Milano Cortina Olympics: women's hockey final, USA-Canada (19-02-2026)

 Clicca qui per la versione italiana

I leave a little later than planned and start to worry, if not that I won't see the start of the match, at least that I'll arrive very close to it. Already on the underground, I see a few people wearing the shirts of the two teams. I catch the shuttle bus straight away, there's no queue at all: I meet a mixed couple, he's Canadian and she's American. When we arrive near the stadium, I begin to notice the Canadian presence: in the queue, I hear people talking about the 1976 Montreal Olympics, one woman says that her sister worked as an interpreter. When I tell the security guard that I am Italian (at first they always speak to you in English, sometimes even if you have Italian flags in view), she replies that she is the one who does not speak Italian well: I must always bear in mind that not all volunteers are Italian, so before speaking to them I always try to read the name on their badge.

When I get to the stands, it’s clear the Canadian presence is overwhelming: generally, I’d estimate at least two-thirds of the crowd are Canadians, and in my block, maybe even more. The two women sitting to my left, who were the last to take their seats, are American. As they arrived, I was about to ask the Canadian couple next to them if I could borrow one of their four flags. There aren’t many neutrals, and most seem to be supporting Canada: right behind me is a German-speaking couple cheering for Canada, and I spot a group of Swiss fans, likely remaining after their bronze medal win in the previous match. There are two people waving an EU flag. Outfits are diverse and eye-catching, but there’s also someone with a MAGA cap, which I think shouldn’t be allowed since it’s a “political content.”

I’m on the opposite side compared to previous matches, and sitting lower down (in this section, you can’t even reach the height of my old seats). I have a great view of the action on one side, a bit less so from the other; I brought binoculars, but I’ll seldom use them for fear of missing a decisive moment while lifting them to my eyes. The game kicks off, and returning to a women’s match after two men’s games, I notice not only the slower pace, but especially that the physical contact is much lighter compared to the men's matches.

This is a real contest, not a one-sided affair like those I’d seen before; after the 5-0 scoreline in the group stage, I had my doubts. The USA starts on the attack, but after a few minutes Canada responds. After 5 minutes, the U.S. take a penalty for having seven players on the ice; I watch the puck dance just a few centimetres from the goal, but the Canadians can’t capitalize. Later, there’s another penalty—first a chance for the USA, then two back-to-back for Canada. The period ends with the USA pressing and a Canadian penalty just 15 seconds from the buzzer. The score is 0-0, with shots  8-6 for the USA (they were 4-0 at first). The U.S. fans are louder; Canadians seem shy in their response.

During the first intermission, I plug in my phone to charge, meaning I have to stay outside for a while. I notice the store line isn’t long, so I decide to make one last purchase. It takes me some time to choose, and from the voices rising from the stands, I start to worry that play has resumed. There’s a cheer, and the Americans left outside rush to the railing, hoping their team scored (they had a power play). I peek in and discover Canada scored! The joy of the moment is balanced by my disappointment for missing the goal. I return to my seat, and the period has already been going for nearly two minutes. The Yanks attack furiously: I see at least two miraculous saves by Canadian goalie Ann-Renee Desbiens, plus other saves I’m not qualified to assess how difficult they really were. The Canadians also have their chances, and their fans get louder: an intense period, ending 1-0 with 27 shots on goal, almost double the first period.

intenso, finisce 1-0 e con 27 tiri in porta, quasi il doppio del primo tempo.

In the second intermission, I take a walk, mainly to watch the fans, and come back about three minutes before play resumes. The USA starts attacking, but gradually Canada gains ground and creates more chances. With 6 minutes and 30 seconds left, the USA takes a penalty, initially called as major then downgraded to two minutes after instant review (I, and probably many others, thought no penalty had been called at all): Canada squanders several opportunities both during the power play and afterward. It seems the old saying “missed goal, conceded goal” holds true in hockey as well: USA scores with a deflection (by a teammate) of a long-range shot, just two minutes from the end.

We go to overtime (for the fifth consecutive game, men’s and women’s combined), and this time I decide to stay at my seat during the break, thinking it would be shorter, but it lasts 18 minutes. They announce that overtime will be a maximum of 20 minutes (with “sudden death,” what soccer used to call “golden goal”), with teams reduced to three skaters each—a surprise for many, not just me. The game resumes: the U.S. attack more, but the Canadians come closest to scoring on a fastbreak, and almost my entire block stands when they go forward. After four minutes, though, the USA scores on a fastbreak: everyone rushes onto the ice, tossing helmets and sticks, while the Canadians retreat to their bench.

The carpets are rolled out for the awards ceremony: some people leave (naturally, mostly Canadians), but most stay. Military personnel enter with the flags, followed by the medal presenters: six in total, three from the IOC (which the Italian announcer calls also IOC, forgetting to translate the acronym) and three from the hockey federation. The Swiss bronze medalists come out last. Medals are awarded in order of jersey number, with each athlete introduced individually. From the expressions shown on the screen, it’s clear that bronze brings more joy than silver, and even the Americans don’t seem as happy as the Swiss. After their team’s medal ceremony, many Canadians leave—I head out as the U.S. anthem plays and some people sing along.

The line for the shuttle moves quickly at first, then slows near the end. Several news crews are interviewing spectators; one lady says she’s with Associated Press. Even downtown, when I stop to eat, I bump into many Canadians. And tomorrow, it’s USA vs. Slovakia in the men’s tournament.