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The Canadians came into the Olympic tournament billed as underdogs.
They’d lost six straight games to the Americans dating back to last year’s world championship, including a Rivalry Series sweep that didn’t feel particularly close.
It hasn’t been a perfect Olympic tournament for Canada. At times, this team has looked disjointed and nervous — especially in a 5-0 drubbing at the hands of the Americans in the preliminary round.
But none of that will be remembered if they win Thursday’s winner-takes-all gold-medal match-up against the Americans, the latest chapter in one of the best rivalries in all of sport.
“It’s going to be all about the heart, all about the work, all about the desperation,” captain Marie-Philip Poulin said after a 2-1 semifinal win over Switzerland that felt closer than it should have been.
“I think that’s something this group will be committed to do. It’s been up and down all tournament. But again, it’s one game and people will come ready.”
They were underdogs in 2002, too, against an American team that came in as the favourite. The Canadians won when it mattered, though.
Marie-Philip Poulin scored twice as Canada defeated Switzerland 2-1 on Monday, in the Olympic semifinal at Milano Cortina 2026.
That gold medal ignited the dream for a young Poulin, who’s now looking to earn her fourth Olympic gold medal.
Meanwhile, it’s the last game on the Olympic stage for American captain Hilary Knight, who is hungry to end her Olympic career with one more gold medal.
The Olympic final is set for 1:10 p.m. on Thursday. You can watch all the action on CBC and CBC Gem.
Things have looked shaky at times for the Canadians during the preliminary round. Meanwhile, the Americans have steamrolled, only allowing one goal over six games.
“Believe it or not, we have been challenged,” U.S. defender Laila Edwards said. “We have just overcome it and succeeded. We will take what we can get and hopefully come out on top.”
Canadian head coach Troy Ryan was asked after Monday’s semifinal win whether he believes the Americans are that much better than his team. He doesn’t see it as the David vs. Goliath match-up that some do.
“Definitely not,” he said. “They’ve had our number this year. Everything for us right now is the past is the past. There’s not a lot we’re going to be able to do with that. But I like this situation of a one-game winner takes all.”
Keys to success
Things felt much closer between the Canadians and Americans less than a year ago.
Canada won the five-game Rivalry Series last season, three games to two.
At the world championship, only one goal separated the two teams at both their meetings. The Canadians outshot the Americans 47-30 in the 4-3 overtime loss in the final last April.
But in the last year, the Americans have looked much deeper. They boast a blue line that skates so well, led by Caroline Harvey and Megan Keller.
They’ve made it difficult for the Canadians to break out cleanly. Forced to the perimeter in the preliminary-round loss, the Canadians haven’t been able to get clean looks at the net and shots that result in dangerous rebounds.
Instead, most of their pucks are quickly transitioned back the other way.
On the flip side, the Americans had tons of dangerous chances in Canada’s slot, and the they came in waves.
The scoring talent has been sprinkled throughout the U.S. roster, from Alex Carpenter and Hilary Knight, to Hannah Bilka, Taylor Heise and Abbey Murphy, to Kendall Coyne Schofield on the third line.
Getting deeper into the zone, and screening five-foot-five U.S. goaltender Aerin Frankel, could be one key to success for the Canadians.
They’ll also have to come out hard from the beginning. Canada’s second period was its best against Switzerland. Its first, not so much. Starts have been a problem for this team all tournament long.
“I think we’ve started flat against [the U.S.] for a number of games this year,” Canadian forward Daryl Watts said. “We’re really going to focus on starting faster and just competing right from the get go.”
Veteran experience
One major advantage Canada will have from its preliminary-round loss is Poulin, whose impact on a game can’t be measured with stats.
She was Canada’s best player against Switzerland, her will to carry her team forward apparent, even as she played through injury.
Marie-Philip Poulin became the Olympic women’s hockey goals leader, scoring both goals for the Canadian in their semifinal against Switzerland.
When these two teams played earlier in the tournament, Poulin had to watch from the stands.
“She’s put this team and this country on her back, and I think it’s time for us to repay the favour to her and try to lift her up too when she needs it most,” Canadian forward Laura Stacey said. “That’s going to be in this next upcoming game against the U.S. for gold.”
No one has scored in more Olympic gold-medal games than Poulin, who is also one of the best defensive forwards in the game.
Veterans like Poulin, Brianne Jenner, Jocelyne Larocque and Natalie Spooner go into this game having experienced what it was like claw back when all seemed lost back in 2014 in Sochi, Russia.
Spooner has talked about the belief she felt on the bench from her veteran teammates, who weren’t worried as the seconds ticked off the clock. Now, they must try to do the same thing for this team.
They’ve also got Ann-Renée Desbiens, the goaltender who hadn’t lost a game at the Olympics until the 5-0 loss to the Americans. She’s been the best goaltender in the PWHL since it launched, and hasn’t allowed more than two goals in a PWHL game since March 2025.
Her stats against the U.S. have been an outlier in what’s been a solid body of work for Desbiens, who can’t be faulted for all the goals the Americans scored against her.
It’s unlikely the Canadians will be able to outscore the Americans in a final. They’ll need to grind out the game, play aggressive and with belief.
Assistant captain Renata Fast said she felt her team played “timid” against the Americans. They let the Americans take control.
This time, she promised, will be different.
“The team that shows up for the gold medal game will be a team that’s going to be fearless and won’t back down,” Fast said.
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