If there is one word to describe the men’s and women’s hockey tournaments at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, that word would have to be inevitable. The United States and Canada squared off for the gold medal in both tournaments, reaffirming to the world that hockey excellence belong to North America.
Outside of the juggernaut showdowns, however, the tournament was filled with special storylines. On the men’s side, the world was treated to both the return of NHL players and the emergence of the world’s next wonder boy in Macklin Celebrini. On the women’s side, the show belonged to the sports’ titans—players like Hilary Knight, who dazzled in her final game in a USA jersey—and showed strong futures for programs across the world.
Hilary Knight leads Team USA to gold in women’s Olympic hockey
MEDALISTS:
- United States 🥇
- Canada 🥈
- Switzerland🥉
From the moment the first puck dropped in the women's hockey tournament, all roads were leading to the same place: a titanic showdown between the two perennial powerhouses in women's hockey. It was the fifth consecutive Olympic Games where the United States and Canada met in the gold medal final; three of the past four times, Canada had taken the crown (the United States won back in PyeongChang in 2018).
For four years, the United States had carried the sting of its defeat in Beijing, and it showed. The Americans entered the competition dialed in, playing a nearly flawless tournament and dismantling opponents left, right and center all the way up to the final. In six games, Team USA held a goal differential of 31:1, which included a stunning 5-0 shutout of Canada in the group stage. Goalkeeper Aerin Frankel was absolute, boasting a save percentage of .979. She was also backed by a trio of point scoring, dynamic defenders in Megan Keller (9 points), Caroline Harvey (9 points) and Laila Edwards (8 points).
Then came the final against Canada, where the U.S. struggled to match Canada's tempo for much of the match. With just 2:23 left in the game, the United States pulled Frankel off the ice, trailing 2-1 and facing impending defeat. Then, with 2:04 left on the clock, Captain America delivered. Knight scored the game tying goal and, in the process, broke the record for most Olympic goals AND points for Team USA women's hockey. All of a sudden, the game was entering sudden death. In overtime, Keller delivered, nailing the game-winner and sealing redemption for the U.S.
It was a true passing of the torch for the Americans: with Knight officially taking her final bow in international play, the future looks bright for Team USA's young squad.
For the Canadians, it is a true statement to their consistency that taking silver is considered falling short. Marie-Philip Poulin was resolute despite missing time to injury, casually breaking the record for most goals in Olympic women's hockey history. Meanwhile, Daryl Watts stood out with a team high eight points throughout the tournament.
Outside of the United States and Canada, a lot of teams showed promise going forward. Bronze medalists Switzerland and 4th place Sweden both impressed, with stars like Alina Muller (SUI) and Thea Johansson (SWE) proving formidable. No one impressed more than the Italians, however: ranked the lowest off all the teams entering the Games, Italy fought their way into the quarterfinals in their best ever Olympic showing.
With the PWHL growing and the number of international players rising in NCAA women's hockey, the 2030 Olympic Games will surely be a tournament to watch. Time to mark your calendars: the future of women's hockey is here.
USA stamps victory over Canada in brand new 'Miracle on Ice'
MEDALISTS:
- United States 🥇
- Canada 🥈
- Finland🥉
The return of NHL players to the Olympic Games did not disappoint. From the get-go, it was clearly going to be a tight tournament. The quarterfinals proved it, with three of four match-ups being decided in overtime. If that didn't provide enough excitement, the men went and matched the women, taking the gold medal final straight to overtime.
The United States came into the tournament with a lot of expectations, and went straight to work to meet them. The Americans went undefeated in group stage play, defeating Latvia, Denmark and Germany by a total margin of 16-5. However, after losing the top seed in the playoff round to Canada, the U.S. faced its first real test in the quarterfinal, taking on a talented Swedish team. It took 63 minutes, 27 seconds and one stunning overtime goal from Quinn Hughes for the U.S. to move on.
In the finals, however, the U.S. had one goal in mind: unseating a Canadian team boasting an all-time collection of talent, one that had dominated score lines and headlines throughout the two week competition. With neither team reaching the podium in Beijing (and the memory of the 3-2 overtime defeat in the Vancouver 2010 gold medal final) the United States would accept nothing less than revenge.
Carried by the electric play of goalie Connor Hellebuyck with 41 saves (and a tournament leading average save percentage of 95.62 percent) plus a defense that made a 5-3 penalty kill look easy, the U.S. stifled the Canadian offense. With a stunning goal from Matt Brody, the gold medal seemed all but secured. However, an equalizer from Cale Makar complicated things, and for the second time at these Olympics, the hockey gold medal was going to sudden death. One more time, the United States leaned on the Hughes brothers: this time, the golden goal belonged to Jack Hughes. Just like that, for the first time since the "Miracle on Ice" in Lake Placid, the gold medal was returning stateside.
For silver medalist Canada, it was a slightly shaky tournament that stood out against the pre-tournament hype. Despite taking the top seed in group stage play, the Canadians failed to win an elimination game in regular time. They played three consecutive overtime matches: once against Czechia in the quarterfinals, another against 2022 Beijing gold medalists Finland in the semis, and then against Team USA in the final. Eventually, their luck ran out.
However, there is a lot to look forward to in Canadian hockey. The brightest spot for the team in the tournament had to be Celebrini: the 19-year-old superstar for the San Jose Sharks was brilliant on the biggest stage, posting a whopping 10 points (second only to Canadian teammate Connor McDavid) and more than proving himself as the (eventual) heir apparent to Sidney Crosby's throne. With an injury keeping Crosby out of both the semifinal and final matches, the team seems like it will be highly competitive for a long time to come.