US Dominates Canada 5-0 in Hockey Showdown

Team USA didn’t just beat Canada in Milan—it reset the mood of the entire women’s hockey tournament.

In a group-stage matchup that felt like a preview of the gold-medal game, the Americans overwhelmed their longtime rival 5–0. The US scored less than four minutes into the contest and built a commanding 4–0 lead by the end of the second period. The dominant performance continued a growing trend: after years of razor-thin, one-goal battles between the two powerhouses, the US has now followed up a 24–7 scoring margin in a four-game sweep last fall with another decisive victory.

“They’re always going to bring it, so can’t be cocky,” US defender Rory Guilday said. “But we have confidence.”

The US and Canada remain the only nations to have won Olympic gold since women’s hockey debuted at the 1998 Games. Canada edged the US 3–2 in the 2022 Beijing final, but the Americans have now defeated Canada in seven straight meetings. Tuesday’s loss also marked the first Olympic shutout in Canadian women’s hockey history.

Canada played without star forward Marie-Philip Poulin, the 34-year-old known as “Captain Clutch,” who was injured during Canada’s 5–1 win over the Czech Republic a day earlier. Canadian coach Troy Ryan said he remains hopeful Poulin will return before the tournament concludes.

“It didn’t look like we had a ton of confidence in our decision-making,” Ryan said after the game, describing his team as “a little bit scattered” and pledging to focus on correcting several problem areas.

The defeat leaves Canada second in Group A, setting up a quarterfinal matchup against Germany. The US, which swept its four preliminary games by a combined score of 20–1, will face host Italy in the quarterfinals. With both teams on track, another US–Canada showdown in the gold-medal game remains a strong possibility.