There was an unconventional start, but the end result was the same for the Canadian women’s hockey team on Monday.
Canada dominated the Russian Olympic Committee 6-1 at the Wukesong Sports Centre to move to 3-0 in Group A play. It was Canada’s closest game thus far after beating Switzerland and Finland by a combined score of 23-2.
The game was delayed an hour for reasons that remain unclear. Both teams wore N95 masks for the first two periods with the International Olympic Committee citing “safety and security reasons.” In the third period, ROC players were on the ice without masks, while Canada’s players kept using them for the duration of the contest.
Next up for Canada is a rematch of the 2018 gold medal game against Team USA, which is 3-0 so far at the 2022 Winter Olympics while outscoring its opponents 18-2.
It remains to be seen if the cause for Monday’s delayed start will have any effect on Tuesday’s Canada-U.S. tilt. Assuming the game goes on as scheduled, it very well could be the preview of another gold medal match.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.