Winter Olympics 2026: U.S. women's hockey sends message, blows out Canada in Milan

MILAN — The U.S. women’s hockey team made a statement Tuesday night.

The Americans cemented themselves as unequivocal favorites at these Olympics with a 5-0 blowout of Canada in a highly anticipated rivalry showdown that likely doubled as a preview of next week’s gold-medal match.

Murphy’s slick no-look, behind-the-back pass was the highlight of the U.S. women’s hockey team’s statement-making 5-0 victory over Canada on Tuesday night. The Americans solidified themselves as unequivocal favorites at these Olympics by dominating a highly anticipated rivalry showdown that likely doubled as a preview of next week’s gold-medal match.

The glaring difference between the U.S. and Canada on Tuesday was the disparity in firepower. With captain Marie-Philip Poulin out with a lower-body injury, Canada struggled to generate many threatening scoring chances and lacked a quarterback on the power play. Conversely, the Americans showcased their attacking depth with a massive game from Abbey Murphy and the rest of their second line. 

Murphy tallied three assists, none more impressive than the no-look, behind-the-back one that gave the U.S. a two-goal lead near the end of the first period.  It didn’t matter that Murphy was in the corner with her back to teammate Hannah Bilka and a defender draped all over her. The electric young American star still found a way to catch the Canadian defense by surprise and set up Bilka for the easiest goal she’ll ever score. 

The outcome of Tuesday’s game clinched the No. 1 seed in the knockout round for the U.S. and set up a quarterfinal matchup with host Italy. That game has the potential to get ugly in a hurry considering the U.S. clobbered its four group-stage opponents by a combined score of 20-1 and Italy trails well behind each of those teams in the International Ice Hockey Federation’s world rankings.

For decades, the hierarchy at the top of women’s hockey has been Canada, the U.S. and then everyone else. One of the North American powers has captured gold at all seven Olympics to feature women’s hockey and all 24 world championships. With few exceptions, the rest of the world has essentially battled it out for third place.

Nothing that has happened so far in Milan would suggest that the gulf is closing. The U.S. blitzed its three non-Canada group-stage opponents by a combined score of 15-1.  Canada outscored its first two non-U.S. opponents by a combined score of 9-1 with a game against Finland left to play. 

Canada has won five of seven Olympic golds and narrowly leads the all-time series, but the U.S. has enjoyed the upper hand in the rivalry recently. The Americans edged the Canadians in overtime in the gold-medal match at last year’s world championships and then convincingly swept four Rivalry Series matchups earlier this winter by a combined score of 24-7. 

If anything, that made Tuesday’s matchup more urgent for Canada. And yet the Canadians weren’t competitive. 

Maybe the likely return of Poulin will be a difference maker, but that doesn’t bode well should these teams meet again, as expected.