The US is one win away from gold, as the undefeated USA women's hockey team aims to top the Winter Olympics' podium for the third time when they take on rival Canada on Thursday afternoon.
The US enters Thursday's final on an historic tear, outscoring opponents 31-1 while pitching an Olympic-record shutout streak — including a dominant 5-0 win over Canada in pool play.
"I think we're all just playing together as a group, and that's our strength," said Team USA goaltender Aerin Frankel. "That makes us a pretty hard team to score on."
While the US hasn't won Olympic gold in the sport since 2018, tides have recently shifted, with Team USA besting its northern neighbor in a winning streak dating back to April's 2025 IIHF World Championship.
As for Canada, the defending Olympic champions overcame their group-stage loss to the US and battled through the 2026 knockouts by relying on captain and all-time leading scorer Marie-Philip Poulin, whose second-period brace secured their 2-1 semifinal win over Switzerland on Monday.
Despite dealing with a lower-body injury, Poulin is on track to lace up against USA captain Hilary Knight for the last time on Olympic ice, with the newly engaged Knight announcing that this year's Games will be her last.
How to watch USA Hockey vs Canada in the Olympic gold medal match
The puck drops on the gold medal match at 1:10 PM ET on Thursday, with live coverage airing on USA Network.
