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Canada will play for women’s Olympic hockey gold again.
The defending champions are a win away from repeating, but will be the underdogs Thursday against a talented, relentless United States team that has outscored its opposition 31-1 in the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
Canadian captain Marie-Philip Poulin scored twice in a 2-1 semifinal win over Switzerland on Monday to break the Olympic women’s scoring record.
She became the first woman to score 20 career goals in the women’s tournament. Her former teammate Hayley Wickenheiser held the previous record of 18.
The U.S. blanked Sweden 5-0 earlier Monday.
Canada will have played in all eight finals dating back to the Olympic debut of women’s hockey in 1998 in Nagano, Japan.
Canada is 5-2 in previous finals with losses to the U.S. in 1998 and 2018.
“It’s the gold medal game,” said U.S. forward Taylor Heise. “Everyone’s going to show up, and if they don’t, they’re not meant to be there.”
The United States and Canada have clashed in every Olympic final but one in 2006 in Turin, Italy, where the Swedes upset the Americans in a semifinal shootout.
The Canadians and the Swiss met in an Olympic semifinal a third time Monday after Canada’s 10-3 win in 2022 in Beijing, and a 3-1 decision in 2014 in Sochi, Russia.
Switzerland went with Andrea Braendli in goal Monday after starting Saskia Maurer in a Group A game, which Canada won 4-0.
Braendli stopped 43 shots, while Canada’s Ann-Renee Desbiens made seven saves.
Canada outshot the Swiss 13-1 and 35-4 at period breaks and led 2-0 after two periods. But the Canadians didn’t handle a heavy forecheck by the Swiss in the third period and turned the puck over behind their own net.
Alina Muller fed Enzler in the slot to beat Desbiens on Switzerland’s seventh shot of the game at 4:53, and halve the deficit. The Swiss pulled Braendli for an extra attacker with two minutes remaining, but an illegal hit penalty to Ivana Wey negated that advantage.
The first period ended with no scoring, but Poulin broke the tension for her team at 1:49 of the second period when her one-timer deflected off Swiss forward Naemi Herzig and turned into a knuckler that fooled the Swiss goalie.
Poulin followed up at 8:21 when she was tripped driving the crease, yet shovelled a rebound by a sprawling Braendli after a Darryl Watts attempt.
A five-minute major to Poulin for checking Laura Zimmerman into the boards was downgraded to a minor upon review.
A Blayre Turnbull penalty for hooking as Poulin’s expired gave the Swiss a total of four minutes with an extra attacker, but the Canadians killed both minors.
U.S. dominates Sweden
The two-times champion United States was the favourite heading into Milan and it put on another convincing performance at Santagiulia arena, where Cayla Barnes scored in the first period, while Taylor Heise, Abbey Murphy, veteran Kendall Coyne Schofield and Hayley Scamurra notched second-period goals.
The Americans will play the winner of the second semifinal between defending Olympic champions Canada and Switzerland on Thursday.
Sweden, who won its last medal with a silver in 2006, beat Czechia in the quarterfinals but ran out of firepower against the world champions United States.
The United States have only conceded one goal in a confident march through the women’s tournament in Milan and they were dominant from the start as defender Barnes ripped a wrist shot past three Swedish defenders to open the scoring.
WATCH | U.S. blow past Sweden in semifinal:
Americans advance to Olympic women’s hockey final with shutout win over Sweden
The United States advanced to a fifth-straight Olympic women’s hockey final, with a 5-0 semifinal win over Sweden at Milano Cortina 2026.
They kept their foot on the gas after the intermission, as Hannah Bilka streaked down the right side and fed the puck to forward Heise, who sent it off the glove of the Swedish goalie and into the net midway through the second period.
Forward Murphy flung herself into the boards in celebration after she whacked one over the goalie’s head and off the crossbar to make it 3-0 and her teammates added two more scores in rapid succession, even as Sweden outshot them 13-11 during the second period.
“When we look back at this tournament, what we have done so far is amazing,” said goalie Aerin Frankel, who turned away 23 shots. “But obviously the job’s not done yet.”
With a mix of young talent and veteran poise, the United States have been hungry for revenge since the Canadians denied them a place on the top of the podium four years ago.
Taylor Heise, second from right, celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against Team Sweden on Monday in Milan. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
They have been in great form in Milan, scoring 31 goals across six games and beating Canada 5-0 in the group stage.
There will be no love lost between the two sides if they meet in the dream showdown that North American fans will be hoping for, after Canada brought home five Olympic golds since the event’s debut in 1998.
“Just so many good players and we’re playing as a team which is the most important part,” said Bilka. “You want to have your best game your last game. This is when it all comes together.”