The U.S. women’s hockey team will battle their biggest rival, Canada, in the gold-medal final at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
The United States and Canada both rolled through the preliminary and playoff rounds in the Beijing Olympics, but now the two premier teams in women’s hockey will go head-to-head once again to determine the winner of this year's gold medal.
The two teams are hardly strangers to one another, playing in nearly every Olympic final and playing frequently in the World Championships. Their rivalry has been described as one of the most bitter in the sport, and Wednesday's game is set to add another iconic chapter to that history.
With that in mind, here are some fascinating facts and statistics about the incredible rivalry.
An Olympic Rivalry Like No Other
The United States and Canada’s women’s hockey teams have played against one another a total of nine times in the Olympics, and Wednesday's matchup will be their sixth in the seven total gold medal games in the event's history.
In those nine games, Canada does have a record of 6-2-1, capturing a total of three gold medals at the United States’ expense. The U.S. has won two gold medal games against the Canadian squad, including in the last Olympics in PyeongChang.
In the nine games, Canada has outscored the U.S. by a slim margin, with a 24-21 advantage in goals.
Sports
Not Just the Olympics, Either
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There have been 26 combined women’s hockey finals in the IIHF World Championships and in the Olympics, and the United States has taken on Canada in a staggering 24 of those matchups.
The Canadian squad has a slight edge in play, going 14-10 against the U.S. in those games, according to NBC Sports.
Overtime is the Best Time for a US-Canada Showdown
These two teams are so evenly matched that they go to overtime more often than not. In fact, in seven of the last nine championship-game matchups between the two teams, the contests have gone to overtime.
Undaunted Scoring Machines
In this year’s Olympics, the United States and Canada have dispatched their opponents with relative ease.
Canada has racked up an incredible 54 goals in just five games, and has given up just eight. The United States’ offense hasn’t quite performed at that level, with 28 goals, but they've been stout defensively, giving up four goals in their four non-Canada games.
