The Women's Ice Hockey Tournament at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 concluded today with 41 PWHL players winning medals. Below is a recap of the results and notable performances.
MEDAL GAME RECAPS
GOLD: UNITED STATES (2) VS. CANADA (1) OT
Boston captain Megan Keller scored the golden goal at 4:07 of overtime to complete a thrilling comeback victory as the United States captured its third gold medal in Olympic women’s hockey history. The defender also earned a secondary assist on the historic game-tying tally by captain Hilary Knight of Seattle with just 2:04 remaining in regulation. Knight, playing in the final game of her fifth Olympics, set U.S. all-time records for goals and points with the marker. Minnesota forward Taylor Heise picked up the primary assist on the winning goal, and Fleet goaltender Aerin Frankel made 30 saves in her fifth tournament victory. Canada struck first on the scoreboard with a shorthanded goal 54 seconds into the middle frame by New York’s Kristin O’Neill, assisted by Montréal’s Laura Stacey and Toronto’s Renata Fast, for the first goal surrendered by the U.S. since the tournament’s opening game. Victoire goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens made 31 saves, limiting the Americans to just two goals after the high-powered offense had scored five or more in each of its first six games. Canada and the U.S. have now met seven times for gold in eight all-time Olympic tournaments, with five of those games decided by one goal and three going to extra time. The U.S. previously defeated Canada for Olympic gold in 2018 and 1998, with Canada winning gold in all five other tournaments. There are 39 PWHL players on the rosters for both teams, including 16 Americans and 23 Canadians.
BRONZE: SWITZERLAND (2) VS. SWEDEN (1) OT
Alina Müller was another Boston overtime hero today, scoring in the final minute of the extra frame to lead Switzerland to its second bronze medal in Olympic women’s hockey history. It was the 16th career Olympic goal scored by the Fleet alternate captain, whose first goal 12 years ago at age 15 was also the bronze-winning tally in a 4-3 victory over Sweden in Sochi. Also celebrating bronze from the PWHL is New York rookie defender Nicole Vallario who logged 22:41 of ice time and had one shot on goal in the contest. Sweden, with four PWHL players in the lineup, opened the tournament with five straight wins and outshot Switzerland 32-25 today in a push for their first Olympic medal since earning silver in 2006.
CLICK HERE FOR OFFICIAL OLYMPICS SCHEDULE AND RESULTS PAGE
AWARDS
Tournament Directorate Three Best Players
Best Forward: Marie-Philip Poulin (MTL), CAN
Best Defender: Caroline Harvey, USA
Best Goalkeeper: Andrea Brändli, SUI
Media All-Star Team
Forward: Hannah Bilka (SEA), USA
Forward: Marie-Philip Poulin (MTL), CAN
Forward: Alina Müller (BOS), SUI
Defender: Caroline Harvey, USA
Defender: Laila Edwards, USA
Goalkeeper: Andrea Brändli, SUI
Most Valuable Player
Caroline Harvey, USA
CLICK HERE FOR MORE FROM THE IIHF
RECORDS AND MILESTONES
- Knight (2 Gold, 3 Silver) and Poulin (3 Gold, 2 Silver) became just the third and fourth players in hockey history to earn five Olympic medals, joining Jayna Hefford, PWHL Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations, and Hayley Wickenheiser, who each won four gold and one silver.
- Knight scored her 15th career goal and 33rd career point to set U.S. Olympic records. She now ranks third in all-time points and tied for fifth in all-time goals and achieved the feat in her 29th career game which is tied for the most all-time alongside Michelle Karvinen (VAN) of Finland and Nicole Bullo of Switzerland.
- Poulin set a Canadian Olympic record by playing in her 27th career game, surpassing both Hefford and Wickenheiser. She finishes her fifth Olympics as the all-time leading goal scorer (20) and ranked second in all-time points (39) and earned her third Tournament All-Star recognition, previously honored in 2010 and 2022.
- Keller finished her third Olympics tied for the tournament lead with nine points, a total that is tied for the second highest by a defender in a single Olympic tournament. She is now tied with fellow American Angela Ruggiero for second all-time in points among defenders with 15, behind only Canadian Claire Thompson (VAN) with 17. Her 12 career assists are the most all-time by a U.S. defender and tied with Julie Chu for third among all U.S. women.
- Keller’s gold medal game overtime goal was the second in Olympic women’s hockey history following Poulin in 2014.
- Frankel tied Desbiens (2022) for the most wins in a single Olympic tournament with five after previously setting the single tournament record with three shutouts in her first Olympics.
- Frankel and Gwyneth Philips (OTT) combined to set an Olympic record shutout streak spanning 352:17.
- Desbiens ends her third Olympics tied for second in all-time wins with nine.
- Bilka earned All-Star honors in her first Olympics with seven points in seven games andfinished in a three-way tie with Müller for the tournament lead with four goals.
- Müller finishes her fourth Olympics rankedfourth all-time in goals (16), seventh in all-time points (29), tied for seventh in all-time games played (26), and is the only player in Olympic women’s hockey history to score two bronze medal-winning goals. This is her second Tournament All-Star recognition, previously earning the honor in 2018.
- Heise, Britta Curl-Salemme (MIN) and Grace Zumwinkle (MIN) expand the PWHL’s Triple Gold Club list to nine players who have won Olympic gold, World Championship gold, and the Walter Cup.
- Kendall Coyne Schofield (MIN), Kelly Pannek (MIN) and Lee Stecklein (MIN) hold the distinction as Double Triple Gold members, having won two of each title.
- Fifteen PWHL players won their first Olympic medals today, bringing the league’s total to 58 current PWHL players who have now collectively won 118 Olympic medals: 53 Gold, 55 Silver, 10 Bronze.
- The PWHL’s 61 Olympians combined to score 65 goals, 160 points, 16 wins and seven shutouts in Italy.
- Among the 15 members of the PWHL Officiating Team at the Olympics, Kelly Cooke (USA) and Cianna Murray (CAN) served as referees in the gold medal game. Referee Elizabeth Mantha (CAN) and linespersons Alexandra Clarke (CAN) and Justine Todd (CAN) represented the PWHL in the bronze medal game.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...
- The Athletic - USA takes Olympic gold in women’s hockey, defeating Canada in OT to cap dominant run
- Reuters - It's Muller time as Swiss reclaim women's ice hockey bronze 12 years on
- The Boston Globe - US-Canada gold medal game might be the biggest moment in women’s hockey history. Where will the sport go from here?
- NBC Olympics - Hilary Knight sets record for most Olympic goals and points for Team USA women's hockey
- Global News - Canada loses to U.S. in Olympics women’s hockey final
JOCKS IN JILLS
Tessa and Julia were on-site at Milano Santagiulia IHO Arena for today’s medal games, where both the gold and bronze were decided in thrilling overtime fashion. Watch the final Jocks in Jills live reaction show from Milano Cortina 2026 on the PWHL YouTube Channel. The episode provides extensive analysis of Thursday’s games, in addition to the tournament’s top storylines, including record-breaking performances, overtime heroes Alina Müller for Switzerland and Megan Keller for the U.S., future PWHL stars, and another instant classic between Canada and the USA.