MILAN (AP) 鈥� Kelly Pannek couldn鈥檛 stop laughing, watching on TV when all heck broke loose during the a year ago.
Three fights breaking out in the opening seconds led the U.S. national women鈥檚 team forward to reflect on how intense the border hockey rivalry has always been.
鈥淥h, I was cracking up,鈥� Pannek said. 鈥淚t was so funny, because you鈥檙e like, 鈥榊ep, welcome, world, to what this looks like.鈥樷��
Though the men鈥檚 side has had its moments, the tensions and animosity 鈥� and level of respect 鈥� have been far more evident in the women鈥檚 game in what stands as one of the .
So get ready for the next installment Tuesday when defending Olympic champion Canada faces off against the United States in the preliminary round of the .
鈥淚t鈥檚 gold or bust,鈥� U.S. forward Kendall Coyne Schofield said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the stake. That鈥檚 the bar that we鈥檝e set as a program. Anything less than a gold medal is a failure.鈥�
The same holds true up north.
鈥淭here鈥檚 so much pride that comes with representing Team Canada that I don鈥檛 think you fully understand until you鈥檙e wearing that jersey on the bench and you鈥檙e ready to go,鈥� Canadian forward Blayre Turnbull said.
鈥淓specially against Team USA, our biggest rivals. So it鈥檚,鈥� Turnbull said, before a long pause, 鈥渋t鈥檚 fun.鈥�
Fun is one way of putting it.
Fights have broken out on various occasions. Many tears have been shed 鈥� joyous ones for the winners and heartbreak for the losers. It鈥檚 a feud that took off when the U.S. beat Canada to win gold at the 1998 Nagano Games, the first to feature women鈥檚 hockey.
Over that span, the nations have met a combined 48 times on the international stage, including world championship competition. Canada holds the edge with five Olympic and 13 world titles, to the Americans’ two and 11.
A better indication of how tight the series has been is Canada鈥檚 25-23 record, and having outscored the Americans by a combined margin of 135-133.
Uncertainty suddenly hovers over the game with after she limped off the ice and did not return for the final two periods of a 5-1 win over Czechia. Coach Troy Ryan had no immediate update on Poulin’s injury, and wasn’t sure if she would be available to play Tuesday.
. They鈥檙e the defending world champions after in overtime in April. And the U.S. has won six straight meetings, including a four-game sweep in the nations鈥� exhibition Rivalry Series in November and December.
Though series results aren鈥檛 generally an indicator of how the two global powers fare once a gold medal is on the line, the results raised eyebrows over a potential shift in power favoring the Americans.
The U.S. outscored Canada 24-7, which marked the most goals the Canadian women have ever allowed in international play.
The U.S. features a skilled and speedy team with a veteran leadership core, led by captain Hilary Knight, and collection of talented youth, with seven players still in college.
Canada鈥檚 roster is more experienced, returning 16 players from the team that by winning all seven games and outscoring its opposition 57-10.
The Canadians are fine with not being favored.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think there鈥檚 anything bad about being an underdog and proving yourself,鈥� forward Natalie Spooner said.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think we鈥檙e thinking too much about those Rivalry Series and the outcome,鈥� she added. 鈥淏ut I do think, obviously, when it comes down to a gold medal you鈥檙e going to play with a chip on your shoulder either way.鈥�
The Americans are not buying into the hype.
鈥淗onestly, it鈥檚 not something our team talks about,鈥� defender Megan Keller said. 鈥淭he goal for us is to bring home a gold medal, and it doesn鈥檛 matter who鈥檚 in our way.鈥�
One twist this year is the U.S.-Canada matchup not being the preliminary round-closing game for both teams, as has traditionally happened in past international play.
The U.S., which is 3-0 after beating Switzerland on Monday, will complete its four-game schedule against Canada.
The Canadians are a game behind after their tournament opener against after the Finns roster was depleted by a stomach virus. Canada over Switzerland and its game against Finland is set for Thursday, a day before the quarterfinals open.
No big deal, Canadian defender Renata Fast said.
鈥淭he Olympics is all about just going with the flow, adjusting to things,鈥� Fast said.
鈥淭here鈥檚 always hiccups here and there. And I think the team that鈥檚 willing to be adaptable to changes, has success,鈥� she added. 鈥淓very game鈥檚 important. And that U.S. game is always circled on our calendar. But we鈥檒l take it day by day.鈥�
___
AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno contributed.
___
AP Winter Olympic:
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
