opponents 21–8 and were 5–0–0–1 heading into the finals – with the only loss coming a 5–0 loss at the hands of the United States. Canada defeated the Swiss 4–0 in its Olympic opener, but found the going tough to win in the semi-finals. A goal by Rachel Enzler at 4:53 of the third period allowed the Canadians to maintain a one-goal lead for the remainder of regulation, despite a 46–8 shots advantage.
The United States are the favorites to go to the final – and it's not hard to see why. In addition to their complete dominance over opponents in these games, the Americans have won their last seven international meetings against Canada, dating back to the 2025 IIHF Women's World Championship in Czechia. Yet Canada's struggles could be easily forgotten with a win Thursday, when they face Team USA for the gold medal at 1:10 p.m. Eastern time.
5 things to know before the match between USA and Canada in the Olympic final
clash of styles
You don't have to look too hard to see where these two teams differ.
The United States' strength comes from their dynamic lineup balance, allowing coach John Wrobleski to roll four forward lines and three defensive pairings with relative ease. This is largely thanks to the massive influx of pro-ready NCAA talent – like Caroline Harvey, Layla Edwards, Abby Murphy and Joey Dunn, to name a few. Harvey, a senior at the University of Wisconsin, leads all Olympic skaters with nine points and a plus-14 rating.
Contrast that with Canada, which doesn't feature any collegiate talent on its roster. Its youngest skater is 24-year-old Jen Gardiner, who is already in the middle of her second PWHL season.
Ten different American skaters scored at least five points in six games. The other nine nations combined have nine skaters; There are three in Canada.
In a tough semi-final match against Switzerland, Canadian coach Troy Ryan relied heavily on his top forward line of Poulin, Sarah Fillier and Daryl Watts. Fillier led everyone with 20:01 TOI, and Poulin scored all of Canada's goals on Monday. He'll likely get a similar ice time Thursday with Olympic glory.
That doesn't mean Poulin, Fillier and Watts, along with some other notable contributors like Julia Gosling and Emily Clark, aren't able to keep the Canadian attack in games, but it will be an uphill battle against an American team that has made depth its biggest asset.
no asterisk this time
As Canada prepares for another showdown against the Americans, last Tuesday's crushing defeat is fresh in the mind. Of course, Canadians might argue that a 5-0 final – the largest margin of victory between Canada and the United States at the Olympic level, men's or women's – requires an asterisk.
Canada's lineup did not include Poulin, who missed two games with a lower-body injury after taking an illegal hit from Czechia's Kristina Kaltunkova. As far as influence goes, there is no player more important to Canada's success than "Captain Clutch".
Both teams hope to stay healthy for the gold medal game on Thursday. No asterisks this time – just best-at-the-best hockey.
History is watching you
Palin registered her name in the history books on Monday. After tying Hockey Hall of Famer Hayley Wickenheiser for the all-time Olympic goals lead in Canada's 5-1 win over Germany on Saturday, Poulin solidified her status as the all-time Olympic women's hockey goal leader by scoring twice. Palin now has 20 goals in 26 Olympic games – the first female player to break the 20-goal mark.
Now the focus turns to Team USA captain Hillary Knight.
Knight scored the 14th Olympic goal of her career in the opener against Latvia, moving her into a three-way tie with Natalie Darwitz and Katherine King on the all-time American leaderboard. The Knights announced ahead of the 2025–26 PWHL season that this year's winter games would be their last. It's only fitting that the 36-year-old could end her historic Olympic career with the ultimate goal of taking sole possession of the record books for the USA.
Poulin and Knight have a history of showing up when games matter most. The stage is set for a storybook ending in what could be the final Olympic contest for both rival captains.
All-Star Goalkeeper Battle
The two front-runners face off in the gold medal game for 2025-26 PWHL Goaltender of the Year. Montreal Victoire goaltender Ann-Rene Desbiens is the favorite heading into the first half with a 9-4-0 record with a league-best 1.15 goals-against average (GAA) and .954 save percentage. Behind her is Erin Frankel, who led the Boston Fleet to first place in the PWHL standings with a 9-2-2 record, 1.35 GAA and .946 save percentage.
There was an advantage in Milan-Cortina. Frankel allowed only one goal on 67 shots in five games for the Americans; He leads all Olympic goalkeepers with an absurd 0.25 GAA and .985 save percentage. The 26-year-old is the anchor of an American goaltending group that has not allowed a single goal in 16 periods, and sets an Olympic ice hockey record with an active shutout streak of 331:23.
Desbiens has a respectable 1.81 GAA and .901 save percentage in four games for Canada, but he is at a disadvantage against a powerful American attack that scored five points against him last week. The red-hot Frankel doesn't leave much room for error in the opposing net.
brace for impact
Even a 5-0 lead didn't stop Murphy from crashing into Swedish goalkeeper Emma Soderberg in Monday's second period. Murphy received a minor two-minute penalty for goalkeeper interference, however, it was denied by Sweden defender Jessica Adolfsson's counter-attack.
It's a prime example of the gritty, sometimes controversial edge that makes Murphy such a nuisance on the ice.
It's apt to compare the 23-year-old's self-indulgence to that of Florida Panthers agitator Brad Marchand. Murphy isn't just a supreme talent and physical presence on the ice – he's an elite destroyer who loves to get under the opponent's skin. That was on display last week, when Murphy drew four of Canada's five penalties in a lopsided victory over the United States.
In the gold medal game against rival Canada, Murphy won't need much motivation to meet this moment. You can expect a tense, physical game and Murphy should be right at the center of it.
