The phrase “heated rivalry” gets thrown around a lot these days, from the bingeable TV series to the local rink, but when it comes to the gold medal matchup between the United States and Canada in women’s hockey — there’s no more fitting description.
“When the puck drops, your heart is beating out of your chest,” Hilary Knight said in October of what it’s like to face Canada. “You’re like, ‘Am I human? This is insane. This is awesome.'”
When the puck drops on Thursday, it’ll be the final time “Captain America” graces Olympic ice. Knight announced prior to the Games that Milan Cortina would be her fifth and final Olympics, and she wants what every superhero in sports deserves.
“I would like to go out from my Olympic career on a high note, sort of that storybook ending,” Knight said back in June. “Another gold medal would be awesome.”
Knight’s superpower: She’s a gamer. Her leadership and unbridled work ethic allow her to set the tone and take over any game.
In addition to her Olympic gold medal and three silvers, Knight also holds nearly every hockey record in the book: She has 10 world titles (the most ever by any hockey player); she’s the all-time leader in goals, points and assists in the IIHF Women’s World Championships; and she’s currently tied for the all-time lead in Olympic goals and points for Team USA.
But, like every good story, this one also has a very clear antagonist: Canada’s own superhero, Marie-Philip Poulin. Her superpower: Ice water in her veins. “Captain Clutch” has scored the game-winning goal in all three of her gold medal wins (2010, 2014, 2022).
During this Olympic tournament, Poulin also became the all-time leading goal scorer in women’s Olympic hockey history, when she scored her 19th career goal in Canada’s semifinal win over Switzerland on Monday. She’s up to 20, the first woman to reach the mark.
But right after her record-breaking game, the focus immediately shifted to facing Team USA in the final. “That’s what we work for, those are four years in the process when you work for that moment, so it will be an exciting game,” Poulin said on Monday.
Both countries have been focused on this moment for the entire Olympic quad. For Canada, they left the last Olympics on the ultimate high after winning gold.
“This is what we have had circled and had in mind since Beijing (2022) when we won gold, to do it again,” Canadian defenseman Renata Fast said after Monday’s win. “We are excited. It has not been the easiest path, but this group has a lot of fight in them, and we are excited to represent our country with pride,” she added.
While the U.S. departed disappointed, despite taking home a silver medal, they turned their focus toward an Olympic gold medal rematch.
“I think the process to get back to the top started when the Games closed in 2022 and we’ve been putting in the work ever since that game and those Games ended and I think that work is showing,” Team USA’s Kendall Coyne Schofield told TODAY on Tuesday.
Now, four years in the making, the U.S. and Canada will once again meet in the final on Thursday for the seventh time in women’s Olympic hockey history.
Two-time Olympian and American defender Caroline Harvey leads the team in points (9) in the Olympic tournament and said the squad has had an ongoing mantra about their North American rival.
“Flip the script. That’s our saying,” Harvey said at the end of October. “Flip the script against Canada, so like they were winning, but now we’re rewriting history, and we’re going to win this time.”
And so far, they’ve done it. The U.S. has a seven-game winning streak against the Canadians, dating back to the 2025 World Championships. The stretch includes a sweep of Canada in the 2025 Rivalry Series leading up to the Olympics.
The United States sealed its seventh consecutive victory in the group stage of the 2026 Olympics on Feb. 10. This one included an exclamation point in the form of a 5-0 shutout of Canada’s offense — the first time the reigning gold medal winners have ever been shut out at the Olympics. However, the Canadians were without Poulin in last week’s game due to injury.
But Poulin is back and it’s time to put past scores aside, though it doesn’t mean they’ve been settled. That’s on tap for Thursday’s gold medal game.
The U.S. believes they have the puzzle pieces necessary to bring home gold and they’ve showed it. They’ve outscored their opponents 31-1 in the Olympic tournament and American goalie Aerin Frankel has put up three consecutive shutouts, making her the first goalie to do so in Olympic women’s hockey history.
On offense, the U.S. has played at an insane pace that other teams, including Canada, have simply been unable to keep up with. And it’s the defense that’s leading the push thanks to the unit’s ability to transition with two-way players like Harvey, Laila Edwards and Megan Keller. Look for the squad to keep the pedal to the medal in the final.
The United States is also taking advantage of every attacking opportunity, fueled by fast feet and even faster puck movement. As soon as they find themselves open, they’re bombing shots on goal, even from deep, and threats like Cayla Barnes are sinking them.
Hannah Bilka leads the team in goals (4), but the Swiss-army knife offensive unit has proven they have many valuable tools in goal-scorers Hayley Scamurra, Alex Carpenter and Coyne Schofield who have three goals apiece. And all but five skaters for the Americans have tallied an assist in the Games.
For the Canadians, Daryl Watts leads the team with eight points and said after Monday’s win that she’s excited for the rematch. “We definitely have not played our best against them,” Watts said. “We have full belief in our group, and we have full belief in our entire team that we can get the job done.”
Canada has also showcased a dynamic offense, as Poulin, Sarah Fillier and Julia Gosling are tied for three goals apiece.
Gosling will have revenge on the mind when the puck drops on Thursday against the U.S. “We haven’t won against them this year, and we’re ready to take that and heartbreak them,” Gosling said on Monday.
One thing is for sure: there will be triumph and there will be heartbreak after the gold medal game. However, it’s now up to the two best women’s hockey teams in the world to play out their destinies.
“This is what you dream — the Olympics — Canada-V-USA,” U.S. head coach John Wroblewski said.
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