The Winter Olympics welcomed women’s hockey as a sport in 1998 and ever since neither Canada or the United States have won the gold medal game, with the other coming home with silver in all but one winter games.
That will be the case once again in 2026 as Canada and the United States are set to face off once again for the gold medal. Earlier in Milano Cortina games, the United States defeated Canada 5-0 to win Group A, but the latter was without captain and star player Marie-Philip Poulin.
Poulin will be back in the lineup for Thursday’s game against the United States, but that’s not the story of the contest this time around.
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Ahead of the United States’ 5-0 win over Sweden, Team USA star Caroline Harvey, the leading scorer in the Olympics thus far, admitted there was pressure to win.
“There is definitely some pressure, of course, because we care and we want to keep that standard alive and be playing great USA hockey,” Harvey said. “But it’s more enjoyable than anything because it’s just so exciting … You’re playing with the best of the best.”
Harvey is once again on the headlines this week after appearing to confirm that she and rumored girlfriend Daryl Bates, who is the second-leading scorer in the games this year and a star of the Canadian team, have broken up. Harvey went on TikTok live and had teammate Laila Edwards appear to confirm the former is single heading into the gold medal game after previously being rumored to be in a relationship with Bates.
Edwards referred to Harvey by her nickname, KK, and confirmed she’s single heading into the gold medal game. The United States takes the ice for its game against Canada on Thursday, Feb. 19 at 1:10 p.m. ET.
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