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The Athletic has live coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics
Nobody should need extra reasons to watch the women’s hockey tournament at the Olympics. High stakes, incredible talent and one of the very best rivalries in sports speak for themselves. That’s been true since 1998.
The 2026 Winter Games in Milan, though, bring a welcome new wrinkle; it’s the first tournament to be played since the advent of the Professional Women’s Hockey League.
For most of us, that means added familiarity with the names, faces and abilities of the players involved. That’s particularly helpful at the moment, as The Athletic staff makes its picks and predictions, along with some added commentary from writers Sean Gentille, Shayna Goldman, Mark Lazerus, Michael Russo and Hailey Salvian.
Lazerus: The current format of the women’s tournament is frustrating and kind of unfair to a team such as Sweden, which probably belongs with the contenders. But at the same time, the guarantee of a U.S.-Canada group-stage match almost makes it worth it. An amuse-bouche before the full meal.
Salvian: Typically, that group-stage treat is what clinches the top seed for Canada or the U.S. Team USA won the preliminary round match at the last two Women’s World Championship tournaments. It’s a fair bet to assume they’ll get this one too.
Russo: Who didn’t watch the U.S. smoke Canada in the Rivalry Series and picked Canada?
Goldman: This is probably the easiest answer of the bunch, because Group B includes Germany, France, Italy and Japan. So yeah, if Sweden doesn’t win its group, it has a bit of a problem!
Lazerus: No pressure, Sweden.
Salvian: I fear we’ve given Sandra Abstreiter (Germany’s goalie) bulletin-board material.
Lazerus: The United States has been so dominant in this rivalry lately, but it still feels like a coin flip every time these two teams meet. I’m tempted to put my jingoist hat on and say the U.S. will roll, but I can’t bring myself to do it. Feels like a sucker’s bet, like Canada’s been lulling the Americans into a false sense of security. Ann-Renée Desbiens is the great equalizer.
Salvian: This year is giving me strong 2002 vibes. The Americans are the better team, but Canada pulls out the win when it matters most. Maybe Hayley Wickenheiser will come out of retirement for another iconic rinkside interview. Even still, I believe that having the best player on the planet (Marie-Philip Poulin, duh) and the best goalie could be enough to get it done for Canada.
Russo: Hailey’s final thought will no doubt be what John Wroblewski warns his team about. He often brings up that Poulin is still the best player on the planet and will argue instantly if somebody insinuates she’s slowing down. Wroblewski also doesn’t want his team to get a false sense of security after four fairly lopsided Rivalry Series performances against Canada. But the United States is younger, faster and, in my eyes, deeper, and also has plenty of Olympic experience across its roster.
Salvian: Listen, I stand by Sweden as a dark horse to get on the podium, but one of our sweet colleagues believes they will not only upset one of Finland or Czechia in the quarterfinals and beat Canada or the U.S. in the semis? I don’t think I can support this at this time. Not unless Emma Söderberg has the best tournament by a goalie ever.
Goldman: I will only accept Czechia as the disruptor with the power to do that, or maybe Finland. If Sweden can somehow pull that off, I would be legitimately shocked. I think this is where we see one of the biggest gaps between the men’s and women’s teams, because while we all know Sweden is pretty much always in the mix for the men … the women’s side is still rebuilding back up to get back into the medal picture.
Goldman: I’m (clearly) all in on Czechia, but you can never count out Finland — there is too much established there and some up-and-comers such as Nelli Laitinen, ready to make an impact.
Salvian: The love for Sweden is fun, but again, it is probably misguided. Finland and Czechia are the bronze medal favorites here. Czechia got the most love in our recent player poll, but I might be team Finland. The team's firepower with Susanna Tapani, Michelle Karvinen and Petra Nieminen at the top of the lineup is formidable and defender Ronja Savolainen seems like a nightmare to play against.
Salvian: Don’t underestimate Czechia here, folks. It opened the scoring against Team USA in the women’s worlds semifinals in April and only lost 2-1. We also have Kristýna Kaltounková telling reporters, “I’m getting tired of reading the headlines of Canada versus USA for gold.” The team is not here to just get on the podium. It is pushing for an upset and won’t be an easy out in Milan.
Goldman: After Team Canada got absolutely caved in the Rivalry Series games, I literally cannot see them losing in the prelims to Team USA — this is their moment to show that the series, ultimately, doesn’t matter all that much and they still have it when it counts.
Salvian: I see them losing in the prelims — because who cares — and winning the gold medal.
Salvian: If Canada wins the 2026 Olympics — which I’ve bravely predicted here — it will be because Desbiens stood on her head. Canada is not going to score as much as it did when the team broke records in 2022, so it is going to have to defend well and keep pucks out of the net. Desbiens has been the best in the world at that for a while now, and she’s peaking at the right time. In January in the PWHL, she had a .957 save percentage and 0.99 goals-against average. She’s also 4-0 at the Olympics. What’s working against her is that we usually vote for major awards in the middle of the third period when the game is still tied 1-1 or something stressful, and all the media members just pick the person with the most points in the tournament. But that’s a rant for another day.
Russo: I’m bullish over Abbey Murphy and feel the entire world is about to realize just how dynamic she is. Besides being an extreme competitor, she’s incredibly skilled, as evidenced by her incredible assist for the University of Minnesota earlier this season against Minnesota State. She has exceptional chemistry with Taylor Heise and tied for the team lead in the Rivalry Series with five goals, including a hat trick in the opening game in Cleveland, and finished second with eight points. She’s a special game-breaker.
What You Should Read Next
Olympic hockey bold predictions: Jordan Binnington’s excellence, USA’s medal hopes and more
With puck drop around the corner, The Athletic asked its hockey staff for their bold predictions for the Milan Cortina Olympics.
Goldman: I’ve learned far too many times not to count out Poulin, ever. She is still the greatest, most clutch player of all time. And while USA-Canada games are generally tighter scoring at the Olympics (I mean, how many times have we seen a 3-2 finish?), I actually think all the firepower on both sides of the matchup is going to lead to a higher-scoring game and take some emphasis away from the goalies in voting.
Lazerus: Picking the best player ever who always wins MVP awards — really going out on a limb there, Shayna! If Canada wins, it’ll be because of Desbiens. (I still don’t think Canada will win. At least, I think I still don’t think Canada will win.)
Gentille: We haven’t seen peak-form Alex Carpenter for Seattle this season, but she’s still one of the best finishers on the planet. It’s very easy to imagine her scoring a ton of goals during a gold medal run. I’m betting on it to happen, in fact.
Lazerus: So you’re saying Team USA has some offensive firepower, eh?
Salvian: That there are five legitimate options from Team USA is scary. Hilary Knight, in her fifth and final Olympics, feels like a safe (narratively-driven) choice. But perhaps we’ve all grossly underestimated Poulin — the actual points leader at the last international competition.
Goldman: It’s Abbey Murphy szn. She has been so electric this season with 61 points (!) in 26 games with the University of Minnesota and absolutely crushed it in the Rivalry Series. It would be one thing if this were her Olympic debut — asking her to jump in and become the leading scorer would be a tall ask with so many elite offensive talents on Team USA and across the way for Canada. But she got some Olympic seasoning back in 2022, so this could be a true breakout moment on the global stage.
Russo: Heise’s beyond excited for her first Olympics, and the first-ever PWHL draft pick and winner of two Walter Cup titles is as good a shooter as she is a playmaker. The 2022 Patty Kazmaier Award winner and incredibly decorated American (five gold medals since 2016) should dominate this tournament.
Salvian: I feel like I already explained myself here well. But I can also add that Desbiens is 6-1 in January with two shutouts, in case you weren’t sold yet.
Goldman: What works in Desbiens’ favor is that she is unquestionably Canada’s No. 1, when USA could share the net between Aerin Frankel and Gwyneth Philips a bit more. But I just feel like this is such a moment for Frankel, who somehow wasn’t on the 2022 squad; pair that with her play in Boston so far this season, and it feels like a real opportunity to show what she can do at this level.
Gentille: Frankel has, over the past two-plus seasons, dragged the Fleet to too many wins to ignore. Philips feels like an upside pick, but at 25, she’s barely a year younger than Frankel. (This is me in full homer mode.)
Salvian: Not a single person in the PWHL has more goals than Kaltounková heading into her first Olympics. She’s got a legit shot, great size and already led Czechia in scoring at a major international tournament once. This tournament could be a big moment for "Kalty." That said, I will give Gentille props for his Nieminen pick. He knows ball.
Goldman: Really glad that Sean went with Nieminen here, because I was really torn on this one. Nieminen has such elite puck skills and is such a smart player; if we see Finland medal, she is going to be a big reason why. But Kaltounková has a lot of momentum coming into this tournament and is a rising star, both in the PWHL and on the international stage.
Gentille: I’ve got all the validation I require.
Lazerus: The first Olympics in the PWHL era is a huge opportunity for the women’s game to mint some new household names, spurring further interest in both the pro league and international hockey. This is especially true for the European players, who can really make a name for themselves in this tournament and bring that added cachet back to the PWHL. Feels like a star turn for Kaltounková on the global stage is inevitable.
Lazerus: The current format of the women’s tournament is frustrating and kind of unfair to a team such as Sweden, which probably belongs with the contenders. But at the same time, the guarantee of a U.S.-Canada group-stage match almost makes it worth it. An amuse-bouche before the full meal.
Salvian: Typically, that group-stage treat is what clinches the top seed for Canada or the U.S. Team USA won the preliminary round match at the last two Women’s World Championship tournaments. It’s a fair bet to assume they’ll get this one too.
Russo: Who didn’t watch the U.S. smoke Canada in the Rivalry Series and picked Canada?
Goldman: This is probably the easiest answer of the bunch, because Group B includes Germany, France, Italy and Japan. So yeah, if Sweden doesn’t win its group, it has a bit of a problem!
Lazerus: No pressure, Sweden.
Salvian: I fear we’ve given Sandra Abstreiter (Germany’s goalie) bulletin-board material.
Lazerus: The United States has been so dominant in this rivalry lately, but it still feels like a coin flip every time these two teams meet. I’m tempted to put my jingoist hat on and say the U.S. will roll, but I can’t bring myself to do it. Feels like a sucker’s bet, like Canada’s been lulling the Americans into a false sense of security. Ann-Renée Desbiens is the great equalizer.
Salvian: This year is giving me strong 2002 vibes. The Americans are the better team, but Canada pulls out the win when it matters most. Maybe Hayley Wickenheiser will come out of retirement for another iconic rinkside interview. Even still, I believe that having the best player on the planet (Marie-Philip Poulin, duh) and the best goalie could be enough to get it done for Canada.
Russo: Hailey’s final thought will no doubt be what John Wroblewski warns his team about. He often brings up that Poulin is still the best player on the planet and will argue instantly if somebody insinuates she’s slowing down. Wroblewski also doesn’t want his team to get a false sense of security after four fairly lopsided Rivalry Series performances against Canada. But the United States is younger, faster and, in my eyes, deeper, and also has plenty of Olympic experience across its roster.
Salvian: Listen, I stand by Sweden as a dark horse to get on the podium, but one of our sweet colleagues believes they will not only upset one of Finland or Czechia in the quarterfinals and beat Canada or the U.S. in the semis? I don’t think I can support this at this time. Not unless Emma Söderberg has the best tournament by a goalie ever.
Goldman: I will only accept Czechia as the disruptor with the power to do that, or maybe Finland. If Sweden can somehow pull that off, I would be legitimately shocked. I think this is where we see one of the biggest gaps between the men’s and women’s teams, because while we all know Sweden is pretty much always in the mix for the men … the women’s side is still rebuilding back up to get back into the medal picture.
Goldman: I’m (clearly) all in on Czechia, but you can never count out Finland — there is too much established there and some up-and-comers such as Nelli Laitinen, ready to make an impact.
Salvian: The love for Sweden is fun, but again, it is probably misguided. Finland and Czechia are the bronze medal favorites here. Czechia got the most love in our recent player poll, but I might be team Finland. The team's firepower with Susanna Tapani, Michelle Karvinen and Petra Nieminen at the top of the lineup is formidable and defender Ronja Savolainen seems like a nightmare to play against.
Salvian: Don’t underestimate Czechia here, folks. It opened the scoring against Team USA in the women’s worlds semifinals in April and only lost 2-1. We also have Kristýna Kaltounková telling reporters, “I’m getting tired of reading the headlines of Canada versus USA for gold.” The team is not here to just get on the podium. It is pushing for an upset and won’t be an easy out in Milan.
Goldman: After Team Canada got absolutely caved in the Rivalry Series games, I literally cannot see them losing in the prelims to Team USA — this is their moment to show that the series, ultimately, doesn’t matter all that much and they still have it when it counts.
Salvian: I see them losing in the prelims — because who cares — and winning the gold medal.
Salvian: If Canada wins the 2026 Olympics — which I’ve bravely predicted here — it will be because Desbiens stood on her head. Canada is not going to score as much as it did when the team broke records in 2022, so it is going to have to defend well and keep pucks out of the net. Desbiens has been the best in the world at that for a while now, and she’s peaking at the right time. In January in the PWHL, she had a .957 save percentage and 0.99 goals-against average. She’s also 4-0 at the Olympics. What’s working against her is that we usually vote for major awards in the middle of the third period when the game is still tied 1-1 or something stressful, and all the media members just pick the person with the most points in the tournament. But that’s a rant for another day.
Russo: I’m bullish over Abbey Murphy and feel the entire world is about to realize just how dynamic she is. Besides being an extreme competitor, she’s incredibly skilled, as evidenced by her incredible assist for the University of Minnesota earlier this season against Minnesota State. She has exceptional chemistry with Taylor Heise and tied for the team lead in the Rivalry Series with five goals, including a hat trick in the opening game in Cleveland, and finished second with eight points. She’s a special game-breaker.
Goldman: I’ve learned far too many times not to count out Poulin, ever. She is still the greatest, most clutch player of all time. And while USA-Canada games are generally tighter scoring at the Olympics (I mean, how many times have we seen a 3-2 finish?), I actually think all the firepower on both sides of the matchup is going to lead to a higher-scoring game and take some emphasis away from the goalies in voting.
Lazerus: Picking the best player ever who always wins MVP awards — really going out on a limb there, Shayna! If Canada wins, it’ll be because of Desbiens. (I still don’t think Canada will win. At least, I think I still don’t think Canada will win.)
Gentille: We haven’t seen peak-form Alex Carpenter for Seattle this season, but she’s still one of the best finishers on the planet. It’s very easy to imagine her scoring a ton of goals during a gold medal run. I’m betting on it to happen, in fact.
Lazerus: So you’re saying Team USA has some offensive firepower, eh?
Salvian: That there are five legitimate options from Team USA is scary. Hilary Knight, in her fifth and final Olympics, feels like a safe (narratively-driven) choice. But perhaps we’ve all grossly underestimated Poulin — the actual points leader at the last international competition.
Goldman: It’s Abbey Murphy szn. She has been so electric this season with 61 points (!) in 26 games with the University of Minnesota and absolutely crushed it in the Rivalry Series. It would be one thing if this were her Olympic debut — asking her to jump in and become the leading scorer would be a tall ask with so many elite offensive talents on Team USA and across the way for Canada. But she got some Olympic seasoning back in 2022, so this could be a true breakout moment on the global stage.
Russo: Heise’s beyond excited for her first Olympics, and the first-ever PWHL draft pick and winner of two Walter Cup titles is as good a shooter as she is a playmaker. The 2022 Patty Kazmaier Award winner and incredibly decorated American (five gold medals since 2016) should dominate this tournament.
Salvian: I feel like I already explained myself here well. But I can also add that Desbiens is 6-1 in January with two shutouts, in case you weren’t sold yet.
Goldman: What works in Desbiens’ favor is that she is unquestionably Canada’s No. 1, when USA could share the net between Aerin Frankel and Gwyneth Philips a bit more. But I just feel like this is such a moment for Frankel, who somehow wasn’t on the 2022 squad; pair that with her play in Boston so far this season, and it feels like a real opportunity to show what she can do at this level.
Gentille: Frankel has, over the past two-plus seasons, dragged the Fleet to too many wins to ignore. Philips feels like an upside pick, but at 25, she’s barely a year younger than Frankel. (This is me in full homer mode.)
Salvian: Not a single person in the PWHL has more goals than Kaltounková heading into her first Olympics. She’s got a legit shot, great size and already led Czechia in scoring at a major international tournament once. This tournament could be a big moment for "Kalty." That said, I will give Gentille props for his Nieminen pick. He knows ball.
Goldman: Really glad that Sean went with Nieminen here, because I was really torn on this one. Nieminen has such elite puck skills and is such a smart player; if we see Finland medal, she is going to be a big reason why. But Kaltounková has a lot of momentum coming into this tournament and is a rising star, both in the PWHL and on the international stage.
Gentille: I’ve got all the validation I require.
Lazerus: The first Olympics in the PWHL era is a huge opportunity for the women’s game to mint some new household names, spurring further interest in both the pro league and international hockey. This is especially true for the European players, who can really make a name for themselves in this tournament and bring that added cachet back to the PWHL. Feels like a star turn for Kaltounková on the global stage is inevitable.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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Nobody should need extra reasons to watch the women’s hockey tournament at the Olympics. High stakes, incredible talent and one of the very best rivalries in sports speak for themselves. That’s been true since 1998.
The 2026 Winter Games in Milan, though, bring a welcome new wrinkle; it’s the first tournament to be played since the advent of the Professional Women’s Hockey League.
For most of us, that means added familiarity with the names, faces and abilities of the players involved. That’s particularly helpful at the moment, as The Athletic staff makes its picks and predictions, along with some added commentary from writers Sean Gentille, Shayna Goldman, Mark Lazerus, Michael Russo and Hailey Salvian.
Lazerus: The current format of the women’s tournament is frustrating and kind of unfair to a team such as Sweden, which probably belongs with the contenders. But at the same time, the guarantee of a U.S.-Canada group-stage match almost makes it worth it. An amuse-bouche before the full meal.
Salvian: Typically, that group-stage treat is what clinches the top seed for Canada or the U.S. Team USA won the preliminary round match at the last two Women’s World Championship tournaments. It’s a fair bet to assume they’ll get this one too.
Russo: Who didn’t watch the U.S. smoke Canada in the Rivalry Series and picked Canada?
Goldman: This is probably the easiest answer of the bunch, because Group B includes Germany, France, Italy and Japan. So yeah, if Sweden doesn’t win its group, it has a bit of a problem!
Lazerus: No pressure, Sweden.
Salvian: I fear we’ve given Sandra Abstreiter (Germany’s goalie) bulletin-board material.
Lazerus: The United States has been so dominant in this rivalry lately, but it still feels like a coin flip every time these two teams meet. I’m tempted to put my jingoist hat on and say the U.S. will roll, but I can’t bring myself to do it. Feels like a sucker’s bet, like Canada’s been lulling the Americans into a false sense of security. Ann-Renée Desbiens is the great equalizer.
Salvian: This year is giving me strong 2002 vibes. The Americans are the better team, but Canada pulls out the win when it matters most. Maybe Hayley Wickenheiser will come out of retirement for another iconic rinkside interview. Even still, I believe that having the best player on the planet (Marie-Philip Poulin, duh) and the best goalie could be enough to get it done for Canada.
Russo: Hailey’s final thought will no doubt be what John Wroblewski warns his team about. He often brings up that Poulin is still the best player on the planet and will argue instantly if somebody insinuates she’s slowing down. Wroblewski also doesn’t want his team to get a false sense of security after four fairly lopsided Rivalry Series performances against Canada. But the United States is younger, faster and, in my eyes, deeper, and also has plenty of Olympic experience across its roster.
Salvian: Listen, I stand by Sweden as a dark horse to get on the podium, but one of our sweet colleagues believes they will not only upset one of Finland or Czechia in the quarterfinals and beat Canada or the U.S. in the semis? I don’t think I can support this at this time. Not unless Emma Söderberg has the best tournament by a goalie ever.
Goldman: I will only accept Czechia as the disruptor with the power to do that, or maybe Finland. If Sweden can somehow pull that off, I would be legitimately shocked. I think this is where we see one of the biggest gaps between the men’s and women’s teams, because while we all know Sweden is pretty much always in the mix for the men … the women’s side is still rebuilding back up to get back into the medal picture.
Goldman: I’m (clearly) all in on Czechia, but you can never count out Finland — there is too much established there and some up-and-comers such as Nelli Laitinen, ready to make an impact.
Salvian: The love for Sweden is fun, but again, it is probably misguided. Finland and Czechia are the bronze medal favorites here. Czechia got the most love in our recent player poll, but I might be team Finland. The team's firepower with Susanna Tapani, Michelle Karvinen and Petra Nieminen at the top of the lineup is formidable and defender Ronja Savolainen seems like a nightmare to play against.
Salvian: Don’t underestimate Czechia here, folks. It opened the scoring against Team USA in the women’s worlds semifinals in April and only lost 2-1. We also have Kristýna Kaltounková telling reporters, “I’m getting tired of reading the headlines of Canada versus USA for gold.” The team is not here to just get on the podium. It is pushing for an upset and won’t be an easy out in Milan.
Goldman: After Team Canada got absolutely caved in the Rivalry Series games, I literally cannot see them losing in the prelims to Team USA — this is their moment to show that the series, ultimately, doesn’t matter all that much and they still have it when it counts.
Salvian: I see them losing in the prelims — because who cares — and winning the gold medal.
Salvian: If Canada wins the 2026 Olympics — which I’ve bravely predicted here — it will be because Desbiens stood on her head. Canada is not going to score as much as it did when the team broke records in 2022, so it is going to have to defend well and keep pucks out of the net. Desbiens has been the best in the world at that for a while now, and she’s peaking at the right time. In January in the PWHL, she had a .957 save percentage and 0.99 goals-against average. She’s also 4-0 at the Olympics. What’s working against her is that we usually vote for major awards in the middle of the third period when the game is still tied 1-1 or something stressful, and all the media members just pick the person with the most points in the tournament. But that’s a rant for another day.
Russo: I’m bullish over Abbey Murphy and feel the entire world is about to realize just how dynamic she is. Besides being an extreme competitor, she’s incredibly skilled, as evidenced by her incredible assist for the University of Minnesota earlier this season against Minnesota State. She has exceptional chemistry with Taylor Heise and tied for the team lead in the Rivalry Series with five goals, including a hat trick in the opening game in Cleveland, and finished second with eight points. She’s a special game-breaker.
What You Should Read Next
Olympic hockey bold predictions: Jordan Binnington’s excellence, USA’s medal hopes and more
With puck drop around the corner, The Athletic asked its hockey staff for their bold predictions for the Milan Cortina Olympics.
Goldman: I’ve learned far too many times not to count out Poulin, ever. She is still the greatest, most clutch player of all time. And while USA-Canada games are generally tighter scoring at the Olympics (I mean, how many times have we seen a 3-2 finish?), I actually think all the firepower on both sides of the matchup is going to lead to a higher-scoring game and take some emphasis away from the goalies in voting.
Lazerus: Picking the best player ever who always wins MVP awards — really going out on a limb there, Shayna! If Canada wins, it’ll be because of Desbiens. (I still don’t think Canada will win. At least, I think I still don’t think Canada will win.)
Gentille: We haven’t seen peak-form Alex Carpenter for Seattle this season, but she’s still one of the best finishers on the planet. It’s very easy to imagine her scoring a ton of goals during a gold medal run. I’m betting on it to happen, in fact.
Lazerus: So you’re saying Team USA has some offensive firepower, eh?
Salvian: That there are five legitimate options from Team USA is scary. Hilary Knight, in her fifth and final Olympics, feels like a safe (narratively-driven) choice. But perhaps we’ve all grossly underestimated Poulin — the actual points leader at the last international competition.
Goldman: It’s Abbey Murphy szn. She has been so electric this season with 61 points (!) in 26 games with the University of Minnesota and absolutely crushed it in the Rivalry Series. It would be one thing if this were her Olympic debut — asking her to jump in and become the leading scorer would be a tall ask with so many elite offensive talents on Team USA and across the way for Canada. But she got some Olympic seasoning back in 2022, so this could be a true breakout moment on the global stage.
Russo: Heise’s beyond excited for her first Olympics, and the first-ever PWHL draft pick and winner of two Walter Cup titles is as good a shooter as she is a playmaker. The 2022 Patty Kazmaier Award winner and incredibly decorated American (five gold medals since 2016) should dominate this tournament.
Salvian: I feel like I already explained myself here well. But I can also add that Desbiens is 6-1 in January with two shutouts, in case you weren’t sold yet.
Goldman: What works in Desbiens’ favor is that she is unquestionably Canada’s No. 1, when USA could share the net between Aerin Frankel and Gwyneth Philips a bit more. But I just feel like this is such a moment for Frankel, who somehow wasn’t on the 2022 squad; pair that with her play in Boston so far this season, and it feels like a real opportunity to show what she can do at this level.
Gentille: Frankel has, over the past two-plus seasons, dragged the Fleet to too many wins to ignore. Philips feels like an upside pick, but at 25, she’s barely a year younger than Frankel. (This is me in full homer mode.)
Salvian: Not a single person in the PWHL has more goals than Kaltounková heading into her first Olympics. She’s got a legit shot, great size and already led Czechia in scoring at a major international tournament once. This tournament could be a big moment for "Kalty." That said, I will give Gentille props for his Nieminen pick. He knows ball.
Goldman: Really glad that Sean went with Nieminen here, because I was really torn on this one. Nieminen has such elite puck skills and is such a smart player; if we see Finland medal, she is going to be a big reason why. But Kaltounková has a lot of momentum coming into this tournament and is a rising star, both in the PWHL and on the international stage.
Gentille: I’ve got all the validation I require.
Lazerus: The first Olympics in the PWHL era is a huge opportunity for the women’s game to mint some new household names, spurring further interest in both the pro league and international hockey. This is especially true for the European players, who can really make a name for themselves in this tournament and bring that added cachet back to the PWHL. Feels like a star turn for Kaltounková on the global stage is inevitable.
Lazerus: The current format of the women’s tournament is frustrating and kind of unfair to a team such as Sweden, which probably belongs with the contenders. But at the same time, the guarantee of a U.S.-Canada group-stage match almost makes it worth it. An amuse-bouche before the full meal.
Salvian: Typically, that group-stage treat is what clinches the top seed for Canada or the U.S. Team USA won the preliminary round match at the last two Women’s World Championship tournaments. It’s a fair bet to assume they’ll get this one too.
Russo: Who didn’t watch the U.S. smoke Canada in the Rivalry Series and picked Canada?
Goldman: This is probably the easiest answer of the bunch, because Group B includes Germany, France, Italy and Japan. So yeah, if Sweden doesn’t win its group, it has a bit of a problem!
Lazerus: No pressure, Sweden.
Salvian: I fear we’ve given Sandra Abstreiter (Germany’s goalie) bulletin-board material.
Lazerus: The United States has been so dominant in this rivalry lately, but it still feels like a coin flip every time these two teams meet. I’m tempted to put my jingoist hat on and say the U.S. will roll, but I can’t bring myself to do it. Feels like a sucker’s bet, like Canada’s been lulling the Americans into a false sense of security. Ann-Renée Desbiens is the great equalizer.
Salvian: This year is giving me strong 2002 vibes. The Americans are the better team, but Canada pulls out the win when it matters most. Maybe Hayley Wickenheiser will come out of retirement for another iconic rinkside interview. Even still, I believe that having the best player on the planet (Marie-Philip Poulin, duh) and the best goalie could be enough to get it done for Canada.
Russo: Hailey’s final thought will no doubt be what John Wroblewski warns his team about. He often brings up that Poulin is still the best player on the planet and will argue instantly if somebody insinuates she’s slowing down. Wroblewski also doesn’t want his team to get a false sense of security after four fairly lopsided Rivalry Series performances against Canada. But the United States is younger, faster and, in my eyes, deeper, and also has plenty of Olympic experience across its roster.
Salvian: Listen, I stand by Sweden as a dark horse to get on the podium, but one of our sweet colleagues believes they will not only upset one of Finland or Czechia in the quarterfinals and beat Canada or the U.S. in the semis? I don’t think I can support this at this time. Not unless Emma Söderberg has the best tournament by a goalie ever.
Goldman: I will only accept Czechia as the disruptor with the power to do that, or maybe Finland. If Sweden can somehow pull that off, I would be legitimately shocked. I think this is where we see one of the biggest gaps between the men’s and women’s teams, because while we all know Sweden is pretty much always in the mix for the men … the women’s side is still rebuilding back up to get back into the medal picture.
Goldman: I’m (clearly) all in on Czechia, but you can never count out Finland — there is too much established there and some up-and-comers such as Nelli Laitinen, ready to make an impact.
Salvian: The love for Sweden is fun, but again, it is probably misguided. Finland and Czechia are the bronze medal favorites here. Czechia got the most love in our recent player poll, but I might be team Finland. The team's firepower with Susanna Tapani, Michelle Karvinen and Petra Nieminen at the top of the lineup is formidable and defender Ronja Savolainen seems like a nightmare to play against.
Salvian: Don’t underestimate Czechia here, folks. It opened the scoring against Team USA in the women’s worlds semifinals in April and only lost 2-1. We also have Kristýna Kaltounková telling reporters, “I’m getting tired of reading the headlines of Canada versus USA for gold.” The team is not here to just get on the podium. It is pushing for an upset and won’t be an easy out in Milan.
Goldman: After Team Canada got absolutely caved in the Rivalry Series games, I literally cannot see them losing in the prelims to Team USA — this is their moment to show that the series, ultimately, doesn’t matter all that much and they still have it when it counts.
Salvian: I see them losing in the prelims — because who cares — and winning the gold medal.
Salvian: If Canada wins the 2026 Olympics — which I’ve bravely predicted here — it will be because Desbiens stood on her head. Canada is not going to score as much as it did when the team broke records in 2022, so it is going to have to defend well and keep pucks out of the net. Desbiens has been the best in the world at that for a while now, and she’s peaking at the right time. In January in the PWHL, she had a .957 save percentage and 0.99 goals-against average. She’s also 4-0 at the Olympics. What’s working against her is that we usually vote for major awards in the middle of the third period when the game is still tied 1-1 or something stressful, and all the media members just pick the person with the most points in the tournament. But that’s a rant for another day.
Russo: I’m bullish over Abbey Murphy and feel the entire world is about to realize just how dynamic she is. Besides being an extreme competitor, she’s incredibly skilled, as evidenced by her incredible assist for the University of Minnesota earlier this season against Minnesota State. She has exceptional chemistry with Taylor Heise and tied for the team lead in the Rivalry Series with five goals, including a hat trick in the opening game in Cleveland, and finished second with eight points. She’s a special game-breaker.
Goldman: I’ve learned far too many times not to count out Poulin, ever. She is still the greatest, most clutch player of all time. And while USA-Canada games are generally tighter scoring at the Olympics (I mean, how many times have we seen a 3-2 finish?), I actually think all the firepower on both sides of the matchup is going to lead to a higher-scoring game and take some emphasis away from the goalies in voting.
Lazerus: Picking the best player ever who always wins MVP awards — really going out on a limb there, Shayna! If Canada wins, it’ll be because of Desbiens. (I still don’t think Canada will win. At least, I think I still don’t think Canada will win.)
Gentille: We haven’t seen peak-form Alex Carpenter for Seattle this season, but she’s still one of the best finishers on the planet. It’s very easy to imagine her scoring a ton of goals during a gold medal run. I’m betting on it to happen, in fact.
Lazerus: So you’re saying Team USA has some offensive firepower, eh?
Salvian: That there are five legitimate options from Team USA is scary. Hilary Knight, in her fifth and final Olympics, feels like a safe (narratively-driven) choice. But perhaps we’ve all grossly underestimated Poulin — the actual points leader at the last international competition.
Goldman: It’s Abbey Murphy szn. She has been so electric this season with 61 points (!) in 26 games with the University of Minnesota and absolutely crushed it in the Rivalry Series. It would be one thing if this were her Olympic debut — asking her to jump in and become the leading scorer would be a tall ask with so many elite offensive talents on Team USA and across the way for Canada. But she got some Olympic seasoning back in 2022, so this could be a true breakout moment on the global stage.
Russo: Heise’s beyond excited for her first Olympics, and the first-ever PWHL draft pick and winner of two Walter Cup titles is as good a shooter as she is a playmaker. The 2022 Patty Kazmaier Award winner and incredibly decorated American (five gold medals since 2016) should dominate this tournament.
Salvian: I feel like I already explained myself here well. But I can also add that Desbiens is 6-1 in January with two shutouts, in case you weren’t sold yet.
Goldman: What works in Desbiens’ favor is that she is unquestionably Canada’s No. 1, when USA could share the net between Aerin Frankel and Gwyneth Philips a bit more. But I just feel like this is such a moment for Frankel, who somehow wasn’t on the 2022 squad; pair that with her play in Boston so far this season, and it feels like a real opportunity to show what she can do at this level.
Gentille: Frankel has, over the past two-plus seasons, dragged the Fleet to too many wins to ignore. Philips feels like an upside pick, but at 25, she’s barely a year younger than Frankel. (This is me in full homer mode.)
Salvian: Not a single person in the PWHL has more goals than Kaltounková heading into her first Olympics. She’s got a legit shot, great size and already led Czechia in scoring at a major international tournament once. This tournament could be a big moment for "Kalty." That said, I will give Gentille props for his Nieminen pick. He knows ball.
Goldman: Really glad that Sean went with Nieminen here, because I was really torn on this one. Nieminen has such elite puck skills and is such a smart player; if we see Finland medal, she is going to be a big reason why. But Kaltounková has a lot of momentum coming into this tournament and is a rising star, both in the PWHL and on the international stage.
Gentille: I’ve got all the validation I require.
Lazerus: The first Olympics in the PWHL era is a huge opportunity for the women’s game to mint some new household names, spurring further interest in both the pro league and international hockey. This is especially true for the European players, who can really make a name for themselves in this tournament and bring that added cachet back to the PWHL. Feels like a star turn for Kaltounková on the global stage is inevitable.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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