MILAN — It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for: USA women’s hockey vs. Canada in the gold-medal game of the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The Americans and Canadians have clashed in six of the seven Olympic gold-medal matches since women’s hockey made its Olympic debut in 1998. Canada has walked away with the gold five times, compared to only two for Team USA, but the red, white and blue have an advantage heading into the final Thursday, Feb. 19.
The U.S. women have won seven consecutive games against Canada, dating back to the 2025 IIHF Women’s World Championship, where the Americans won 4-3 in overtime. Team USA swept Canada in the 2025 Rivalry Series for the first time in tournament history and shut out Canada 5-0 during the preliminary round, marking the first time the Canadian women haven’t got on the score sheet in Olympic history.
Canadian captain Marie-Philip Poulin wasn’t in the lineup for the Feb. 10 preliminary matchup due to injury, but will look to lead Canada to another gold medal. Poulin is up to 20 career Olympic goals, surpassing fellow Canadian Hayley Wickenheiser’s previous all-time Olympic goal-scoring record of 18 goals.
Five-time U.S. Olympian Hilary Knight is on the brink of history herself. She’s one point and one goal away from setting two U.S. Olympic records: most goals and most points. Knight said she’s looking forward to facing off against Poulin at the Games one more time after previously announcing her retirement from Olympic competition.
‘You have two great players duelling it out on the world stage. One is from Canada and one is from America,’ said Knight, who recently proposed to girlfriend, U.S. speed skater Brittany Bowe. Poulin added, ‘I have played against (Knight) my whole career. It is always a battle. Both of us are hungry. We want it again.’
USA TODAY Sports is in Milan for the 2026 Winter Olympics and will provide live coverage of the bronze medal match. Here’s what you need to know:
Stream the 2026 Winter Olympics on Peacock
What time is USA women’s hockey vs. Canada today?
Date: Thursday, Feb. 19
Time: 1:10 p.m. ET (7:10 p.m. local)
Location: Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena (Milan)
Puck drop between the U.S. women’s hockey team and Canada is set for 1:10 p.m. ET on Thursday, Feb. 19 from Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan.
Where to watch USA women’s hockey vs Canada gold-medal game
TV channel: USA Network
Streaming options: NBCOlympics.com | NBC Olympic App | Peacock
USA Network will broadcast Thursday’s gold-medal game between U.S. women’s and Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Is there a live stream of the Olympic women’s gold medal game?
Streaming options for the game include NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Olympic App (with a cable TV or satellite login). You can also stream the game on Peacock, NBC’s subscription streaming service.
Reach USA TODAY National Women’s Sports Reporter Cydney Henderson at chenderson@gannett.com and follow her on X at @CydHenderson.
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