USA Women’s Hockey Captures Olympic Gold at Milan-Cortina 2026
Team USA has won Olympic gold in women’s hockey at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Games, defeating Canada 2–1 in overtime on February 20, 2026, in Milan, Italy. The victory reclaims the top of the podium for the Americans after Canada had won gold at the 2022 Beijing Games—the U.S. women’s first gold since 2018 at PyeongChang—and the rivalry remains the fiercest in the sport.
The Final: USA 2, Canada 1 (OT)
Canada took a 1–0 lead early in the second period. The U.S. trailed until Hilary Knight tied it 1–1 with 2:04 left in the third, deflecting a shot from Laila Edwards past Canadian goaltender Ann-Renee Desbiens. Megan Keller scored the gold-medal winner just over four minutes into 3-on-3 overtime to seal the 2–1 victory. Aerin Frankel backstopped Team USA and was named the tournament’s best goaltender by the IIHF. Knight, in her fifth Olympics, set an Olympic record with 15 goals in the tournament—the most by any U.S. man or woman at a single Olympics. The Americans went undefeated through the tournament, winning all seven games.
The Road to Gold
The U.S. topped its group with wins over Switzerland, Finland, and Czechia, then beat Sweden in the semifinals to advance to the final. Canada cruised through its group and defeated Germany in the semis. The final was played in front of a loud, capacity crowd in Milan, with the women’s tournament having started February 5—before the men’s—and building momentum through the two weeks.
Why It Matters
Women’s hockey at the Olympics has been defined by the USA–Canada rivalry for decades. The Americans won gold in 2018 at PyeongChang, then Canada took it back in 2022 at Beijing. The 2026 title puts the U.S. back on top and reinforces the depth and talent in the American program. For veterans like Knight, it is a crowning achievement; for younger stars like Heise and Frankel, it is the first of what many hope will be multiple Olympic appearances.
What It Means for AthX
Olympic and international results don’t drive AthX pricing—we focus on MLB (and soon NHL) league play for dynamic pricing and dividends. But the visibility of women’s hockey on the world stage matters for the sport’s growth; when we expand our hockey coverage, the stars of this gold-medal team will be part of the story. For now, browse the marketplace to trade MLB player shares and get ready for more sports to come. Browse the marketplace to see the players you can trade today. *Sources: NPR – In thrilling comeback, U.S. women take home Olympic hockey gold over Canada (Feb 20, 2026); CBS News – Team USA wins gold over Canada in women’s hockey overtime thriller (Feb 20, 2026); NHL.com – United States rallies late, tops Canada in OT for women’s Olympic gold (Feb 19–20, 2026); Reuters – United States beat Canada in overtime for women’s ice hockey gold. Fact-checked February 20, 2026.*