2026 Olympic Games: Canada leads U.S. 1-0 in women's gold-medal hockey game

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A curling update for you during the hockey intermission: It's Canada vs. Norway in the men's semifinal game. The winner moves on to the gold-medal game, the loser plays for bronze. 

The Canadians had the hammer to start. Here we go, folks.

That’s a great start to this game for Canada, who controlled the play for stretches of that first period. It’s probably the best first period this team has played in the tournament. Starting strong was a priority for this team.

We’ve talked about how the Canadians will have to grind out this game, and that’s what they’re doing so far.

Leading the team in ice time through the first was Fast, with nearly 10 minutes. As Canada’s top defender, they’ll be leaning on her a lot.

Twenty minutes gone and we're still 0-0.

But Canada will be down a player when they take to the ice in the second period, after defender Ella Shelton got a hooking call in the final minute of play. Shelton and U.S. Forward Britta Curl-Salemme were battling for the puck in Canada's zone. Shelton reached around with her stick, tripping up Curl-Salemme, who drew the penalty.

There will be 1:46 minutes remaining on this player advantage when the second period starts. 

I'm with the fans watching the women’s gold-medal game. Newly minted bronze-medallist ice dancer Piper Gilles just arrived at the Santagiulia arena to cheer on Canada.  

"The women are going to win the gold, I can feel it," said Gilles. 

Gilles has been taking in other competitions since her bronze-medal win with Paul Poirier last week. She was spotted at the speed-skating women’s pursuit, where Canada took gold.  

On the commitment of Canadian fans attending these games, she said it "means so much." 

While the gold-medal game doesn't appear to be sold out, you wouldn't know it from the competing cheers erupting from the stands.

In the crowd, there are plenty of flags, many jerseys bearing the name Poulin. I've counted at least two eagle heads from the U.S. Fans.

It's a major shift from Beijing 2022, when the stands were empty under pandemic protocols.

An early power play for the Canadians, after the Americans get caught with too many players on the ice.

Canada creates a couple of great chances, but we’re still scoreless here in the first.

A reminder: Poulin has scored seven goals in Olympic gold medal games, more than anyone else on the planet.

The women's game is now underway and we're scoreless after four minutes. The arena is packed with a mix of Canadian and U.S. Fans, with the latter chanting "U-S-A" from the stands.

We know this will be the last battle we will see between team captains Marie-Philip Poulin and Hilary Knight on the Olympic stage.

Knight has said this will be her final Olympics. Poulin has said she hasn't thought that far ahead yet, so we could very well see her at another Games.

It's the fifth Olympics we've gotten to watch this rivalry — and it's been one of the best.

It's unlikely the Canadians will be able to outscore the Americans in a final. They'll need to grind out the game, play aggressively and with belief.

Assistant captain Renata Fast said she felt her team has played "timid" against the Americans, letting the other team take control. This time, she promised, will be different.

"The team that shows up for the gold medal game will be a team that's going to be fearless and won't back down," Fast said.

The Canadian women's hockey team had its final practice yesterday before today's gold-medal game. Captain Marie-Philip Poulin talked about managing their time and space better against the U.S.

Poulin had to watch from the stands last time around. Not this time.

Assistant captain Renata Fast described it as the biggest game of her life. She said her team has heard the narrative about their seven straight losses to the U.S.

"It's just noise in the background," she said.

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