The United States are the modern Olympic champions in women’s ice hockey, dethroning Canada in a thrilling final. The highly anticipated matchup – the seventh gold medal game between the two North American rivals in eight tries – drew a capacity crowd to the Saint Julia Arena, which served as a fitting venue for the Olympic final despite still being under construction, according to the Magyar Távirati Iroda.
The atmosphere was electric from the opening faceoff, though the first period was a tightly contested affair with numerous scoring chances for both sides but no goals. The Americans couldn’t replicate the dominant performance they displayed in their 5-0 group stage victory over their northern neighbors.
Early in the second period, a Canadian penalty was called, but it was the Canadians who struck first while shorthanded. Laura Stacey delivered a brilliant pass to Kristin O’Neill, who found the back of the net after a turnover near the half-board. The roar from the crowd indicated a clear Canadian majority in the stands. The American team had conceded just one goal through their previous games leading up to the final, and it took 352 minutes to break their defense.
The game continued to flow back and forth, with the Americans pressing for an equalizer. Despite spending significant time in the offensive zone, several missed passes and strong goaltending from Ann-Renee Desbiens kept the score 1-0.
The third period mirrored the previous two, with the Americans controlling much of the play but struggling to convert their opportunities. They often overplayed their attacks, leading to blocked shots and missed chances. Canada, despite having less possession, remained dangerous on quick counterattacks, consistently threatening with shots on goal.
With just over six minutes remaining, the United States found themselves on the penalty kill, but Canada failed to capitalize. As the clock ticked down, the Americans pulled their goalie with 143 seconds left, a gamble that paid off immediately. Hilary Knight, in her fifth Olympic Games, deflected Laila Edwards’ long shot into the net, becoming the all-time leading scorer for the United States in Olympic women’s hockey.
This was the third time the two teams have gone to overtime to decide the gold medal winner, following the 2014 Sochi and 2018 Pyeongchang Games. Canada won the first in overtime, while the United States prevailed in a shootout in the second.
The arena played the iconic theme song from *Rocky*, “Eye of the Tiger,” before the start of the sudden-death overtime period. The three-on-three format guaranteed plenty of open ice and scoring chances, and it took just over four minutes to find a winner. Megan Keller skillfully navigated through the Canadian defense and beat the goaltender to secure the gold medal for the United States.
Women’s hockey has been a part of the Olympic program since 1998, and in the eight finals played, the two North American teams have faced off seven times. The only exception was the 2006 Turin Games, when Canada defeated Sweden. With this victory, the United States now has three gold medals (1998, 2018, 2026), four silver medals (2002, 2010, 2014, 2022), and one bronze medal (2006), while Canada boasts five gold medals (2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2022) and now three silver medals (1998, 2018, 2026).
In the bronze medal game, Alina Müller scored the winning goal in the tenth minute of overtime, securing the medal for Switzerland.
Téli olimpia 2026, Milánó–Cortina
jégkorong, női torna:
döntő:
- Egyesült Államok–Kanada 2–1 (0–0, 0–1, 1–0, 1–0) – hosszabbítás után
- Gól: Knight (58.), Keller (65.), illetve O’Neill (21.)
A 3. Helyért:
- Svájc–Svédország 2–1 (0–0, 1–1, 0–0, 1–0) – hosszabbítás után
Ajánlókép: 1998 és 2018 után történetének harmadik olimpiai aranyérmét szerezte meg az amerikai női jégkorong-válogatott 2026-ban, Milánóban (Fotó: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)
