Canada vs. the United States again for Olympic gold. Who would have guessed?
MILAN — The rivalry that defines women’s Olympic hockey will once again decide gold.
Canada is headed back to the championship game, one win away from defending its title — but this time as the underdog. Awaiting the reigning champions Thursday is a relentless United States squad that has overwhelmed the field at the Milano Cortina Winter Games, outscoring opponents 31–1 en route to the final.
Captain Marie-Philip Poulin delivered yet another signature performance Monday, scoring twice in a 2–1 semifinal victory over Switzerland to etch her name deeper into Olympic history. With the two goals, Poulin became the first woman to reach 20 career Olympic tournament goals, surpassing the previous mark of 18 held by her former teammate Hayley Wickenheiser.
Earlier in the day, the Americans blanked Sweden 5–0 in a commanding semifinal display.
Canada will now have appeared in all eight Olympic finals since women’s hockey made its debut at the 1998 Nagano Games in Japan. The Canadians are 5–2 in previous gold-medal contests, with their only losses coming against the United States in 1998 and 2018 — results that only heighten the anticipation for another chapter in the sport’s fiercest rivalry.
“It’s the gold medal game,” said U.S. forward Taylor Heise. “Everyone’s going to show up, and if they don’t, they’re not meant to be there.”
The United States and Canada have met in every Olympic final but one — the 2006 Turin Games, where Sweden stunned the Americans in a semifinal shootout — underscoring the sustained dominance of the North American powers.
Monday marked the third Olympic semifinal meeting between Canada and Switzerland, following Canada’s 10–3 win in Beijing in 2022 and a 3–1 decision in Sochi, Russia, in 2014.
Switzerland turned to Andrea Brändli in goal after starting Saskia Maurer in a Group A matchup that Canada won 4–0. Brändli was outstanding under siege, stopping 43 shots, while Canada’s Ann-Renée Desbiens was called upon just seven times.
Territorially, the Canadians dictated play. They outshot Switzerland 13–1 after one period and 35–4 through two, building a 2–0 lead behind Poulin’s timely finishing. But the third period exposed rare vulnerability.
Unable to cleanly handle Switzerland’s aggressive forecheck, Canada turned the puck over behind its own net. Alina Müller found Enzler alone in the slot at 4:53, beating Desbiens on Switzerland’s seventh shot of the game to cut the deficit in half.
The Swiss pulled Brändli for an extra attacker with two minutes remaining, but an illegal hit penalty to Ivana Wey negated the advantage and stalled the late push.
After a scoreless first period, Poulin broke through at 1:49 of the second when her one-timer deflected off Swiss forward Naemi Herzig, knuckling unpredictably past the goaltender. She struck again at 8:21, tripped while driving the crease yet still managing to shovel home a rebound from a Darryl Watts attempt as Brändli sprawled across the blue paint.
Midway through the game, Poulin was assessed a five-minute major for checking Laura Zimmerman into the boards, but the penalty was reduced to a minor upon review. A hooking infraction to Blayre Turnbull as Poulin’s penalty expired gave Switzerland four consecutive minutes with the extra attacker. Canada’s penalty kill held firm, extinguishing both minors and preserving the narrow lead.
Now, as so often in Olympic history, gold will once again be decided by Canada and the United States — a rivalry measured not only in medals, but in moments that shape generations.
