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USA-Canada women’s hockey draws 1.3 million viewers on CBC

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Rebecca Johnston #6 of Team Canada skates after the puck in the third period during the Group A Women's Preliminary Round ice hockey match between Team United States and Team Canada at Wukesong Sports Centre on February 08, 2022 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Fred Lee/Getty Images)

The preliminary round women’s ice hockey matchup between Canada and Team USA drew a record audience in Canada.

Monday’s game pulled a peak audience of 1.3 million, the largest late-night viewership for the CBC since the start of the Beijing Winter Olympics.

The Group A meeting was likely a gold-medal match preview, with Canada clinching the 4-2 victory in the first game between the two ice hockey powers.

The event was filled with drama, with Canadian goaltender Anne Renée-Desbiens recording 51 saves in the win, setting a Canadian record for saves in Olympic competition.

Monday’s spike in viewership comes as the Toronto Star reports a 25 percent drop in overall Canadian viewers from the 2018 Olympics.