What makes the USA-Canada women's ice hockey rivalry so special?
January 16, 2026 — Olympics.com by Grace Goulding LINK TO STORY
Since women’s ice hockey made its Olympic Winter Games debut at Nagano 1998, the gold medal has never left North American hands.
Every Olympic final bar one has featured the United States and Canada, the lone exception being Turin 2006, where Canada defeated Sweden. The IIHF World Championship records tell the same story, with 22 of the 23 finals contested between the powerhouse nations.
“You can feel it in the air,” two-time Team USA Olympian Kelly Pannek told Olympics.com in an exclusive interview, describing the intense atmosphere when the rivals meet. “The crowd feels it too. There’s just so much rich history. We’ve played each other so many times, nearly every gold medal game in Olympic and world championship history.”
For the players, the rivalry is deeply personal, as it is passed down from generation to generation.
“When you’re playing them [Canada], you want them to lose, and you want to be the one that beats them,” Pannek said. “We all want to add to that legacy. Only those of us who have played in those games really know what it feels like.”
As Milano Cortina 2026 draws ever near, the world’s best women’s ice hockey players are preparing for the next chapter in a story that shows no sign of ending, only deepening, in what many consider the greatest rivalry in the game.
The history of the women’s USA-Canada ice hockey rivalry
The story of the USA-Canada rivalry begins in Nagano 1998, when the U.S. team stunned their northern neighbours 3-1 to claim the first Olympic gold medal in the sport.
Canada answered in fierce fashion, winning the next four Olympic titles, with many of those finals decided by the finest of margins. Redemption eventually arrived for the USA at PyeongChang 2018, when they finally reclaimed the crown, only for Canada to wrest it back four years later at Beijing 2022.
Canadian defenceman Renata Fast believes that this closeness is what sets this rivalry apart. “These two countries have been flip-flopping back and forth on who wins, and they usually come down to one goal or overtime games,” she said.
Fast points to defining moments that still resonate, from Canada’s overtime triumph at Sochi 2014, to what she calls a “heartbreaking loss” in 2018, and the tight, emotionally charged IIHF World Championship tournament in Utica in 2024, where the Canadians were victorious.
“Even though being a part of it can be stressful, they are thrilling games for fans. I can see why it’s one of the best rivalries in all of sport.”
Canadian forward Emily Clark, who jokingly calls herself a “people pleaser”, admitting that it can feel strange lining up against teammates she spends most of the year alongside.
“You appreciate people’s skills when you get to play with them, but even more when you now have to compete against them,” she said. “Like, now I have to find a way to get around Renata Fast.”
Even in the heat of battle, those relationships sometimes peek through. “The amount of times that Blair Turnbull or me or Renata [Fast] cross-check each other, but we smile after, that’s what you do,” Clark added. “You want to push each other to be the best.”
Her story is echoed in an anecdote from Clark’s PWHL teammate, and Team USA goaltender Gwyneth Philips, who recalled a moment when Clark’s friendship shone through.
“In one of my first games with Team USA, I think Clarkie fell on top of me,” she said. “She looked at me, and kind of whispered, ‘I’m so sorry, I don’t mean to be doing this,’ haha.”
