Team USA wins gold over Canada in women’s hockey overtime thriller at the Winter Olympics

Team USA defeated Canada in a stunning 2-1 overtime comeback win at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games to take home their third Olympic gold medal in women’s ice hockey. 

After being down 1-0 headed into the third period, the U.S. tied things up late in the period and scored the game-winner in overtime to avenge their loss in the final match from four years ago. This was the seventh gold medal match, and fifth in a row, between the two hockey powerhouses. It was also the third U.S.-Canada showdown to go to overtime.

Team USA captain Hilary Knight prolonged her final game at the Olympics by sending it to overtime tied 1-all.

Knight deflected Laila Edwards’ shot past Ann-Renee Desbiens with 2:04 left in regulation and the U.S. skating 6 on 5 with goaltender Aerin Frankel pulled for an extra attacker. The goal was her 15th at the Olympics, the most in team history.

Canada had led since Kristin O’Neill scored short-handed less than a minute into the second period, ending the U.S. shutout streak at 352 minutes, 17 seconds. Desbiens and Frankel went save for save in a back-and-forth game that was far more competitive than the rivals’ first meeting in the preliminary round, when the U.S. routed Canada 5-0.

The Americans romped through the tournament, outscoring opponents 31-1.

The U.S. and Canada have met in all but one Olympic final — the 2006 Turin Games won by Canada — since women’s hockey made its debut at the 1998 Nagano Games. The loss gives Canada its third silver medal in the event.

Knight, 36, has already announced these will be her U.S.-record fifth and final Games, with a shot at adding a second gold medal to go with her three silvers. The game was played a day after Knight proposed to U.S. speedskater Brittany Bowe.

The defending Olympic champion Canadians had shown signs of age during a tournament in which they lost 5-0 to the Americans in the preliminary round, and eked into the final with a 2-1 win over Switzerland.

The loss to the Americans was the most lopsided and also the first time the Canadian women were shut out in Olympic play.

Canada had captain Marie-Philip Poulin back in the lineup after missing two games — including the loss to the U.S. — with a right knee injury.

Switzerland beat Sweden in overtime in the bronze medal game on another clutch goal by Alina Müller.