The United States claimed gold in the women's ice hockey final, defeating rival Canada in a match that drew heightened attention amid ongoing trade tensions between the two nations.
The US women's ice hockey team secured a 2-1 overtime victory against Canada at the Santa Giulia Arena in Milan, Italy, on February 20 (Korea time) in the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics women's ice hockey final. The Americans reclaimed the top spot after an eight-year wait.
The US had dominated the tournament through the semifinals, winning all six games with 31 goals scored and just one allowed. However, they fell behind early in the second period when Kristin O'Neill put Canada ahead. With just over two minutes remaining in the third period, captain Hilary Knight scored the equalizer to force overtime. Megan Keller then sealed the comeback with the winning goal 4 minutes and 7 seconds into extra time.
The women's final showdown between ice hockey powerhouses the US and Canada has occurred in eight consecutive Winter Olympics spanning 24 years, since the sport became an official event at the 1998 Nagano Games. With this victory, the US reclaims gold for the first time since PyeongChang 2018. Prior to this match, the Americans had won only two of seven finals—at Nagano and PyeongChang—trailing Canada 2-5. This win narrows the overall record to 3-5.
Ice hockey, often called "the flower of the Winter Olympics," has captured global attention at these Games. The US-Canada matchup drew particular interest as the two nations remain locked in political and economic disputes over tariffs and other issues, lending the clash between the sport's dominant powers an air of proxy warfare.
While the men's tournament commands the most attention, the women's final was held first, with the US striking the opening blow. In the men's bracket, the winners of the US-Slovakia and Canada-Finland semifinals will meet in the final. Should both the US and Canada advance, Canada would have a chance to avenge the women's defeat. The gold medal game is scheduled for 10:10 PM on February 22.