The two powerhouses have dominated every Olympic tournament since the sport debuted in 1998.
MILAN, Ill. — Since the sport debuted at the Nagano Games in 1998, the two countries have combined to win every Olympic gold medal. The U.S. claimed the first title in 1998 and again in 2018 in Pyeongchang, while Canada captured four straight championships from 2002 to 2014 and reclaimed the top spot in Beijing in 2022.
The rivalry has produced some of the most dramatic finals in Olympic history:
“It’s an awesome rivalry. It’s so spicy out there,” U.S. forward Hilary Knight said.
American players say the loss in 2022 still stings. “The last always sucks. It stays with you for quite a while,” defenseman Lee Stecklein said. Forward Jesse Compher added, “When it ended in 2022, we all looked to 2026 and we knew what our goal was — we want to win a gold medal.”
Head coach John Wroblewski called the matchup “their Stanley Cup, an Olympics, and everything all wrapped up into one as far as dreams are concerned.”
The rivalry will resume in pool play on Feb. 10 in Milan. Before that, the U.S. opens against the Czech Republic on Feb. 5, while Canada faces Finland the same day.
In seven Olympic tournaments, supremacy in women’s hockey has been judged by gold — and history suggests the battle for the top of the podium will come down to these two teams once again.