It was a heartbreaker for Team Canada’s women’s hockey team at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.

The Canadians fell 2-1 in overtime to rivals Team USA, narrowly missing out on gold.

In Montreal, fans packed Le Nadia – Guinguette sportive, the city’s hub for women’s sports, to celebrate the team’s effort.

Canada is dejected after losing to USA during overtime of the women’s gold medal hockey game at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Mixed emotions: pride and disappointment

Rachel Sévigny, a South Shore resident, admitted she felt deflated after the overtime loss but was still proud of the team’s performance.

“We had it till the end, I think. It sucks, but at the end of the day, women winning—even though it’s not the team that we wanted to win—it’s a nice feeling to see just women winning. So I’m OK with it,” she said.

Despite the loss, Sévigny’s admiration for the team remained clear.

“I’m disappointed that Canada didn’t win, but I’m still happy to see women winning.”

“What a game. They did a great job. They held on till the end. Definitely it sucks, but I’m happy,” she added.

People gather at Le Nadia bar in Montreal to watch Team Canada take on the USA in the women’s ice hockey Olympic gold medal game on Feb 19, 2026. (Emily Pasquarelli, CityNews)

Elena Costante, originally from the U.K. and living in Montreal for a year-and-a-half, acknowledged the disappointment but offered a broader perspective.

“I think there’s a lot of disappointment… Going into it, we knew Canada were underdogs and the U.S. were going to dominate. Having watched the vast majority of that game, it wasn’t quite as cutthroat,” she said.

“Personally, I believed Canada could have won, and would have won, so it makes it difficult, but it is what it is. Looking at the whole Olympics, maybe it’s a fair result,” she added.

Montrealers cheer on their team

Cam Poirier, a Montrealer, praised the women’s team for their effort and resilience.

“We didn’t expect Team Canada to win, right?… USA had an amazing roster. But the thing is, we always are able to pull out miracles. Team Canada, the women, I’m specifically talking about women, always are able to make the miracle happen. And so I think they showed us that they can bring it. It didn’t happen. It’s OK.”

Canada takes a team photo with their silver medals after losing to USA during overtime of the women’s gold medal hockey game at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Poirier highlighted the team’s performance across the Olympics.

“The finale, they did show up… They made Canada proud,” he added.

Crushed but proud: reflections from the community

Marie-Eve Tremblay described the final as “crushing” but acknowledged the team’s resilience.

“Well, I’m destroyed, basically because we played so well,” she said.

“The way we played against the U.S. the last time and even Switzerland, I had no expectation at all for this game. But after the first period, we were holding our own and it was possible. So it’s just so crushing to have lost the game because of a dubious change of line at the end. So, but it was a very pretty goal, I have to say, but still, it’s so crushing.”

Canada’s players watch the U.S. team celebrate their overtime win the women’s gold medal hockey game at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Even in defeat, Montrealers celebrated Team Canada’s determination, skill, and resilience. At Le Nadia, the pride and support for women athletes were louder than any scoreboard, proving that the Olympic spirit thrives beyond medals.