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MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 09: Hannah Bilka #23 of Team United States celebrates with teammate Taylor Heise #27 as Abbey Murphy #37 falls to the ice in the third period during the Women's Preliminary Round Group A match between the United States and Switzerland on day three of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 09, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Elsa via Getty Images
MILAN — It didn’t matter that Abbey Murphy was in the corner with her back to teammate Hannah Bilka and a defender draped all over her.
The electric young American star still found a way to catch the Canadian defense by surprise and set up Bilka for the easiest goal she’ll ever score.
Murphy’s slick no-look, behind-the-back pass was the highlight of the U.S. women’s hockey team’s statement-making 5-0 victory over Canada on Tuesday night. The Americans solidified themselves as unequivocal favorites at these Olympics by dominating a highly anticipated rivalry showdown that likely doubled as a preview of next week’s gold-medal match.
One of the biggest reasons that the U.S. won so convincingly was the performance of Murphy. The 23-year-old University of Minnesota forward assisted on three of the USA’s five goals, two of which were netted by Bilka. As usual, she also got under the skin of her opponents and drew a number of Canadian penalties.
This isn’t the first time that Murphy has gone viral as a result of her uncanny awareness and passing ability. Check out this highlight-reel assist from last month that hockey analyst John Buccigross called “the greatest assist of all time.”
Murphy is the biggest X factor for a U.S. team with plenty of firepower. If she plays at this level, it’s difficult to envision any other team in Milan challenging the Americans.
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