womens hockey gold medal game: Knight's final Olympic bid meets Poulin's record-setting run in USA-Canada final
Milano Cortina's marquee event for women's ice hockey arrives Thursday evening ET as the United States and Canada collide for Olympic gold. The matchup doubles as a personal crossroads: Hilary Knight seeks a storybook finish in her fifth and final Games while Marie-Philip Poulin arrives with a new Olympic scoring record and a resume of clutch finishes.
Knight chasing a storybook ending in her fifth Olympics
Hilary Knight will lace up for what she announced would be her final Olympic tournament, chasing one last gold to cap a remarkable career. Knight has called this farewell a chance to leave on a high note, and the American captain brings both production and leadership into the title game. She remains tied for the all-time Olympic goals and points lead for Team USA and is one of the most decorated players in women's hockey — a veteran presence who has set the tone through relentless work ethic and on-ice command.
Her teammates say the squad has been building toward this moment since the previous Games. Two-time Olympian Caroline Harvey leads Team USA in scoring for this tournament with nine points, and veteran voices in the locker room emphasize a long, deliberate process of improvement after the last Olympics. The Americans went undefeated through the qualifying round in Milan Cortina and produced a dominant 5-0 preliminary victory over Canada, a result that only deepened the stakes ahead of the final.
Poulin's ice-cold clutch play and a new Olympic scoring benchmark
On the other bench is Marie-Philip Poulin, whose reputation for late-game heroics has become the stuff of legend. Poulin has the rare distinction of scoring the game-winning goal in each of her previous Olympic golds, and she has extended her personal legacy in these Games by becoming the first woman to reach 20 career Olympic goals. She moved past previous marks with her milestone in the semifinal and now stands alone at the summit of women's Olympic hockey scoring.
Canada enters the final as the defending champion, a group that has largely dominated its opponents en route to another title-game berth. Players on the roster describe their path as not always smooth but forged through fight and focus, with the collective aim set on repeating the gold-medal run that began in the prior Olympics.
History, form and what to watch Thursday evening ET
This matchup is more than individual storylines: it is the seventh Olympic gold-medal meeting between these two North American powers in eight Games, underscoring a rivalry that has determined every Olympic women's champion since the sport's introduction in 1998. Between them, Canada has taken five gold medals and the United States two, and both teams arrive with clear narratives — the Americans hungry for redemption and the Canadians defending the crown.
Key matchups and moments to watch include goaltending steadiness against high-end finishing, special teams execution, and how each team's leaders handle momentum swings. Poulin's proven ability to finish in the biggest moments will be tested by Knight's determination to script a fairytale ending. Depth players who have surfaced in Milan Cortina, plus the top-of-the-line scoring threats and blue-line contributors, could tilt the game in a single shift.
When the puck drops Thursday evening ET, the game will be both an international showcase and the culmination of four years of preparation for players on both sides. Expect a physical, fast, and emotionally charged contest that could add a fresh chapter to a rivalry already rich with Olympic lore.
