MILAN — The Canadian women’s hockey team is set to challenge its long-time rival, the United States, without their captain, Marie-Philip Poulin, in a much-anticipated preliminary round match at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Tuesday evening.
Approximately five hours before the puck drops, Canada’s Olympic Committee confirmed that Poulin would be sidelined due to an injury, although they did not provide further details. This announcement came a day after Poulin exited the ice with an undisclosed lower-body injury during the first period of a 5-1 victory over Czechia.
It remains uncertain whether the center will be ready for Canada’s rescheduled game against Finland on Thursday.
Poulin, aged 34, is currently listed as day-to-day, leaving her status for the preliminary round finale against Finland on Thursday unclear. This game was initially slated for last week but was postponed due to numerous players on the Finnish roster succumbing to a stomach virus.
Her availability for Saturday’s quarterfinal match, which will be against an opponent yet to be determined, is also in question.
During the match against Czechia, Kristyna Kaltounkova made contact with Poulin’s helmet nine minutes in. Though Poulin returned briefly for a power play shift, she quickly retreated to the bench, favoring her right leg.
She later went to the locker room but reappeared on the Canada bench, smiling, near the end of the first period. Unfortunately, she did not return to the game.
U.S. coach John Wroblewski expressed his disappointment upon learning of Poulin’s injury following his team’s 5-0 win over Switzerland that same evening.
Her injury has sent ripples through Canada’s hockey community and poses a potential setback to the team’s hopes of defending their Olympic title and securing a sixth gold medal. Poulin’s remarkable achievements have made her one of the nation’s most distinguished female players, earning her the nickname “Captain Clutch” for her knack for scoring decisive gold-medal goals.
This marks Poulin’s fifth Olympic Games, and she has accumulated 17 career Olympic goals, just one shy of the women’s team record held by Hayley Wickenheiser. She has been particularly formidable against the U.S., leading Canada with 74 points (42 goals, 32 assists) across 104 encounters against the Americans.
Poulin’s injury halts her longstanding rivalry with U.S. captain Hilary Knight, who is also making her fifth Olympic appearance, a record for the U.S. women’s hockey team. Knight has already stated these will be her final Winter Games, while Poulin has not commented on her future plans.
even with Canada securing victories in their first two games with a combined score of 9-1, there are concerns that the team may be lagging behind the Americans, who entered the tournament as favorites.
These worries intensified after the U.S. swept Canada in four exhibition games during November and December, outscoring them by a total of 24-7, including a staggering 10-4 defeat that saw Canada allow the most goals in international competition in history.
plus, the U.S. has achieved six consecutive wins against Canada since their two-game sweep during the gold medal round at the world championship in April.
“I don’t know where she’s at, but I do know that we’re all going to stand together,” said Canada forward Laura Stacey, who is also married to Poulin. “We are going to support her, and I know she’ll be supporting us. Whatever happens, our team is in great hands.”
