USA comes back to beat Canada in OT for women’s hockey gold

Megan Keller backhanded in a shot 4:07 into overtime and the USA won its third women's Olympic hockey gold medal, beating Canada 2-1.

BY JOHN WAWROW

Feb 19, 2026, 1:29 PM Updated: 1:41 pm

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USA women's Olympic hockey gold medal Canada...

Hilary Knight of celebrates with her USA teammates after scoring a goal against Canada. (Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)

(Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)

MILAN (AP) — Megan Keller backhanded in a shot 4:07 into overtime and the USA won its third Olympic gold medal in women’s hockey, beating Canada 2-1 at the Milan Cortina Games on Thursday night to close another thrilling chapter of one of sports’ most heated rivalries.

Women’s Olympic Hockey – USA 2, Canada 1 (OT): Stats

American captain and Seattle Torrent player Hilary Knight, in her fifth and final Olympics, forced overtime by tipping in Laila Edwards’ shot from the blue line with 2:04 remaining.

TIE GAME! TIE GAME! THE CAPTAIN! pic.twitter.com/Fg9ycbZ2BY

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 19, 2026

The goal was the 15th of Knight’s Olympic career and 33rd point to break the U.S. record in both categories.

With the sides playing 3-on-3, Keller broke up the left wing and pushed past Claire Thompson. Driving to the net, the U.S. assistant captain got off a backhander that beat Ann-Renee Desbiens over her left pad.

A GOLDEN GOAL FOR GOLD! pic.twitter.com/oLDfElGnI9

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 19, 2026

Aerin Frankel stopped 30 shots for the U.S.

Kristen O’Neill scored a short-handed goal for Canada and Desbiens finished with 31 saves.

TIE GAME! TIE GAME! THE CAPTAIN! pic.twitter.com/Fg9ycbZ2BY

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 19, 2026

The U.S. previously won gold at the 1998 Nagano Games, the first to feature women’s hockey, and in 2018 in Pyeongchang. Canada, which won the other five gold medals, settled for its third silver.

This was the seventh of 12 Olympic meetings between the rivals to be decided by one goal and the third to go past regulation. Canada overcame a late 2-1 deficit to beat the U.S. 3-2 on Marie-Philip Poulin’s overtime goal at the 2014 Sochi Games. The U.S. won 3-2 in 2018 when Jocelyne Lamoureux scored in a shootout.

Although the final couldn’t have been closer, the Americans were dominant in Milan, going 7-0 and outscoring their opponents by a combined 33-2.

Canada pushed the U.S. to the brink just nine days after it was beaten 5-0 by the Americans in the preliminary round.

O’Neill’s goal 54 seconds into the second period ended the Americans’ shutout streak of 5 hours, 52 minutes and 17 seconds, dating to the second period of a 5-1 opening win over Czechia. The U.S. had not trailed in the tournament.

Canada was within grasp of its sixth gold medal before the U.S. pulled Frankel from an extra attacker and Knight converted. Edwards slapped a low shot at the net that Knight tipped in through her legs and past Desbiens.

This was the first Olympics for Edwards, the first Black woman to represent the U.S in hockey.

Men’s Olympic Hockey: USA beats Sweden in OT to set semifinals