PWHL Notebook: Olympic Winter Games Edition, Feb. 18

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The Women’s Ice Hockey Tournament at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 will conclude on Thursday with 39 PWHL players competing for gold and six PWHL players in the bronze medal game. Below is a closer look at the action ahead.

THURSDAY’S FINAL SCHEDULE

GOLD MEDAL GAME, 1:10 P.M. ET: UNITED STATES VS. CANADA
BRONZE MEDAL GAME, 8:40 A.M. ET: SWITZERLAND VS. SWEDEN

CLICK HERE FOR OFFICIAL SCHEDULE AND BROADCAST DETAILS

ULTIMATE WATCH PARTIES BRING PWHL FANS CLOSER TO THE OLYMPIC ACTION

PWHL fans can watch their favorite Team Canada and Team USA players compete in the gold medal game at various watch parties hosted by PWHL teams.

CLICK HERE FOR WATCH PARTY DETAILS

OLYMPIC HISTORY

Thursday will be the seventh time in Olympic women’s ice hockey history where gold will be decided between Canada and the United States. The Canadians have won four of their five gold medals against the Americans, with the U.S. emerging victorious twice. Four of the six games have been decided by one goal, each by 3-2 scores, with one going to overtime and one to shootout. Sweden and Switzerland both have one bronze medal each, and they last went head-to-head in 2014. Here’s a closer look at the history of gold and bronze medal games at the Olympics.

BEIJING 2022

GOLD: CANADA (3) VS. UNITED STATES (2)

Montréal captain Marie-Philip Poulin scored her third Olympic gold medal game-winning goal and added two assists to lift Canada to a fifth Olympic gold triumph. Vancouver’s Sarah Nurse scored the opening goal and set an Olympic tournament record with 18 points, and Ottawa captain Brianne Jenner had the primary assist on the winning goal and earned Tournament MVP honors after tying the Olympic record for goals in a single tournament with nine. Victoire goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens made 38 saves, with one of the U.S. goals scored shorthanded by Seattle captain Hilary Knight.

BRONZE: FINLAND (4) VS. SWITZERLAND (0)

Boston’s Susanna Tapani and Vancouver’s Michelle Karvinen both scored goals, and Ottawa’s Ronja Savolainen picked up an assist to lead Finland to a second straight bronze medal.

PYEONGCHANG 2018

GOLD: UNITED STATES (3) VS. CANADA (2) SO

Minnesota’s Maddie Rooney made 29 saves and turned aside four of six shootout attempts to secure the second gold medal in U.S. Olympic women’s hockey history. Knight scored the first U.S. goal,l and Minnesota’s Kelly Pannek assisted on the game-tying tally late in the third period. Poulin and Haley Irwin, now an assistant coach with Ottawa, scored for Canada. Canadian Mélodie Daoust, who played the inaugural season with Montréal, earned MVP honors.

BRONZE: FINLAND (3) VS. OAR (2)

Tapani scored a goal and an assist, and Karvinen picked up a helper to secure the third of four all-time Olympic bronze medals for Finland.

SOCHI 2014

GOLD: CANADA (3) VS. UNITED STATES (2) OT

Poulin scored twice, including the overtime winner, to lead Canada to a fourth straight Olympic gold. Jenner scored in regulation, with U.S. goals tallied by Seattle’s Alex Carpenter and Meghan Duggan, PWHL Special Consultant to Hockey Operations. PWHL Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Jayna Hefford and Hayley Wickenheiser earned their fifth Olympic medals and, alongside Montréal Assistant Coach Caroline Ouellette, became the first hockey players to win four Olympic gold medals.

BRONZE: SWITZERLAND (4) VS. SWEDEN (3)

Boston’s Alina Müller recorded two points, including the winning goal,l to make history as the youngest player in women’s hockey history to win an Olympic medal at age 15. Goaltender Florence Schelling, co-host of the PWHL’s Jocks Next Gen podcast, earned Tournament MVP honors as Switzerland won its first-ever Olympic medal.

VANCOUVER 2010

GOLD: CANADA (2) VS. UNITED STATES (0)

Poulin, at age 18, capped her first of five Olympic appearances by scoring both of Canada’s goals in the first of what will be four straight gold medal matchups against the U.S. The only shutout in Olympic gold medal game history was recorded by Shannon Szabados, and MVP honors went to fellow Canadian Meghan Agosta, who led the tournament with 15 points in five games.

BRONZE: FINLAND (3) VS. SWEDEN (2) OT

Karvinen, also playing in her first of five Olympics for Finland, scored to earn her first of three career bronze medals.

TORINO 2006

GOLD: CANADA (4) VS. SWEDEN (1)

Hefford scored and set up Ouellette for the winning goal in the only Olympic gold medal game that has not featured both Canada and the United States. Vancouver Player Development Consultant Charline Labonté was the winning goaltender, and Wickenheiser earned her first of two consecutive MVP honors with 17 points in five games.

BRONZE: UNITED STATES (4) VS. FINLAND (0)

Katie (King) Crowley scored a hat-trick to lead the U.S. to its first and only bronze medal in Olympic history.

SALT LAKE 2002

GOLD: CANADA (3) VS. UNITED STATES (2)

Hefford scored the winning goal, assisted by PWHL Broadcast Analyst Becky Kellar, to secure Canada’s first Olympic gold. Ouellette scored Canada’s first goal, and Kim St-Pierre, Montréal Director of Business Operations, earned the win between the pipes.

BRONZE: SWEDEN (2) VS. FINLAND (1)

Evelina Samuelsson scored twice to secure Sweden’s first and only bronze medal in Olympic history.

NAGANO 1998

GOLD: UNITED STATES (3) VS. CANADA (1)

Sandra Whyte scored a goal and two assists to lead the U.S. to victory and a perfect 6-0 record in the first-ever Olympic women’s ice hockey tournament.

BRONZE: FINLAND (4) VS. CHINA (1)

Riikka Nieminen scored a goal and an assist for Finland and led the first-ever Olympic tournament in scoring with 12 points in six games. Tuula Puputti, Toronto Sceptres Director of Hockey Operations, earned the win in goal.

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