U.S. Women’s Hockey Dominates Canada at Milan Cortina Olympics.

The United States women’s hockey team delivered a commanding performance Tuesday night at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, shutting out Canada 5–0 in a highly anticipated preliminary-round matchup. The decisive victory positioned the Americans as the top seed entering the knockout stage and reinforced their status as the tournament’s gold-medal favorites. The game’s turning point came late in the first period when Abbey Murphy showcased her creativity and vision. Fighting off defensive pressure in the corner, Murphy executed a no-look, behind-the-back pass to Hannah Bilka, who finished the play with an uncontested goal. Murphy finished the night with three assists, leading a deep and relentless U.S. attack that overwhelmed the Canadian defense. Canada struggled offensively, in large part due to the absence of team captain Marie-Philip Poulin, who was sidelined with a lower-body injury. Without their veteran leader, the Canadians failed to generate sustained scoring chances and lacked cohesion on the power play. In contrast, the United States consistently applied pressure across all lines, particularly from its second unit, which proved decisive. The win secured the No. 1 seed for the United States and set up a quarterfinal matchup against host nation Italy. Given that the Americans outscored their group-stage opponents by a combined 20–1 margin, the upcoming contest is widely expected to be lopsided. Italy ranks well below the tournament’s elite teams in the IIHF world standings.

Historically, women’s international hockey has been dominated by the United States and Canada, with the two nations claiming every Olympic gold medal since the sport’s introduction. While Canada holds a slight edge in total Olympic titles, recent results favor the Americans. The U.S. defeated Canada in overtime at the most recent world championships and swept all four Rivalry Series games earlier this season. Tuesday’s result underscored that momentum. Even if Poulin returns for a potential rematch in the gold-medal game, Canada faces a steep challenge against a U.S. team that appears faster, deeper, and more dangerous on both ends of the ice.