MILAN — The Canadian women’s hockey team will have to wait a little longer to take the ice at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Thursday’s preliminary matchup between Finland and Canada has been postponed following a norovirus outbreak among the Finnish team, the 2026 Milano Cortina organizing committee announced Thursday afternoon, hours ahead of the originally scheduled puck drop.
The match will now played Thursday, Feb. 12 at 8:30 a.m. ET.
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“While all stakeholders recognise the disappointment of not playing the game as originally scheduled, this was a responsible and necessary decision that reflects the spirit of the Olympic Games and the integrity of the competition,” the organizing committee added in its statement.
The announcement came shortly after an afternoon practice session, where only 10 players from Finland’s 23-woman roster were present. The remaining 13 players were either sick with norovirus or quarantined.
Finland will now have an additional days rest to recover ahead of Saturday’s matchup against the U.S. on Saturday at Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena at 10:40 a.m. ET.
Canada, the reigning Olympic champion, and Finland, the 2022 Beijing Olympic bronze medalists, are both in Group A in round-robin play at the 2026 Games, in addition to the U.S., Czechia and Switzerland.
Before the game was rescheduled, Canada and Finland would have had at least a two-day break from Feb. 10 until the quarterfinals on Feb. 13 and 14. But now they will have less rest than other quarterfinal teams.
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