MILAN — Since women’s hockey debuted as an Olympic sport in 1998, the only teams to clinch gold have been the United States and Canada.
This will continue to hold true this year. Other nations like Sweden, Czechia, and even Switzerland are gaining ground, with the latter making a surprising semifinal appearance. Yet, North America remains the gold standard on the international scene.
The Canadian women have secured five out of the seven Olympic gold medals and are the defending champions following a 3-2 victory over the U.S. in the 2022 Games in Beijing. This time around, however, Team USA is the clear favorite. The U.S. dominated Canada in a four-game Rivalry Series leading up to the Games and has continued its prowess in Milan, overpowering Canada 5-0 in round-robin play. Yet, dynamics can shift at any moment when a gold medal is at stake.
“Understanding the pressure of that moment, along with the energy in the building, is going to be different,” said U.S. veteran Kendall Coyne Schofield, who has participated in three Olympic gold-medal matches. “But ultimately, it’s about giving it your all. It’s a long tournament; empty the tank and do your best. That’s all you can do.”
Here’s a glimpse of what might happen when the teams meet on Thursday at 1:10 p.m. ET.
How did each team get here?
The U.S. women’s team has utterly dominated in Milan. They have outscored their opponents 31-1, netting at least five goals in every match. Team USA enters the final with five consecutive shutouts, including their impressive win over Canada last week.
Coach John Wroblewski has emphasized the importance of consistently rolling four lines since the tournament began, and he has successfully done so. Contributions are coming from all corners, with 15 players finding the back of the net. Veteran players like Alex Carpenter and Coyne Schofield each have three goals, while rising stars Laila Edwards and Caroline Harvey lead in ice time and have combined for 16 points. The most exciting line features Olympic newcomers Hannah Bilka, Taylor Heise, and Abbey Murphy.
Veteran Hayley Scamurra, who has been part of six World Championship teams, confidently states this is the best team she has ever been on. “Oh yeah,” Scamurra expressed after the U.S.’s 5-0 semifinal win over Sweden. “100 percent.”
compared to, Canada has opted for an older roster in Milan. Coach Troy Ryan often leans on familiar players. They brought back 16 members from the team that won gold in Beijing but left some emerging talents at home, which raised eyebrows after Canada appeared slow against the U.S. in their first encounter. In that match, every goal scorer from Team USA would have been the youngest players on Team Canada.
yet, the Canadians were missing captain Marie-Philip Poulin, sidelined with a right knee injury. Poulin has returned, ready to lead her team into battle. Canada’s path to the final has been relatively smooth until their semifinal clash with Switzerland. even with outshooting the Swiss team 46-8, Canada secured a narrow 2-1 victory, with both goals coming from Poulin. She is clearly battling through the injury (broadcast showed her getting carted from the locker room to the ice to avoid stress on her knee). It’s no wonder she’s referred to as Captain Clutch at 34 years old.
Player for each team who has impressed the most so far
Get ready to hear more about Caroline Harvey. She has received glowing praise from Matthew Tkachuk, who likened her to Bobby Orr. “That was crazy,” said Harvey, who wears No. 4 entirely by coincidence, echoing the Hall of Fame defenseman.
Harvey, a senior at Wisconsin, makes her presence felt all over the rink, displaying impressive skating ability. The upcoming PWHL draft class is unprecedented, with Harvey now the consensus top pick. In any other year, Edwards or Murphy would stand out as the clear No. 1, but Harvey is currently leading the charge. Another promising player expected to go high in the draft is Tessa Janecke, who has notched five assists in six games from a fourth-line role.
Poulin shined for Canada when her team needed her most during the semifinals, which is characteristic of her. Her two goals against Switzerland brought her Olympic total to 20, breaking a tie with fellow Canadian Hayley Wickenheiser (18) for the most in women’s hockey history.
Perhaps the most captivating narrative for Canada is the comeback story of Daryl Watts. Her talent was never questioned; she won the Patty Kazmaier Award as college hockey’s top player in 2018 as a freshman. yet, after being omitted from Canada’s 2022 roster, she left the sport for nearly a year to pursue a career in commercial real estate. Now, she’s thriving back in professional hockey with Canada, assisting on both of Poulin’s goals against Switzerland and accumulating eight points in the tournament.
Biggest question mark for each team heading into this game?
For the Americans: Have they faced enough adversity?
They have dominated the competition thus far. When asked about this after their win against Sweden, Edwards responded thoughtfully: “Believe it or not, we have faced challenges. We’ve just been able to overcome them.”
After all, they can only compete against those in front of them. Veteran defenseman Cayla Barnes elaborated on why the U.S. has been so successful: “It showcases the pressure we exert on teams. We’re relentless and do a great job of wearing them down.”
For Canada, the inquiry is straightforward: Can they keep pace with their biggest rival?
This match is expected to be significantly more competitive than their earlier group-stage clash, where Canada appeared less committed, disconnected, and slower. When gold is on the line, players can elevate their game to new heights. All the players who scored (Poulin and Sarah Nurse) or assisted (Claire Thompson, Brianne Jenner) in the 2022 gold-medal match are still on the roster.
As U.S. captain Hilary Knight remarked about Canada: “That’s a battle-tested team.”
The U.S. will win if __
They maintain their identity, which Scamurra described as “a calm confidence.” Murphy has emerged as a vital player for the U.S., having entered the Olympics leading college hockey in both goals and penalty minutes. Her performance against Sweden exemplified this duality—she scored a stunning goal and was called for interference shortly after.
Murphy has proven to be one of the most impactful players on the team. During the quarterfinal against Italy, she led all U.S. players in drawing nine penalties, while the next closest player only drew two.
Teams are attempting to unsettle the United States. According to the players, Knight spoke to them during the Italy matchup about maintaining composure. Play their own game without making reckless decisions, and the gold is within reach.
Canada will win if __
Goalie Ann-Renée Desbiens needs to focus. Poulin has limits on what she can achieve alone, and more collaboration from her teammates is essential. Realistically, a team can always risk being stymied by the opposing goalie. Desbiens faced minimal action against Switzerland, allowing one goal on eight shots.
It’s uncertain whether she will be the starter; Emerance Maschmeyer could also get the nod. Both are seasoned goaltenders currently playing in the PWHL. Maschmeyer is recovering from an earlier-season injury, while Desbiens has been impressive leading up to the Olympics. That likely tips the scale in favor of Desbiens as the starter, and she has shown her potential. yet, the top goalies in this tournament have predominantly been American. Aerin Frankel has had an outstanding tournament with a .985 save percentage over five games, while Gwyneth Philips excelled in her lone start, stopping 20 shots for a shutout. Canada needs a similar performance in goal to compete.
