MILAN, Italy – Canada's Women’s Olympic Team opened the scoring, but dropped a 2-1 decision in overtime to the United States on Thursday to finish with a silver medal at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games.

After a scoreless first period, Canada capitalized on a shorthanded opportunity 54 seconds into the middle frame. Laura Stacey (Kleinburg, ON/Montreal, PWHL) found a trailing Kristin O’Neill (Oakville, ON/New York, PWHL) in the slot, and she slipped a backhand behind American netminder Aerin Frankel.

“There are a lot of emotions, but I am really proud of the way my team played. I am very sad with the result because we came so close to winning, but I am grateful to be in this situation and I’m proud of the way we represented Canada,” O’Neill said. “I am not surprised with the way we played tonight, because this team always brings its best in these big moments. We have so much experience in our room and we really showed that tonight.”

Canada held onto the one-goal advantage until the U.S. pulled Frankel for an extra attacker with 2:23 remaining in regulation and scored the equalizer to send the game to three-on-three overtime. Megan Keller beat Ann-Renée Desbiens (Clermont, QC/Montreal, PWHL) 4:07 into extra time for the game-winner. Desbiens was stellar in net for Canada, finishing with 31 saves.

“I think the benefit of having an experienced group is that they know how to put things into perspective. We can’t get caught up in the outside noise and what people say about us; we can only focus on the commitment to play the right way,” said Troy Ryan (Spryfield, NS/Toronto, PWHL). “For those who have questioned this group, I hope once again they’ve shown why they deserve the credit they’ve earned playing together over the years. We don’t get too caught up in the noise, it comes with the territory and I’m definitely proud of this group.”

Following the gold medal game, Marie-Philip Poulin (Beauceville, QC/Montreal, PWHL) was named Best Forward and was also named to the media all-star team. Poulin etched her name in the history books once again Thursday, breaking the record for the most games played by a Canadian at the Olympic Winter Games with 27.

“We wanted to play in-your-face, relentless hockey and that’s what we did,” Poulin said. “We knew it was going to be a battle from both teams. It’s Canada and the U.S. in the gold medal game—it’s one of the best rivalries in sport. Obviously, we came up short, but I’m really proud of this group.”

A full game summary can be found at HockeyCanada.ca.

Canada finished second in the Group A standings with a 3-0-0-1 record in the preliminary round, defeating Switzerland, Czechia and Finland and recording its only loss against the United States. Canada booked its spot in the gold medal game with a 5-1 win over Germany in the quarterfinals and a 2-1 semifinal win over Switzerland.

At the Olympic Winter Games, Canada’s Women’s Olympic Team has won five gold medals (2022, 2014, 2010, 2006 and 2002) and three silver medals (2026, 2018, 1998).

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s Women’s Olympic Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow along via social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

CALGARY, Alberta – As part of the road to Italy, Hockey Canada has invited 92 players from its men’s, women’s and para hockey teams to attend its National Teams Orientation Camp, set for Aug. 26-28 in Calgary. 

The National Teams Orientation Camp is a three-day, off-ice event with players and staff from all three programs, which will include presentations, team-building opportunities, team meetings and media opportunities in preparation for the upcoming season.

“We are excited to unveil the 92 athletes who will kick off the road to Italy, and to bring our men’s, women’s and para hockey teams together for three days as the first step towards our goal of winning triple gold in February,” said Scott Salmond (Creston, BC), Hockey Canada’s senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations. “While the next several months will bring intense evaluation and difficult roster decisions, we look forward to kicking off the season in Calgary and giving our athletes and staff a chance to come together and start to become one team as we set our sights on February.”

“This season will be an exciting time for Hockey Canada and for the sport as a whole, and we are excited to continue our preparation by welcoming 92 men’s, women’s and para hockey athletes to Calgary this summer,” said Katherine Henderson (Thunder Bay, ON), Hockey Canada’s president and chief executive officer, who provides support to all three programs. “We certainly do not take for granted the opportunity and privilege we have to unite Canadians through our National Winter Sport, and we are confident that our national team athletes, coaches and staff will represent our country with tremendous pride on and off the ice as they deliver on our commitment to performance excellence.”

On the men’s side, 42 National Hockey League (NHL) players – including three goaltenders, 13 defencemen and 26 forwards – were selected by general manager Doug Armstrong (Sarnia, ON/St. Louis, NHL), assistant general managers Julien BriseBois (Greenfield Park, QC/Tampa Bay, NHL), Jim Nill (Hanna, AB/Dallas, NHL) and Don Sweeney (St. Stephen, NB/Boston, NHL), director of player personnel Kyle Dubas (Sault Ste. Marie, ON/Pittsburgh, NHL) and head coach Jon Cooper (Prince George, BC/Tampa Bay, NHL), with input from player relations advisor Ryan Getzlaf (Regina, SK) and Salmond.

The list includes three players who have won Olympic gold medals (Crosby, Doughty, Tavares), 12 who have won gold at the IIHF World Championship (Crosby, Ekblad, Hagel, Hill, MacKinnon, Marchand, McDavid, Montembeault, Reinhart, Scheifele, Stone, Weegar) and 13 who have won gold at the IIHF World Junior Championship (Bedard, Byfield, Crosby, Doughty, Makar, Marchand, McDavid, Morrissey, Point, Reinhart, Tavares, Theodore, Thomas). It also includes 19 Stanley Cup champions (Bennett, Binnington, Cirelli, Crosby, Doughty, Ekblad, Hill, MacKinnon, Makar, Marchand, Parayko, Point, Reinhart, Stone, Theodore, Thomas, Toews, Verhaeghe, Wilson), as well as all 24 players who were members of Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off championship-winning team.

On the women’s side, 30 players – four goaltenders, 10 defence and 16 forwards – will be a part of Canada’s National Women’s Team throughout the 2025-26 season, with players participating in training blocks and attending events during the year. The players were selected by general manager Gina Kingsbury (Rouyn-Noranda, QC/Toronto, PWHL), head coach Troy Ryan (Spryfield, NS/Toronto, PWHL) and Cherie Piper (Scarborough, ON), senior manager of player development and scouting. Assistant coaches Kori Cheverie (New Glasgow, NS/Montréal, PWHL), Caroline Ouellette (Montréal, QC/Concordia University, RSEQ) and Britni Smith (Port Perry, ON/Syracuse University, AHA), along with goaltending consultant Brad Kirkwood (Calgary, AB/Toronto, PWHL), also provided input.

Included on the roster are 17 players who helped Canada win its fifth Olympic gold medal at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing (Ambrose, Clark, Desbiens, Fast, Fillier, Jenner, Larocque, Maltais, Maschmeyer, Nurse, Poulin, Shelton, Stacey, Spooner, Thompson, Turnbull, Zandee-Hart). It also includes 24 players who helped Canada win a silver medal at the 2025 IIHF Women’s World Championship (Ambrose, Clark, Desbiens, Gardiner, Gascon, J. Gosling, Fast, Fillier, Jacques, Jenner, Larocque, Maltais, Nurse, O’Neill, Poulin, Primerano, Serdachny, Shelton, Spooner, Stacey, Thompson, Turnbull, Watts, Zandee-Hart).

As part of Canada’s National Para Hockey Team, 20 players – including three goaltenders, six defenceman and 11 forwards – have been selected to participate in camps and events throughout the 2025-26 season. The athletes were selected by the coaching staff, with input from Benoit Roy (Sudbury, ON), director of hockey operations, and Adam Janssen (Richmond Hill, ON), manager of hockey operations.

The roster includes nine players who claimed a silver medal at the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games (Armstrong, Dixon, Dunn, Henry, Hickey, Kingsmill, Lavin, McGregor, Jacobs-Webb). It also includes 16 players who helped Canada win a gold medal at the 2024 World Para Hockey Championship in Calgary (Armstrong, Boily, Burnett, Cozzolino, Dixon, Dunn, Halbert, Henry, Hickey, Jacobs-Webb, Kingsmill, Kovacevich, Lavin, Lelièvre, McGregor, Watson).

For more information on Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has announced that its coaching staff from the 2024-25 season will lead Canada’s Women’s Olympic Team at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games, Feb. 5-19, 2026 in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.

Head coach Troy Ryan (Spryfield, NS/Toronto, PWHL) will be joined by assistants Kori Cheverie (New Glasgow, NS/Montréal, PWHL), Caroline Ouellette (Montréal, QC/Concordia University, RSEQ) and Britni Smith (Port Perry, ON/Syracuse University, AHA), along with goaltending consultant Brad Kirkwood (Calgary, AB/Toronto, PWHL).

“It is always an honour and privilege to be in this leadership position as we set our expectations and goals for the Olympics,” said Ryan. “We have a tremendous coaching staff that is committed to the vision and process, and I am excited for the journey ahead. We know our athletes are motivated to compete and we are eager to begin the work towards achieving something extraordinary in seven months time.”

The coaching staff was selected by National Women’s Team general manager Gina Kingsbury (Rouyn-Noranda, QC/Toronto, PWHL), in consultation with Katherine Henderson (Thunder Bay, ON), Hockey Canada’s president and chief executive officer, and Scott Salmond (Creston, BC), senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations.

“We have made a conscious effort to create an environment for our athletes where consistency among our coaches creates trust and accountability in each other,” said Kingsbury. “Our staff are experienced, detail-oriented and passionate as they give our team the confidence to grow, compete and meet the challenges of both short-term and long-term competition. We continue to build something special with our group and we are excited to see it all come together as we compete for a gold medal in Milan.”

Ryan has served as head coach of the Toronto Sceptres of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) for the past two seasons, earning PWHL Coach of the Year honours in 2023-24. He is entering his sixth season as head coach of Canada’s National Women’s Team, guiding the team to a gold medal at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. Ryan also earned a silver medal as an assistant coach at the 2018 Olympics. Ryan has added three gold medals at the IIHF Women’s World Championship (2021, 2022, 2024) in addition to silver medals in 2023 and 2025. As an assistant coach, he earned a silver medal at the 2017 Women’s Worlds and bronze in 2019, and won a silver medal as head coach of Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team at the 2017 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship.

Cheverie has served as head coach of the PWHL’s Montréal Victoire for the last two seasons, earning PWHL Coach of the Year honours this season after guiding the Victoire to first place in the regular-season standings. She has won silver medals as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Women’s Team at the 2023 and 2025 IIHF Women’s World Championships, and also added gold medals as an assistant coach at Women’s Worlds in 2021, 2022 and 2024, in addition to the 2022 Olympic Winter Games. Cheverie became the first woman to serve on the coaching staff with one of Canada’s national men’s teams at the 2022 IIHF U18 World Championship. Nationally, she won a silver medal as head coach of Team Nova Scotia at the 2023 Canada Winter Games, the province’s first-ever medal in women’s hockey. She was also the first woman hired as a full-time assistant coach in U SPORTS, spending five seasons (2016-21) with the Ryerson University men’s hockey team.

Ouellette has been the associate head coach at Concordia University since 2021, and recently completed her first season as an assistant coach with the PWHL’s Montréal Victoire. As an assistant coach with Canada’s National Women’s Team, she won gold medals at the IIHF Women’s World Championship in 2022 and 2024, in addition to silver medals in 2023 and 2025, and bronze in 2019. A Team Canada legend during a 17-year playing career, Ouellette won four Olympic gold medals and six world championships and recorded 242 points (87-155—242) in 220 games, the third-most in National Women’s Team history. She was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2023.

Smith recently completed her third season as head coach at Syracuse University. Prior to joining the Orange, she was an assistant coach at Clarkson University (2014-22), winning NCAA national championships in 2017 and 2018. Smith won a silver medal as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Women’s Team at the 2025 IIHF Women’s World Championship and earned silver medals as an assistant with Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team at the IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship in 2016 and 2020. Smith also served as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Women’s Development Team in 2018-19.

Kirkwood has held the role of goaltending assistant with the PWHL’s Toronto Sceptres for the past two seasons. He has served as goaltending consultant for Canada’s National Women’s Team since 2015, winning a gold medal at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games alongside a silver medal in 2018. Kirkwood has also won three gold medals at the IIHF Women’s World Championship (2021, 2022, 2024), in addition to four silver medals (2016, 2017, 2023, 2025), and won a gold medal with Canada’s National Women’s Development Team at the 2015 Nations Cup.

Hockey Canada also announced the support staff that will work with Canada’s National Women’s Team for the 2025-26 season:

• Senior manager of player development and scouting Cherie Piper (Scarborough, ON)
• Video coach Andrew Boucher (Timmins, ON)
• Strength and conditioning coach Vicki Bendus (Wasaga Beach, ON/Montréal, PWHL)
• Equipment managers Alana Goulden (Aurora, ON/Toronto, PWHL) and Blair Smook (Airdrie, AB)
• Team physician Laura Bennion (Vancouver, BC)
• Therapists Christine Atkins (Fort Macleod, AB) and Danielle McNally (Wolfville, NS)
• Massage therapist Meagan Cowell (London, ON)
• Performance Coach Judy Riege (Calgary, AB)
• Senior hockey operations manager Dylan Rockwell (Calgary, AB)
• Hockey operations manager Savannah Newton (Halifax, NS)
• Hockey operations coordinator Cassidy Wait (North Vancouver, BC)
• Media relations manager Esther Madziya (Lethbridge, AB)

Canada will open the Olympics against Finland on Feb. 5 at 3:10 p.m. ET/12:10 p.m. PT at Milano Rho Arena. It will also face Switzerland on Feb. 7 at 3:10 pm. ET/12:10 p.m. PT and Czechia on Feb. 9 at 3:10 p.m. ET/12:10 p.m. PT before closing out preliminary-round action against the United States on Feb. 10 at 2:10 p.m. ET/11:10 a.m. PT. The semifinals are set for Feb. 16 before the gold medal game on Feb. 19 at 1:10 p.m. ET/10:10 a.m. PT.

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Women’s Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow along via social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

CALGARY, Alberta – Hockey Canada has announced that Stanley Cup champion Misha Donskov (London, ON) has joined the organization as vice-president of hockey operations and men’s national teams coach, effective immediately.

Reporting to Scott Salmond (Creston, BC), senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations, Donskov brings National Hockey League (NHL) experience as an executive and coach to the organization and will be responsible for implementing the vision and strategies for Hockey Canada’s men’s, women’s and para hockey teams, and strengthen the alignment between the organization’s hockey operations and business operations staffs.

Donskov will also serve as head coach of Canada’s National Men’s Team at the IIHF World Championship, as assistant coach with the Men’s Olympic Team and as associate coach with Canada’s National Junior Team.

“We are thrilled to name Misha to his role today as he will play a critical role to ensure Canada’s national teams are set up for sustained success when representing our country on the world stage,” said Katherine Henderson (Thunder Bay, ON), Hockey Canada’s president and chief executive officer. “Misha is a proven winner, collaborative leader and unwavering in his commitment to supporting our athletes, coaches and staff, and we know he will make Canadians proud throughout his work with Hockey Canada.

“We received a tremendous number of applications from candidates in Canada, across North America and around the world for this position and appreciate their interest in the role as part of the extensive recruitment process.”

Donskov recently completed his second season as an assistant coach with the Dallas Stars after spending parts of four seasons as an assistant coach (2020-23) with the Vegas Golden Knights, where he won a Stanley Cup in 2023. Before joining the Golden Knights coaching staff, he was the team’s director of hockey operations for four seasons (2016-20). Internationally, Donskov has been part of a number of successful Canadian teams, including championships as an assistant coach at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off and 2016 World Cup of Hockey. He also won gold at two IIHF World Championships (2015, 2016) and one IIHF World Junior Championship (2015) as manager of hockey operations, analytics and video, and won the 2019 Spengler Cup as director of hockey operations and assistant coach as well as the 2013 Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament as video coach.

Donskov spent five seasons in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the London Knights (2009-12) and Ottawa 67s (2012-14), highlighted by an OHL championship as London’s assistant general manager and assistant coach in 2012. In addition to his coaching and management career, Donskov has extensive experience in hockey development, including previous NHL roles with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Atlanta Thrashers.

Prior to pursuing a full-time career in hockey, Donskov spent six years with Cardinal Health, a Fortune 500 global, integrated healthcare solutions company. He held roles of increasing responsibility in finance, sales, and sales management. He holds a master's degree in kinesiology with a specialization in coaching education from the University of Western Ontario.

“It is a tremendous honour to be trusted to serve as Vice President, Hockey Operations and National Men’s Teams Coach for Hockey Canada,” said Donskov. “I would like to thank the Hockey Canada Board, Katherine Henderson and Scott Salmond for this incredibly unique opportunity. Hockey Canada has played a significant role in my hockey journey and development — both personal and professional. I am excited to be returning to Hockey Canada to help support our world leading teams, programs and people. In addition, I would like to thank Tom Gaglardi, Jim Nill and Pete DeBoer for affording me the privilege to coach in the National Hockey League and be a part of the Dallas Stars family and organization.”

This is the second critical hockey operations staff announcement ahead of the 2025-26 international hockey season after Hockey Canada announced the hiring of Alan Millar (Tottenham, ON), the first full-time general manager of the Program of Excellence.

“Misha brings a coaching acumen and focus to Hockey Canada that our programs will benefit immensely from,” added Salmond. “With a full time general manager in Alan Millar and now the addition of Misha Donskov, we are in a great position as an organization moving forward.”

Additions to the Program of Excellence management group, as well as the coaching staffs, support staffs and rosters for the under-17, under-18 and under-20 programs will be announced in the coming weeks.

For more information on Hockey Canada and the Program of Excellence, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow through social media on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

Resilience refers to the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties.

While all great teams face obstacles on route to the top, few teams can say they were able to navigate them as well as Canada’s National Women’s Team.

Through a global pandemic, event cancellations, isolations and so much more, the 2021-22 edition of Team Canada rose above time and time again, staying committed to achieving greatness “our way.”

After COVID-19 wreaked havoc on the 2019-20 season, 2021 looked to provide a sense of normalcy, with the IIHF Women’s World Championship set for April in Halifax and Truro, N.S. But less than two weeks before the puck was set to drop, the Province of Nova Scotia withdrew its support of the event, citing rising COVID-19 numbers.

“I think going into April, we were fully expecting to play, and we felt very prepared,” remembers Blayre Turnbull, a Stellarton, N.S., native and one of two Nova Scotians on the Team Canada roster. “So obviously there was a huge sense of disappointment when things got cancelled, but I think it did really bring the group even closer together. It was a piece of adversity that at the time was devastating, but in hindsight, I think it really helped bond our group, and I think it made us even more grateful for the upcoming camps and tournaments and time that we got to spend and play together.”

Staying adaptable and open-minded proved vital as the team navigated a COVID “bubble” last summer as the rescheduled women’s worlds took shape in Calgary in August. With no fans, friends or family, the team grew even closer away from the rink as their efforts on the ice started to pay off.

Sarah Fillier, who finished with three goals and three assists in her world championship debut, remembers the adjustments she had to make playing in front of an empty arena: “Being able to wear that jersey, one of the things you think about is just your parents and really close friends getting to watch you compete on that international stage.

“The team turned into a family for all of us, and we were trying to adapt to a situation that no one really ever has before, and luckily, we were an incredibly close group.”

Canada hadn’t won women’s worlds gold since 2012—the Americans had claimed the past five world titles, four with wins over the Canadians in the final. That hunger fed Team Canada, which vowed to take back the top spot from their rivals on home ice.

The team captured the hearts and minds of Canadians with their run in Calgary, going undefeated with 34 goals in seven games. The bond between teammates and excitement for the return of women’s hockey was clear as constant smiles, hugs and goal celebrations were accompanied by convincing wins – 5-1 over ROC, 5-0 over Switzerland and 5-1 over the U.S. (Canada’s biggest win over its rival since 2017).

But they saved the best for last. A back-and-forth gold medal game needed overtime after Canada erased an early two-goal deficit, and it was two of the most seasoned veterans that combined on history.

With 25 years on the national team between the two of them, Brianne Jenner and dashed down the ice in 3-on-3 overtime, Jenner connecting with Poulin like the linemates had done so many times before.

The rest is history.

That golden moment was more than a world championship win. It marked the return of hockey not just for Team Canada, but for so many Canadians who in just a few short weeks would getting back on the ice after a lost season of sorts in 2020-21.

The world title was just the beginning, though. With gold medals around their necks, celebrations lasted only a week or so as eyes turned forward toward the next goal—gold at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games.

“I think everybody really appreciated coming out of the pandemic and having an opportunity to compete for world championships,” says head coach Troy Ryan. “So that was huge. But then to get validated for all the little adjustments and changes that all of us had to make for each other, seeing them get rewarded for all their hard work, you knew that that commitment would remain, heading into the Olympics as well.”

On a journey with even more obstacles ahead, buy-in from the group was crucial, knowing the stress of navigating a pandemic on top of trying to make an Olympic team could break down even the most veteran teams.

“We had many Zoom calls, group texts, so many different conversations about what we thought was best for the team and how we could make the most out of our training camp and our quarantine at the hotel, and really keep girls positive and make sure that everybody knew that although we had just been through so much adversity, we were fully prepared to play and we were fully prepared to win,” Turnbull says. “And I think once we hit the ice, it was really evident that it was going to be hard to stop our team.”

The season began in September with 29 athletes centralized in Calgary. The team faced teams from the B.C. Hockey League and Alberta Junior Hockey League, took to the ice for Rivalry Series matchups against the United States and travelled abroad for a three-game series against Finland as part of their Olympic preparations.

“As a team, we traveled so much, which is super taxing on the body,” says Turnbull, who missed the early part of the season after breaking her ankle in the dog pile following Poulin’s overtime winner at worlds. “We went from Calgary to Finland, to Toronto, Kingston, Ottawa. We were away for so much of the season.”

And with that travel came the increased risk of COVID-19, the team navigating close encounters on top of the stressors of cuts to the centralization roster as the Beijing Games approached.

Much of the credit, according to Poulin, goes to director of hockey operations Gina Kingsbury and team physician Dr. Tina Atkinson, who handled the pandemic logistics while the team focused on the ice. “I don’t know how much they slept in the past year, to be honest,” Poulin says with a smile. “Gina and Doc were super amazing to work with. They told us what was happening and [were always] on top of things. This group was really adaptable and very resilient.”

The pandemic threw yet another wrench into their season just over a month before the team was due to depart for Beijing, cutting short a late-December road trip in the U.S. and forcing the cancellation of the final leg of the Rivalry Series just as the final Olympic team was to be named.

“After Christmas, it was probably the most stressful time of the year after the team was picked,” Turnbull recounts. “And we were training in Calgary in January with the goal of making it to China as a team but understanding how difficult it was going to be over the next three, four weeks.”

After a few more weeks of isolated training in Calgary, sometimes practicing in masks (as would prove handy in their Olympic showing against ROC), the 23 Olympians set off for Beijing—10 for their first Olympic Games ever—on a mission to be golden once again.

And just like they were in Calgary, Canada was historically good in Beijing.

The Canadians went undefeated again, with Team Canada first-timer Claire Thompson setting a new Olympic record for most points by a defenceman and Sarah Nurse breaking the records for most assists and most points in one Games.

“One of the coolest things that surfaced through [the Olympics] was we didn't know where we would get goals from, we just knew we would get some,” reflects Ryan—who served as an assistant coach when Canada settled for silver at the 2018 Olympics. “Same thing defensively. It wasn't just [Jocelyne] Larocque and [Renata] Fast that did the job, there were other people that stood up.

“There were people breaking individual records at the Olympics. It was almost like they weren't even aware. They didn't get caught up in it. It was like a knuckle tap and a smirk and away you go. To me, that was cool.”

And as the hockey gods would have it, the Canadians would have to go through their storied rivals once again with gold on the line.

Nurse and Poulin scored in the first period, Poulin added another midway through the second and not even a late-game push by the Americans could overpower Team Canada—it was Olympic gold for the fifth time in six Games with Poulin netting the game-winner, making her the only player ever—man or woman—to score in four consecutive Olympic finals.

“I was counting down on the bench, and I remember when we hopped off at the end of the game, I just immediately started crying,” Fillier recalls. “I just remember being speechless, for at least 24 hours, about how I just had this gold medal in my hands.”

The explosion of tears and hugs commemorated more than just another Olympic victory, they were celebrations of every past struggle and challenge, the team’s commitment paying off at last.

“This is the best hockey team that I've ever been a part of,” says Turnbull. “And I'm not including any of the records we set at the Olympics. That's just because of the people in the locker room and the teammates that I got to share so many memories with.”

Through staffing changes, new rosters, cancellations and pandemics, the 2021-22 edition of Canada’s National Women’s Team persevered through the most trying of times, winning hockey’s biggest prizes and doing it their way.

“We started with ‘Our Way’ and we stuck with it all the way to the end,” says Poulin. “We stuck together. The coaching staff, the GM, they had our plan, and for us, we're just following it. Following along and doing our best. Being resilient, buying in and having fun after it all.”

GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. UNITED STATES (FEB. 16)

TV: CBC | Stream: CBC.ca

A rematch four years in the making, Canada’s Women’s Olympic Team faces its long-time rivals from the United States in the gold medal game at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games.

LAST GAME

Canada got points from 16 different players (including all 13 forwards) and racked up 61 shots on goal in a 10-3 semifinal win over Switzerland. Marie-Philip Poulin scored twice and Sarah Nurse recorded four more assists, tying Hayley Wickenheiser’s 2006 record for helpers in an Olympic tournament with 12. Brianne Jenner made a little history of her own, closing out the scoring with her ninth goal, equalling the Olympic record.

The Americans started slow against the Finns in their semifinal, but Cayla Barnes got the scoring started on the power play early in the second period and the U.S. never looked back, earning a 4-1 victory. Barnes and Hilary Knight finished with a goal and an assist each.

LAST MEETING

In their 163rd all-time meeting just seven days ago, Canada used a second-period flurry to earn a 4-2 victory in the preliminary-round finale. Ann-Renée Desbiens was the big story, making 51 saves to set a Canadian Olympic record for stops in a game (men’s or women’s hockey). Jenner, Jamie Lee Rattray and Poulin (on a penalty shot) scored 5:25 apart late in the middle frame to turn a one-goal deficit into a two-goal lead. Jenner finished with a pair of goals, Poulin added a goal and a helper and the Canadians killed five of six U.S. power plays.

WHAT TO WATCH

While the talk has been mostly focused on Canada’s outstanding offensive production – the team tops the tournament in goals (54), shooting percentage (17.4%) and power play (45.5%) – it’s the rookie-laden defence that has been the secret weapon. Claire Thompson and Erin Ambrose are the highest-scoring defencemen ever in a single women’s Olympic tournament (Thompson – 2-10—12; Ambrose – 4-5—9) and all seven D have at least two points. Their ability to generate offence from the blue line has been a major contributor to Canada’s success, but against the scoring threat the Americans pose, Canada’s defensive line will be critical.

The Americans will need to either slow down the record-setting Canadian offence, or keep up. The U.S. has been getting offence from up and down the lineup, with the usual suspects of Knight (5-4—9), Amanda Kessel (2-5—7) and Kendall Coyne Schofield (3-3—6) leading the way. That balanced production (seven players averaging at least a point a game) will need to continue if the U.S. hopes to defend its 2018 gold.

A LOOK BACK

While Canada has the all-time edge with 92 wins in 163 games, this rivalry is about as even as they come. Need proof? In the last 12 meetings between the rivals, six of those games have needed overtime (Canada has won four, with Poulin getting the GWG in three), and since the 2018 Olympics, the teams have split their 22 matchups almost down the middle (Canada has an 12-10 edge).

There have been nine Olympic meetings since 1998, with the Canadians winning six of those. Canada and the U.S. split their 2018 contests – Genevieve Lacasse made 44 saves in a 2-1 prelim win, before the Canadians dropped a 3-2 heartbreaker in shootout in the gold medal game.

All-time record: Canada leads 92-70-1 (20-17 in OT/SO)
Canada goals: 448
United States goals: 395

CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada has solidified its coaching staff for the Women’s Olympic Team, one day after unveiling the 28 players selected to centralize in Calgary in preparation for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games, Feb. 4-20 in Beijing, China.

Head coach Troy Ryan (Spryfield, N.S.) will be joined by assistants Kori Cheverie (New Glasgow, N.S./Ryerson University, OUA), Doug Derraugh (Arnprior, Ont./Cornell University, ECAC) and Jim Midgley (Townsend, Ont.), as well as goaltending coach Brad Kirkwood (Calgary, Alta./University of Calgary, CW).

“It is an honour and privilege to be entrusted with this leadership opportunity,” said Ryan. “Hockey Canada has put together a tremendous staff to share this journey with. We are very excited to get to work with such an amazing and committed group of elite athletes on a daily basis as we prepare for Beijing 2022.”

The coaching staff was selected by Gina Kingsbury (Rouyn-Noranda, Que.), director of women’s national teams, Tom Renney (Cranbrook, B.C.), chief executive officer, Scott Smith (Bathurst, N.B.), president and chief operating officer, in consultation with Scott Salmond (Creston, B.C.) senior vice-president of national teams, and management consultant Cassie Campbell-Pascall (Brampton, Ont.).

“This four-year Olympic quad has challenged our coaching staff with adjustments to the changing landscape of our game,” said Kingsbury. “Troy has provided our program with consistency, and we feel he is well-suited to lead us through the 2021-22 season and to our ultimate goal of winning an Olympic gold medal. With limited time for competition, our coaching staff has bonded quickly, which is what we need in both short-term and long-term competition.”

Ryan is entering his third season as head coach of Canada’s National Women’s Team. As an assistant coach, he earned a silver medal at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea, silver at the 2017 IIHF Women’s World Championship and bronze at the 2019 IIHF Women’s World Championship. Ryan also earned a silver medal as head coach of Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team at the 2017 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship. The Atlantic Canada female coach mentor with the Canadian Sport Centre Atlantic since 2016, he served as head coach of Team Atlantic at the 2015 National Women’s Under-18 Championship and has also been behind the bench at the Canada Winter Games (men’s and women’s hockey), World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, World Junior A Challenge and Centennial Cup (formerly the RBC Cup).

Cheverie has served as an assistant coach with the men’s hockey team at Ryerson University since 2016. On the international stage, she won a gold medal as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team at the 2019 IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship, and was an assistant coach with Canada’s National Women’s Team for the Rivalry Series in February 2020. Cheverie also served as head coach of Team Ontario Red at the 2019 National Women’s Under-18 Championship, winning a gold medal.

Derraugh has been the head coach of the Cornell University women’s hockey team for the past 15 seasons, leading it to seven NCAA tournament appearances and four trips to the Frozen Four. Internationally, he won a gold medal as an assistant coach at the 2012 IIHF Women’s World Championship, and captured silver medals as head coach in 2015 and as an assistant a year later. Derraugh also won a gold medal as head coach of Canada’s National Women’s Team at the 2014 4 Nations Cup, along with silver as an assistant in 2011 and 2018.

Midgley most recently scouted for the Philadelphia Flyers and was an assistant coach with the Iserlohn Roosters of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga in 2019-20. He coached the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) in 2017-18 after serving as an assistant coach for six seasons (2011-17). Midgley was also an assistant coach with the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL (2007-09) and with Acadia University (2002-07). He was the video coach for Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team at the 2016 IIHF U18 World Championship.

Kirkwood has served as goaltending consultant for Canada’s National Women’s Team since 2015 and has earned silver medals at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games and IIHF Women’s World Championship in 2016 and 2017. Kirkwood also won a gold medal with Canada’s National Women’s Development Team at the 2015 Nations Cup. He is the goaltending coach for the men’s and women’s hockey teams at the University of Calgary and for the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League.   

Hockey Canada also announced the support staff that will work with Canada’s National Women’s Team throughout the 2021-22 centralization season through to the 2022 Olympics:

• video coach James Emery (Calgary, Alta.)
• therapists Christine Atkins (Fort Macleod, Alta.) and Jami Boyd (Minnedosa, Man.)
• massage therapist Andrea Purdy (Toronto, Ont.)
• team physician Tina Atkinson (Shelburne, N.S./Halifax, QMJHL)
• strength and conditioning coach Jeremy Steinbach (Binbrook, Ont.)
• mental performance consultant Kim Thompson (Orleans, Ont.)
• equipment managers Alana Goulden (Aurora, Ont./Ryerson University, OUA) and Serge LeBlanc (Grande-Digue, N.B./Université de Moncton, AUS)
• managers of women’s national teams Tania Kenny (Toronto, Ont.) and Dylan Rockwell (Calgary, Alta.)
• media relations Esther Madziya (Lethbridge, Alta.)

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Women’s Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow through social media on Facebook and Twitter.

Hockey Canada announced Wednesday the 28 players chosen to centralize in Calgary with Canada’s National Women’s Team for the 2021-22 season, leading up to the 2022 Olympic Winter Games, Feb. 4-20 in Beijing, China.

The 28-player roster includes three goaltenders, nine defencemen and 16 forwards. It features 17 players who centralized ahead of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games, including 14 who earned a silver medal in PyeongChang, South Korea (Clark, Daoust, Desbiens, Fast, Jenner, Johnston, Larocque, Mikkelson, Nurse, Poulin, Saulnier, Spooner, Stacey, Turnbull).

The roster was selected by head coach Troy Ryan (Spryfield, N.S.), in consultation with Gina Kingsbury (Rouyn-Noranda, Que.), director of women’s national teams with Hockey Canada, and included support from assistant coaches Kori Cheverie (New Glasgow, N.S./Ryerson University, OUA), Doug Derraugh (Arnprior, Ont./Cornell University, ECAC) and goaltending coach Brad Kirkwood (Calgary, Alta./University of Calgary, CW).

“When we started this Olympic quad in the fall of 2018, our road to 2022 looked very different,” said Kingsbury. “Through adversity, in particular a lack of international competition over the last 14 months, our athletes have stayed focused, committed to their training and ready to compete when the time came. We had some difficult decisions to make, but that just shows how hard our athletes have worked on and off the ice for the opportunity to centralize and get a chance to compete for 23 Olympic roster spots. We have a number of veterans on this roster in addition to some young athletes who have earned this opportunity.”

All players and staff will relocate to Calgary at the end of July for centralization and prepare for the 2021 IIHF Women’s World Championship, Aug. 20-31 at a yet-to-be-determined location, before resuming their Olympic training. The 2021-22 season, pending the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, will include games against the United States as well as a potential series against Finland. The full centralization schedule will be announced at a later date.

Canada’s final 23-player roster for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games is tentatively scheduled to be unveiled in late December.

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Women’s Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca or follow through social media on Facebook, Twitter and Twitter.com/HC_Women.

GANGNEUNG, South Korea – The Canadian Women’s Olympic Hockey Team will return home to Canada with a silver medal following a shootout loss to the United States on Thursday afternoon.

Canada and the United States exchanged leads throughout the game, with the Americans getting on the board first on a power-play goal by Hilary Knight in the closing seconds of the opening frame. Haley Irwin (Thunder Bay, Ont./Calgary, CWHL) tied things up at the two-minute mark of the second period, and Canadian captain Marie-Philip Poulin (Beauceville, Que./Montreal, CWHL) netted the go-ahead goal for the red-and-white less than three minutes later.

Canada retained the lead until Monique Lamoureux-Morando beat Shannon Szabados (Edmonton, Alta.) at 13:39 of the third period to tie things up between the cross-border rivals. The score remained tied at two through 20 minutes of four-on-four overtime, and the shootout saw the teams at a stalemate with two goals and three misses apiece. It was Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson who closed the U.S. scoring, earning the game-winning goal in the shootout. [Full game story and stats available at HockeyCanada.ca.]

“Right now, it’s really tough, obviously. When you play in the final, you want to win. It was a good game; both teams gave their all. It’s sad to lose in a shootout,” said Poulin of heading home with a silver medal for Canada after winning gold medals at her first two Olympic appearances. She remarked that Thursday’s nail-biter put the female game on display for the excitement it brings to fans. “Every four years we elevate the way we play; obviously, for women’s hockey, it’s great. We played great. It shows how much women’s hockey is growing.”

Canada finished the Games with a 4-1 record after going undefeated in its preliminary match-ups against the Olympic Athletes from Russia, Finland, and the United States. Canada advanced to the gold-medal game after a 5-0 semifinal victory over the Olympic Athletes from Russia on Feb. 19.

“It’s hard [to lose in the shootout]. There are not a lot of words to describe how you feel, but you know it was a great game of hockey,” said head coach Laura Schuler (Scarborough, Ont.). “That was what we expected – back-and-forth hockey. It was a battle until the end. It’s always been back-and-forth hockey for the past 20 years. It was obviously a great game, but not the outcome we wanted.”

Szabados, who made 36 saves in the gold-medal game, received the IIHF Directorate award as Top Goaltender, while Canadians Mélodie Daoust (Valleyfield, Que./McGill University, RSEQ) and Laura Fortino (Hamilton, Ont./Markham, CWHL) were also recognized for their tournament play, being selected to the Media All-Star Team. Daoust was also named tournament MVP by the media.

In addition to its four gold medals (2014, 2010, 2006, 2002), the Canadian Women’s Olympic Hockey Team also claimed silver in 1998 in Nagano, Japan. PyeongChang 2018 marked the sixth time women’s hockey has been part of the Olympic Winter Games.

Canada's Women’s Olympic Team is schedule to depart from South Korea on Monday, Feb. 26. Canadian player airport arrival information will be issued in the coming days prior to departure from the Olympic Village.

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Women’s Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow through social media on Facebook, Twitter, and Twitter.com/HC_Women.

INCHEON, South Korea – Hockey Canada announced the addition of Perry Pearn (Stettler, Alta.) to the Canadian Women’s Olympic Hockey Team coaching staff as an assistant coach for the upcoming 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea.

Pearn will join the coaching staff that includes head coach Laura Schuler (Scarborough, Ont.) as a third assistant coach, alongside Troy Ryan (Spryfield, N.S.), Dwayne Gylywoychuk (Winnipeg, Man.) and goaltending coach Brad Kirkwood (Calgary, Alta.).

“Perry has been working with our program since August and we are excited that he can officially join us at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games,” said Melody Davidson, general manager, national women’s team programs. “Perry has done a significant amount of pre-scout work and will continue to be an eye in the sky for our team. His presence will provide consistency in our day-to-day in PyeongChang and we’d like to thank the Canadian Olympic Committee and POCOG for supporting his addition to our accredited staff.”

Most recently on the international women’s stage, Pearn was an integral part of Canada’s National Women’s Development Team at the 2018 Nations Cup in Füssen, Germany. Behind the bench with Team Canada, Pearn won gold as head coach of Canada’s National Junior Team at the 1993 IIHF World Junior Championship, and also as an assistant coach in 1990 and 1991.

“Our entire coaching staff is really looking forward to continuing our relationship with Perry; we value his international experience and the insight he brings to our team” said Schuler. “Having worked closely with Perry throughout the season we are excited to have him join us on this final leg of our journey.”

Pearn has also served as an assistant coach in the National Hockey League over the span of 20 seasons with the Vancouver Canucks, Ottawa Senators, New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens and Winnipeg Jets.

“I’m really looking forward to continuing to work alongside Laura and her coaching staff,” said Pearn. “It’s been great to be involved throughout the season and I will continue to do everything I can to help support this team as it goes for gold in PyeongChang.”

Canada will look to win its fifth-straight gold medal at the Olympic Winter Games when the puck drops in South Korea on Feb. 11. In addition to its four gold medals, the Canadian Women’s Olympic Hockey Team also claimed silver in 1998 in Nagano, Japan.

The Olympic women’s hockey tournament opens on Saturday, Feb. 10 at the Kwandong Hockey Centre and culminates on Thursday, Feb. 22 at the Gangneung Hockey Centre. Canada is scheduled to compete in Group A and begins preliminary-round play on Sunday, Feb. 11.                                                      

For more information on Canada’s National Women’s Team, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow through social media on Facebook, Twitter, and Twitter.com/HC_Women.