womens hockey gold medal game: Knight and Poulin Set for Final Showdown
The United States and Canada will meet in the womens hockey gold medal game on Thursday (ET) in Milan Cortina, renewing a rivalry that has defined the sport at the Winter Games. The matchup pits the U. S. captain making a farewell Olympic run against Canada's cold-blooded closer, with both teams circling this moment for the past four years.
Knight seeks a storybook Olympic send-off
Hilary Knight enters the final Olympics determined to leave on a high note. This will be her fifth Games, and she has made no secret of wanting another gold medal before she retires from Olympic competition. Knight's blend of leadership and relentless work ethic has made her a central figure for her country: she boasts 10 world titles, stands as the all-time leader in goals, points and assists at IIHF Women’s World Championships, and is tied for the all-time lead in Olympic goals and points for the U. S.
Her posture heading into the final is part adrenaline, part focus. "When the puck drops, your heart is beating out of your chest, " Knight said in October of facing Canada. Earlier this year she framed her final Games as an opportunity for a "storybook ending, " making Thursday's showdown about more than a medal — it is a career capstone.
Poulin's late-game brilliance and new Olympic mark
Opposite Knight stands Marie-Philip Poulin, who has built a reputation as perhaps the most clutch scorer in women's Olympic hockey. Poulin has delivered golden moments in multiple Games, netting the game-winner in each of her previous Olympic golds. During this tournament she rose to the top of the Olympic scoring charts for women, surpassing the previous mark and extending that milestone to 20 career Olympic goals after a semifinal win on Monday (ET).
Her demeanor is the contrast to Knight's frenetic energy: "ice water in her veins" — calm, decisive and lethal when the stakes are highest. Poulin framed the final succinctly after her record-breaking performance, noting that reaching this moment is what players spend a four-year cycle preparing for.
Paths, narratives and what to watch in Milan Cortina
This final is the latest chapter in a rivalry that has produced seven finals in eight Olympiads. Between the two nations, they have claimed every gold medal in the event since its Olympic debut in 1998; Canada owns five of those titles, the United States two. The teams have been on a collision course through the tournament: the U. S. went undefeated through qualifying and handed Canada a 5-0 preliminary loss, while Canada has otherwise dominated its opposition and defended its championship with determination.
Beyond the headline stars, keep an eye on the younger contributors and tactical adjustments both coaches will deploy. American defender Caroline Harvey leads the tournament in points for her team with nine, and the U. S. has embraced a mantra of "flip the script" — a conscious effort to rewrite recent history against their northern rival. Players emphasize the quad-long grind that brought them here: some veteran Canadians said this run was circled since the previous Olympics in Beijing, while U. S. leaders pointed to a process that began the moment the last Games closed in 2022 and has been building ever since.
Thursday's (ET) womens hockey gold medal game will be a test of narratives — a veteran seeking a crowning finish, a serial clutch scorer chasing another immortal moment, and two programs that have measured their excellence against one another for decades. Expect intensity, tight margins and the kinds of moments that will be replayed long after the final buzzer.
