Leah Hennel/COC
It’s that time again.
For the fifth consecutive Winter Olympic Games, Canada will face the United States in the gold medal game of the women’s hockey tournament. The Milan Cortina 2026 clash is scheduled for Thursday at 1:10pm ET and will be the seventh time in history that the two countries have met in an Olympic final.
Canada will look to defend the gold medal it won by defeating the United States 3-2 at the 2022 Beijing Games. Four of the past six gold medal showdowns between the rivals have ended with scores of 3-2, showing just how close the two programs are.
Olympic history was on Canada’s side, with the Red and White winning five gold medals to the United States’ two. But recent history has been on the side of the red, white, and blue. The Americans continue a seven-game winning streak against the Canadians heading into Thursday’s matchup, which has been a major storyline in recent months.
Read: Canadian players look back on fierce rivalry with USA ahead of Women’s Hockey World Championship
“That wasn’t a factor,” Team Canada head coach Troy Ryan said of the losing skid. “This is a one-game showdown and there are different aspects to those seven games. As a room and a group for us, we want to play better in those seven games. [but] I don’t think it will have any impact on the gold medal. ”
At last year’s IIHF Women’s World Championship, the United States won the gold medal by defeating Canada 4-3 in overtime. The Americans then swept Canada in a four-game rivalry series this season.
At Milan Cortina 2026, the United States defeated Canada 5-0 in the qualifying round. This is one of the most lopsided results in the history of the rivalry. Canada played that match without captain Marie-Philippe Poulain, who was injured early in the qualifying round but returned in the quarterfinals.
“It’s been a four-year process. There’s been ups and downs. Obviously, last year we all realized where we were,” Poulin said.
“[The winning team] This will be a group that believes in the dressing room and moves on from there. ”
The 34-year-old is one of the most prominent players in the Canada-U.S. rivalry. Poulin, nicknamed “Captain Clutch,” has scored the winning goal in three Olympic gold medal games, and is the only athlete, male or female, to score in four of those games.
“Her work ethic is unparalleled and that’s what makes her shine in moments like this,” said Team Canada’s Renata Fast (Poulin). “Very few people can pump the clutch over and over and over again. Year after year after year after year. It doesn’t just happen by fluke.
“She is very important to our team and to our country.”
Poulin scored three goals and provided one assist in just four games for Milan Cortina 2026. She was injured in Canada’s second qualifying game and missed the next two games. Poulin has shown signs of not being fully healthy yet, but her return gave Canada the boost it needed after a shutout loss to the Americans.
Read: Poulin propels Team Canada to women’s hockey gold medal game
Canada is 5-1 at this Olympic Games, outscoring opponents 21-8, but the team still hasn’t quite found its top gear, and will likely find it in the gold medal race. Canada defeated Switzerland 2-1 thanks to Poulin’s two goals, the closest win in an Olympic semifinal.
Canada is led offensively by first-time Olympian Darryl Watts, who has two goals and six assists. Poulin, Sarah Fillier and Julia Gosling each scored a team-high three goals.
On the back end, Canada tried to mix and match in the semifinals to increase the team’s offensive power. Claire Thompson is the only Canadian defenseman to score in Milan Cortina 2026.
In net, Anne-Renee Desbiens started four of Canada’s six games and posted a 3-1 record with a .901 save percentage and a 1.81 goals-against average. Desbian was pulled out late in the 5-0 loss to the U.S. national team, and there is no doubt that he will be aiming for revenge in the gold medal match.
Read: Olympic women’s hockey rivalry reignited as Canada loses to U.S.
The Americans, who are 6-0 and outscoring opponents 31-1 at Milan Cortina 2026, are led by Caroline Harvey with nine points with two goals and seven assists. Hannah Birka led the team with four goals, and goaltender Aerin Frankel recorded three shutouts and allowed just one goal.
“There’s no question they’re at a very high level of skill,” Ryan said of the Americans. “They play the game fast. They’re pretty physical when they get the puck deep. They generally have a very simplistic game plan, but right now they’re focused on playing it.”
“They’re a really good hockey team. There’s nothing magical about their team.”
While the statistics may favor the Americans going into the gold medal match, these Olympics show what can happen. Who can forget Canada’s improbable overtime victory in the 2014 Sochi gold medal game when they trailed 2-0 with three and a half minutes remaining? Who scored in that match? Brianne Jenner and Poulin. Canada will rely on the experience of these two and others to lead them to this gold medal race 12 years later.
The Sochi upset is just one of several classic moments between Canada and the United States in women’s Olympic hockey. We have a lot more planned this week.