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USA vs Canada Women’s Ice Hockey; A rivalry that has lasted since their first meeting in April 1987. They have already faced each other in the 2026 Winter Olympic games and will face each other again in the Gold Medal match on Thursday (19th February). Playing 194 times, they have faced each other in seven of the eight Olympics, as well as 23 of 24 IIHF Women’s World Championships and 21 of 23 4 Nations Cups since the beginning of their international play.
Canada currently lead the rivalry 106 wins to America’s 87 but in their latest meeting, USA won 5-0 in the first meeting of the 2026 Winter Olympics. In 1998, America won gold over Canada, but since then the Canadians have dominated in the Olympics where they have won the next four gold medals against the USA (except for 2006 – where Canada won Gold and USA won Bronze). Until 2018, this happened and USA ended the gold winning drought after winning in a shoot out but Canada regained that Gold the following Olympic games in 2022.
In the World Championships, it is a different story for the USA as from 2005 to 2019 they dominated winning 9 out of 11 and defeating the Canadians on eight occasions. Since 2020, the World Championships have been won by Canada in 3 out of the last 4. At the 4 Nations Cup (a round robin competition with Finland and Sweden added), the two faced each other in every gold medal match (apart from 2001 and 2013) but has not been played since 2018. Between 1996 and 2010, Canada won 12 out of 15 matches with 2011-2018, USA won 6 of the 8.
In the preliminary round of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, the USA won 5-0 with goals from Caroline Harvey, Laila Edwards, Kirsten Simms and two from Hannah Bilka . This was not the first time they faced each other twice in the Olympics as it happened in 2022 in China. Back then, Canada won both with the preliminary round being won 4-2 and the Gold Medal match being won by 3-2.
How both teams got to the final
USA:
5/02 – USA 5-1 Czechia – Preliminary Round
7/02 – USA 5-0 Finland – Preliminary Round
9/02 – Switzerland 0-5 USA – Preliminary Round
10/02 – Canada 0-5 USA – Preliminary Round
13/02 – USA 6-0 Italy – Play-offs Quarterfinals
16/02 – USA 5-0 Sweden – Play offs Semifinals
Canada:
7/02 – Switzerland 0-4 Canada – Preliminary Round
9/02 – Canada 5-1 Czechia – Preliminary Round
10/02 – Canada 0-5 USA – Preliminary Round
12/02 – FInland 0-5 Canada – Preliminary Round
14/02 – Canada 5-1 Germany – Play-offs Quarterfinals
16/02 – Canada 2-1 Switzerland – Play-offs Semifinals
Players to Watch
Canada’s Daryl Watts:
Playing in all six games, Watts has had eight contributions including two goals and six assists making her a forward to watch. The 26 year old (making her Olympic debut in these games) plays her hockey for Toronto Sceptres in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) and in 2021, was named the University of Wisconsin Female Athlete of the Year. The forward finished her NCAA career as the second highest scorer of all time and remains the highest scoring active player to have completed in NCAA Hockey.
Following the dissolution of the PHF (Premier Hockey Federation), She entered the PWHL draft and was selected by Ottawa in the inaugural draft. After the 2023/24 season, she became a free agent and signed with her current team, Toronto Sceptres. While with the Sceptres, she reached 50 career points (the second player in PWHL history to do so) and quickly emerged to become one of the league’s top offensive players.
USA’s Caroline Harvey:
Same as Watts, Harvey has played in six games and received nine goal contributions including two goals and seven assists. As a defense, this shows that she is a player to keep your eyes on in the final. Aged 23, she is currently a senior at the University of Wisconsin and regarded as one of the best defenseman in the world. This is due to her becoming only the second defenseman in history to lead the USA at an Olympics or World Championships in points. As well as being named as the best Defenseman at the 2023 and 2025 World Championships.
She made her Olympic debut aged 19 in 2022 and was the youngest player on the roster, winning a silver medal – her medal tally isn’t too bad either. She has won gold at the 2023 and 2025 World Championships as well as silver in the 2021, 2022 and 2024 Worlds. For U18 level, she has won gold in 2020 and in 2019, won silver.
Canada’s Marie-Philip Poulin:
We couldn’t not include Captain and lead Olympic scorer, Marie-Philip Poulin. She was named the IIHF Female Player of the Year in 2025 and recently scored her 20th Olympic goal, a new record for the Canadian. She is a three-time Olympic gold medallist as well as being a four-time World Champion for her national team. She scored the winning goal in the gold medal matches for three out of the four games she has competed in (2010,2014 and 2022).
The 34 year old currently plays for the Montreal Victoire, becoming captain for the squad in 2023, and was protected from the 2025 Expansion Draft from Seattle and Vancouver. She was named a knight of the National Order of Quebec in 2024 and has been the Captain of the Canadian National team since 2015. She is now widely being regarded as one of the greatest Canadian players of all time for her clutch performances on the ice.
