Olympics Blog | USA Captures Gold in OT

February 22, 2026 | Team USA wins first men’s hockey gold medal since 1980 on Jack Hughes overtime winner

Hockey provided quite the showcase for itself at these Winter Olympics, capped by Team USA winning an overtime thriller 2-1 over Team Canada in the men’s gold medal game Sunday morning in Milan. Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils scored the “golden goal” fewer than three minutes in with a left circle wrist shot through the legs of goalie Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues to provide the Americans their first gold since the “Miracle on Ice” in Lake Placid 46 years ago.

Canada took over the game from about its midway point on after enjoying a 5-on-3 power play advantage for 1:42 and only Team USA netminder Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets kept it from being a blowout. The Canadians outshot the U.S. 42-28 overall and had several outstanding chances to take the lead only to be denied time and again by Hellebuyck’s acrobatics. Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy also saved the day in the third period on a net front scramble when a puck chipped over a down-and-out Hellebuyck was headed into a vacated net.

But McAvoy, standing in the crease, managed to get his body in front of the puck and keep it from going in for the go-ahead Canada goal.

Matt Boldy of the Minnesota Wild opened the scoring about six minutes in on the very first Team USA shot on net. Boldy made a brilliant play stickhandling past two defenders with the puck on edge, then displayed deft hands in deking Binnington out of his socks when in alone.

From there, the game was rather evenly played though the ice began to tilt in Canada’s favor a little under halfway through the middle frame.

Team USA fended off the prolonged 5-on-3 advantage for Canada, but Cale Makar tied it with a snapper from the right circle in the dying minutes of the middle frame. Canada went on to outshoot the U.S. 19-8 that period and had a 28-16 edge overall going into the final 20 minutes.

The final period saw Canada enjoy the best scoring chances as well, with Hellebuyck stopping Macklin Cellebrini of the San Jose Sharks on a breakaway to keep the score tied. Devon Toews of the Colorado Avalanche then had a chance staring at a wide-open net from the crease, but Hellebuyck stuck his stick across and knocked the point-blank shot attempt out of midair for undoubtedly the save of the tournament.

Both teams had power play chances in the final minutes of regulation but were denied. Sam Bennett of the Florida Panthers took a four-minute high-sticking penalty, but Canada killed off most of it before Hughes was called for the same infraction. The U.S. managed to survive that as Canada poured it on late, seemingly desperate not to go to 3-on-3 overtime.

That’s exactly what happened. After some Canadian pressure in the extra session, the U.S. had an odd man rush chance the other way. It looked initially as if Canada had gotten back in time to defend, but Hughes was left alone on the left side and, after taking a pass out from the corner from Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets, put the puck between Binnington’s pads.

The U.S. victory gave it a pair of 2-1 overtime results in men’s and women’s gold medal games against Canada, sweeping the Winter Olympics in hockey for the first time ever.

It was the first time the U.S. has beaten Canada in a men’s best-on-best championship since the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, when they scored four times in the final four minutes to turn a 2-1 deficit into a stunning 5-2 upset. Keith Tkachuk, father of current Team USA players Brady and Matthew Tkachuk, scored five times in that tournament.

Sunday’s win also gained Team USA some measure of overtime revenge against Canada in recent best-on-best overtime clashes, having dropped the 2010 Winter Olympics gold medal game on Sidney Crosby’s goal and last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off event on a Connor McDavid sudden death strike.

February 20, 2026 | USA-Canada gold medal matchup secured for Sunday morning

This was the dream matchup most had envisioned and though both teams have cut things close in the playoff rounds, it will indeed be Team USA taking on Team Canada in their first Winter Olympic gold medal clash since 2010. The No. 2 seeded U.S. had little trouble ending the dream run by unheralded No. 3 seed Slovakia, taking them down 6-2 in a game about as one-sided as the final score.

And No. 1 seed Canada survived a second straight playoff scare by upending Kraken forwards Kaapo Kakko and Eeli Tolvanen and Team Finland 3-2. Finland led 2-0 at one point but Canada poured it on the latter half of the game, tied it midway through the third period and won on a power play goal by Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon with just 35.2 seconds to play in regulation.

The teams will meet for gold Sunday at 5:10 a.m. PT. It comes on the heels of the U.S. women’s team defeating Canada 2-1 in overtime to win gold on Thursday.

New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes scored a pair of second period goals and Jack Eichel of the Vegas Golden Knights another to help pace the U.S., which ran up a 5-0 lead by the end of that middle frame against a Slovakian squad featuring just seven NHL players on its 25-man roster. Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings and Tage Thompson of the Buffalo Sabres had opened the scoring in the first period.

Thompson didn’t play in the final period after being crosschecked the prior frame. There was no immediate word about his condition or availability for Sunday’s action, though sitting him seemed precautionary given the lopsided score. With under two minutes to play, Erik Cernak of the Tampa Bay Lightning, playing for Slovakia, got tossed for going at it with Matthew Tkachuk of the Florida Panthers along with his brother Brady from the Ottawa Senators. Punches were thrown, penalties assessed and misconducts issued mainly to get the players off the ice. It’s unlikely any further action will be taken for the skirmish, which, remember, comes at a tournament where fighting is not allowed.

Fights and the Tkachuk brothers, were, of course, plentiful when Team USA played Canada a year ago at the 4 Nations Face-Off Event. There were three fights in the opening nine seconds of the preliminary round game, won by the U.S. Canada then beat the U.S. in overtime in the gold medal game.

Canada came close to not even reaching Sunday’s gold medal game, needing overtime to beat Czechia on Wednesday and then falling behind 2-0 against Finland on Friday on goals by Mikko Rantanen of the Dallas Stars and Erik Haula of the Nashville Predators.

Haula’s shorthanded goal seemed to wake Canada up and it was a one-sided game the final 35 minutes.

Sam Reinhart of the Florida Panthers got Canada on the board with just over five minutes remaining in the second period. Then came the third, where former Seattle Thunderbirds junior star Shea Theodore tied it with just under 10 minutes to go in regulation.

Canada nearly scored with under three minutes to go, thwarted by a brilliant stop from Juuse Saros of the Predators. But a high sticking penalty seconds later put Canada on the power play and MacKinnon finally scored in the dying seconds of the man advantage on a one-timer from the left circle. Finland challenged that the zone entry well before the goal had been offside, but replays appeared to show Macklin Celebrini barely managing to keep his skate blade from crossing the blue line ahead of the puck.

Canada outshot the Finns 39-17, but Saros and his acrobatics managed to keep his team in it until the late power play onslaught.

This is the third gold medal clash between Canada and the U.S. the past quarter century. Canada won gold 5-2 at Salt Lake City in 2002 and then 3-2 in overtime in Vancouver in 2010.

Team USA has not won gold since the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” at Lake Placid, defeating Finland 4-2 in the final after stunning the Soviet Union 4-3 the prior matchup.

The U.S. also won gold at Squaw Valley in 1960, defeating Czechoslovakia 9-4 after upsetting the Soviets the prior game. This would be the first Olympic gold for Team USA in a tournament played outside the U.S.

February 19, 2026 | Knight’s late equalizer helps USA claim gold in 2-1 OT Thriller vs. CAN

Play “Free Bird” because Team USA is golden once again.

Torrent forwards Hilary Knight, Alex Carpenter, and Hannah Bilka, along with defender Cayla Barnes, were crowned the best of the best tonight as part of Team USA’s historic third ever Olympic gold medal. Torrent forward Julia Gosling, in her first Olympic tournament, earns silver alongside Team Canada.

The Canadians opened the scoring in the first minute of the second period, with Canadian Kristin O’Neill capitalizing on a shorthanded breakaway that ended Team USA’s historic team shutout streak. Through five games and a portion of today’s sixth, the American goaltending trio of Aerin Frankel, Gwyneth Philips, and Ava McNaughton had preserved more than a 350-minute clean sheet.

It looked as though Team Canada might have finally put a stop to the offensive firepower (and strength in net) of the Americans, when Torrent and Team USA captain Knight did what she does best: rewrite history.

Knight, 36 years old and playing in what she has said to be her final Olympic tournament, scored a late equalizer in the third period with just 2:04 remaining on the clock to tie the game at one apiece, getting the tip on a shot by up-and-coming phenom Laila Edwards from the blue line. With the goal, Knight now has sole possession of the American Olympic career record for goals (15) and points (33).

Tied at one goal apiece heading into sudden death overtime, it took just 4:07 for Team USA to secure its third gold medal and second since the conclusion of the inaugural Olympic tournament in 1998. American forward Taylor Heise fed defender Megan Keller in the neutral zone, and Keller took it the rest of the way home, dangling around Canadian defender Claire Thompson to beat Ann-Renée Desbiens and secure the win. In her third Olympic tournament, today’s overtime game-winner is just the second goal of Keller's career on this stage.

At the opposite end of the ice, Gosling’s silver medal is her first on the Olympic stage. Though she was held off the scoresheet and had limited ice time in her appearances through all six games, her offensive prowess was on display, and she proved herself an asset for Team Canada’s second power play unit.

The Torrent will welcome all six of their Olympians home on Friday, February 27, when the puck drops at 7 pm against the Toronto Sceptres at Climate Pledge Arena.

February 18, 2026 | Tolvanen, Kakko still alive with Team Finland ahead of semifinal clash with Canada; USA to play Slovakia

It was a day of breathtaking men’s quarterfinal action at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games Milano Cortina, with three of four matchups decided in overtime and all the higher seeds advancing. Team USA will now play Slovakia in one Friday semifinal while Canada takes on Finland in the other.

Kraken forwards Eeli Tolvanen and Kaapo Kakko saw their Olympic dreams extended – just barely – as No. 4 seed Finland scored twice in the final six-plus minutes of regulation and then got an Artturi Lehkonen overtime goal for a 3-2 comeback win over Switzerland. The No. 5 seeded Swiss, an emerging hockey power that lost the gold medal game in overtime to Team USA at the IIHF World Hockey Championships last May, had played their usual brand of stifling defense for almost the entirety of the game against Finland.

But once the Fins got on the board late, the Swiss abandoned their aggressive play in favor of merely trying to hang-on by retreating into a defensive shell. It didn’t work as Miro Heiskanen of the Dallas Stars tied it with just 72 seconds to play and then Colorado Avalanche forward Lehkonen scored on a breakaway in the extra session to clinch it. Lehkonen is known for big NHL overtime goals, scoring the conference championship winner for Montreal against Vegas in 2021, then doing the same for Colorado the following year to eliminate Edmonton.

Finland, as mentioned, now plays top-seeded Canada on Friday. But Canada also needed to survive a major scare to make it through, surrendering a go-ahead Ondrej Palat goal with roughly seven minutes remaining. It was the first time all tournament that Canada had trailed in a game.

But Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki tied it on a deflection goal in the final four minutes, then Mitch Marner of the Vegas Golden Knights delivered a 4-3 overtime victory by deking through three defenders and getting just enough on an ensuing backhand for the decisive strike.

Team USA managed to advance in similar heart-stopping overtime fashion after surrendering a tying goal to Mika Zibanejad of Sweden with just 1:31 to go in regulation. But Quinn Hughes of the Minnesota Wild circled with the puck in overtime, moved into the high slot area and uncorked a devastating wrist shot that rang in off the post for a 2-1 victory.

Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings had opened the scoring midway through the second period.

To get to its first gold medal game since 2010, the U.S. will need to defeat a dark horse No. 3 seed Slovakia, which continues to sneak on up the tournament ladder. Slovakia has just seven NHL players on its 25-man roster and had previously won gold at only one major tournament – the 2002 IIHF World Hockey Championship – since starting international play in 1994. Slovakia and the Czech Republic previously had competed together as a global hockey power Czechoslovakia nation before the collapse of the Iron Curtain.

Slovakia on Wednesday slowly wore down Team Germany and Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer ahead of a 6-2 victory that was easily the day’s most lopsided contest. Grubauer allowed five goals on 34 shots but enjoyed an otherwise strong tournament that his German side had not been expected to medal in.

February 17, 2026 | Grubauer, Germany off to quarterfinals clash with Slovakia after convincing win over France

Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer stopped all but one of 31 shots on Tuesday in helping Team Germany advance to the men’s hockey quarterfinals at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games Milano Cortina with a 5-1 victory over France in knockout round play. Some early French goaltending woes helped bury their slim chances early as Leon Draisaitl scored once and added two assists for a German side that grabbed a 3-0 first period lead and never looked back.

No. 6 seed Germany now plays No. 3 seeded Slovakia in the quarterfinals on Wednesday morning.

Former Kraken forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, playing in what he says was his final international game for France at age 40, scored against former NHL teammate Grubauer early in the second period. France failed to win any games in Italy but also is not considered a hockey power and had merely hoped to gain some international respect.

“To continue wearing this jersey, I had to reach the quarterfinals,” Bellemare told reporters after the game. “It's a little difficult emotionally, but I've never been an individualistic player. I'm not going to start being one.

“I'm proud for everyone. I'm also sad that we couldn't pull off a spectacular game to advance to the next round. Our fans in France deserved it. We're a small hockey nation. The good news is there's a lot to look forward to. If this Olympic tournament can inspire a kid to play, that would be fantastic. In a few years, that kid could be here in my skates, in this very spot.”

Three of the four quarterfinal matchups have now been set.

Czechia hung on to defeat Kraken prospect Oscar Fisker Molgaard and his Denmark squad 3-2 and will now play top-seeded Canada on Wednesday. Former Kraken forward Alex True had one of the Danish goals while Molgaard assisted on the other late in the second period to bring his team within one. But that’s how it ended after a scoreless third period in which Denmark came very close to tying it late.

In other action, No. 5 seed Switzerland punched its ticket to a Wednesday quarterfinal clash with No. 4 Team Finland and Kraken forwards Eeli Tolvanen and Kaapo Kakko by defeating the host Italian squad 3-0. Kraken assistant general manager Ricky Olczyk was part of Team Italy’s front office.

Team USA, seeded No. 2, is awaiting the outcome of Tuesday afternoon’s game between Sweden and Latvia.

February 16, 2026 | 1st Goal from Barnes, Bilka’s 2 assists power USA to Gold Medal Game; Gosling & CAN advance with 2-1 win over SUI

With a trip to the gold medal game on the line, Hilary Knight, Alex Carpenter, Hannah Bilka, Cayla Barnes, and the rest of Team USA did what they’ve been doing all tournament-long: dominate. The group skated to a 5-0 defeat of Sweden to preserve their unbeaten streak and secure another berth in the finals for a fifth straight Olympics.

Seattle Torrent defender Barnes got the Americans on the board just five minutes into the opening frame with her first goal of the tournament and second career Olympic goal. Barnes, suiting up for her third Olympic tournament, was fed by Kelly Pannek from the goal line and beat Swedish goaltender Ebba Svensson Traff to put Team USA up 1-0 early.

Barnes won a national championship with Ohio State in 2024 after four years at Boston College and signed with Seattle during the league’s exclusive signing window this past summer. After being left unprotected by the Montréal Victoire ahead of the 2025 PWHL Expansion Draft, she joined American teammates Hilary Knight and Alex Carpenter as one of the first three signings of the new franchise.

Forward Bilka, in her first Olympic tournament, has been firing on all cylinders with linemates Taylor Heise and Abbey Murphy, adding two primary assists in the second period. On Team USA’s second goal, Bilka teed up Heise with an immaculate cross-crease pass that Heise snuck in back-post to put the Americans up. Bilka registered the primary assist on Murphy’s goal as well, cleaning up behind the net and walking up the near circle to feed Murphy out front and put the Americans up 3-0.

Goals from Minnesota Frost, Kendall Coyne Schofield, and Hayley Scamurra finished off the offensive onslaught of Team USA, who stay undefeated through six games and preserve the group’s streak of scoring no fewer than five goals through every game. With their clean sheet against Sweden today, the Americans have also set the Olympic shutout record; the only goal allowed came at the 28:37 mark of their first game of the tournament against Czechia. For those counting at home, that’s 331:23 of a combined shutout streak between Aerin Frankel, Gwyneth Philips, and Ava McNaughton (who played the final 1:48 of Team USA’s preliminary match-up vs. Switzerland).

As many predicted, the Americans will face Canada again, with the latter hoping to avenge their 5-0 preliminary defeat and stop Team USA's high-octane offense. This afternoon, Seattle Torrent forward Gosling and Team Canada skated to a 2-1 victory over Switzerland in a much closer match-up than many anticipated, with both of the Canadians’ goals coming off the stick of Marie-Philip Poulin.

Sidelined with injury for two games, Poulin returned in dramatic fashion, scoring a goal in Canada’s semifinal victory over Germany yesterday. Today, “Captain Clutch” continued to do what she does best, scoring back-to-back to get Team Canada out to a 2-0 lead midway through the second period. With her goals today, Poulin becomes the highest-scoring Olympic hockey player, passing Hayley Wickenheiser for sole possession of the title with her 19th and 20th goals today.

Poulin, captain of both Team Canada and the Montréal Victoire, is no stranger to making history at the Olympics. Suiting up for her fifth Olympic tournament at the age of 34, the Québec City native has earned the nickname “Captain Clutch” for good reason — in three of her four previous Olympic tournaments, Poulin has scored the gold medal-clinching goal, including both goals in the Canadians’ 2-0 shutout of Team USA at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and the overtime winner (again against the Americans) at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Torrent forward Gosling played nine minutes in Canada’s semifinal match-up but was held off the scoresheet. She and Team Canada will go head-to-head in a rematch with Team USA on Thursday at 10:10 am PT for Olympic gold.

February 15, 2026 | Grubi, Germany Face France, Fisker Molgaard, Danes vs. Czechia

The matchups are set for Tuesday’s “playoffs” round at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics men’s hockey tournament. Philipp Grubauer and his No. 6 seed Germany teammates will be favored versus No. 11 France and 40-year-old French captain and former Kraken Pierre-Edouard Bellemare.

Kraken forward prospect Oscar Fisker Molgaard and No. 9 seed Team Denmark draw a challenging foe in No. 8 seed Czechia, which dropped an overtime decision to Switzerland Sunday.

The Swiss win converted to a No. 5 seed and a playoff showdown with No. 12 home squad Italy, and Kraken VP and assistant GM Ricky Olczyk as part of the Italian hockey operations brain trust. When seed No. 7 Sweden allowed a late goal to Slovakia Saturday in a 5-3 victory, it pushed the Swedes to have to go through No. 10 Latvia to reach Wednesday’s quarterfinals knockout round.

While the top four seeds, No. 1 Canada, No. 2 USA, No. 3 Slovakia and No. 4 Finland (with fifth-highest round-robin scorer Kaapo Kakko and Eeli Tolvanen) await in the quarterfinals bracket, the eight remaining Olympic squads will be back on the ice for their respective fourth games of play. Here’s the matchups and times (all games available on Peacock):

Germany - France, 3:10 a.m. Pacific time

Switzerland - Italy, 3:10 a.m.

Czechia - Denmark, 7:40 a.m.

Sweden - Latvia, 12:10 p.m.

February 15, 2026 | Denmark, Fisker Molgaard Get ‘W’ vs. Latvia, Grubi Rested

While not appearing on the scoresheet rundown of goals scored, Kraken forward prospect Oscar Fisker Molgaard played another strong two-way game for Team Denmark in his nation’s 4-2 pivotal win over Latvia. His squad’s first win in Group C round-robin play places Denmark third behind undefeated USA and Germany.

“Oscar has handled himself very well against some tough competition,” said Cory Murphy, the Kraken’s director of player development. “It is a great experience for him.”

Some behind-the-scenes insight: The Team Denmark coaching staff conferred with fellow countryman and Europe-based Kraken player development consultant Frans Nielsen about the concept of using Fisker Molgaard as the “quarterback” for Denmark’s first power play unit. Nielsen, who starred for Denmark in international competition and played 925 NHL regular-season games, agreed the 20-year-old centerman (Fisker Molgaard turns 21 Wednesday) has the versatile skill set to handle the assignment.

While Denmark, Germany and Latvia all finished with three standings points and an identical 1-2-0 record. Short form: Germany beat Denmark, Denmark defeated Latvia, and Latvia upset the Germans. The next tiebreaker is goal differential among the trio of nations, excluding scores from each team’s loss to the USA.

Germany ranks second with a +1 differential; Denmark ranks third with an even or zero differential; Latvia ranks fourth at -1. Interestingly, the margin between Denmark and Latvia was an empty-net goal for Denmark when Latvia attempted to earn second place by pushing the Sunday loss to Denmark into overtime.

In the final Group C game, Team USA dispatched of Germany, 5-1, to finish with a spotless record in group play. Note to Kraken fans: Goalie Philipp Grubauer played Sunday, giving countryman Maximilian Franzreb an appearance and likely not wanting to play the NHL veteran and Stanley Cup winner three times in four days.

Despite a 3-0 round-robin finish, the United States will be No. 2 for Wednesday’s quarterfinals based on overall goal differential in round-robin competition. Canada earned the No. 1 spot with a +17 differential over the Americans' +11.

Group B winner Slovakia sets up at the No. 3 with Group B runner-up Finland, with Kraken wingers Kaapo Kakko and Eeli Tolvanen tabbed at the No. 4 seed. That quartet of seeds has byes, advancing to the quarterfionals while the remaining eight teams are back on the ice Monday for a “playoffs round” to determine who faces the top four seeds.

February 14, 2026 | Denmark, Fisker Molgaard Strike Early, Can’t Hold Off USA

During Denmark’s matchup with Team USA Saturday in Italy, Kraken forward prospect Oliver Fisker Molgaard had quite the rooting section among most frequent teammates this season, the American Hockey League Coachella Valley Firebirds. The Kraken’s AHL affiliate, fresh from a 6-1 drubbing of division rival Tucson Friday night in the southern California desert, was off the practice ice by puck drop in Milan.

Several players were watching in the player lounge at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, a mix of North Americans and Europeans. The assistant coaches' room was keeping an eye on the game too, happy for their young Danish center earning a primary assist on the game’s opening goal just a minute and 40 seconds in the contest. He’s a major producer for the Firebirds in all zones and a highly popular teammate.

But in the end, Team USA’s depth wore down the Danes to a 6-3 win. The USA plays Germany and Philipp Grubauer on Sunday (12:10 p.m. puck drop). Any kind of win will afford the Americans a bye straight into Wednesday’s quarterfinals in the men’s tournament. Fisker Molgaard and Team Denmark face Latvia in a pivotal game for seeding in Monday’s “playoffs,” in which seeds No. 5 through 12 will be vying to determine the four countries that advance to the quarterfinals.

Though the USA tied the game on a response goal just under two minutes later, the Danes scored mid-period when Denmark defenseman Nicholas B. Jensen beat American goalie Jeremy Swayman on a shot from the center-ice redline to make it a 2-1 game at first intermission. Team USA didn’t even the score until halfway through the second period, scoring a pair of goals before Denmark tallied with three seconds left in the middle frame set up a one-goal margin for the third period.

From there, Team USA turned on the afterburners with its deep roster of four lines of top NHLers plus the same drill for the three defensive pairs. The Americans finished with 45 shots on goal to 21 for Denmark. While NBC and armchair commentators alike might characterize two of the Danish goals as ones the aforementioned Swayman might like back, Denmark was respected by USA captain Auston Matthews.

“Give the other team credit,” said Matthews in an interview with NBC’s Kathryn Tappen, who asked about the USA’s slow start. “They played hard.”

February 14, 2026 | Kaako’s Two Goals Lead Finland’s Rout of Italy

In a matchup expected to be a victory against host nation Italy, Kraken winger Kaapo Kakko set the tone for a strategic 11-0 shutout by scoring a goal early in the contest, then adding a second goal and assisting on a third score. The Finns scored five goals in the first 20 minutes and added three each in the second and third periods. Kakko scored his goals with two pinpoint shots, plus a terrific read on his first goal to curl tighter at the right circle rather than swing wider to look for a pass.

NBC and Kraken Hockey Network analyst Eddie Olczyk heaped praise in reference to the play, explaining Kakko noticed the nearest Italian defender was leaning toward disrupting a pass and, in the process, giving the young Seattle forward the ever-desired time and space to shoot. Kakko finished round-robin play with four points (two goals, two assists) in three games. Kraken teammate and countryman Eeli Tolvanen scored the only goal in the opening day loss to Slovakia, but given the goal differential factor was nonetheless a vital contribution to the cause. Tolvanen, playing in his second Olympics, now has four goals and six assists in 10 Olympic contests.

Before playing the last game in the Group B round-robin, the Finns knew Slovakia was going to finish first in the group, earning an automatic bye to Wednesday’s quarterfinals. Slovakia reigns because it had a plus-1 goal differential in games against Sweden and Finland, while Finland was even and Sweden was minus-1. The difference-maker was a late Slovakia score in its 5-3 loss to Sweden—and why Slovakia mobbed each other like winners at game-end Saturday with the Swedes knowing they were headed to Tuesday’s “playoffs” bracketing seeds No. 5 through 12 with the four Tuesday winners advancing to the quarterfinals.

Winning was not enough for Finland to secure its own potential bye into the quarterfinals. Joining the three group winners, such as the USA and Canada, alongside Slovakia, is the second-place group finisher with the most points. If that criterion is met by more than one squad, then overall goal differential is the next tiebreaker. That’s why the Finns were still rippling pucks into the Italian net and not simply being rude winners. Finland entered the game at the aforementioned even or zero differential and completed the round-robin with a plus-11 differential.

Looking at the three group standings and the games remaining, the only teams with a clear chance of achieving a goal differential greater than 11 are the USA and Canada, both highly likely to win their groups. By Sunday afternoon or possibly sooner, given the upcoming results, Kakko and Tolvanen (also a physical presence for his nation) will be putting their skill sets to work come Wednesday and possibly through next weekend’s medal round.

February 14, 2026 | Gosling, CAN advance to semifinals with 5-1 takedown of GER

Seattle Torrent forward Julia Gosling & Team Canada are back on track, decisively taking down Germany by a 5-1 final to advance to the semifinals.

Though Gosling was held off the scoresheet, she remained impactful with 12:55 of ice time alongside Kristin O’Neill, Jenn Gardiner, and occasionally Natalie Spooner. O’Neill got on the scoresheet with Canada’s second goal, feeding defender Claire Thompson to put the Canadians up 2-0 at the end of the second period.

The biggest storyline from Canada’s quarterfinal is easily captain Marie-Philip Poulin, who returned to the lineup after going down with a lower-body injury in her team’s second-to-last match of the preliminary round vs. Czechia. Poulin did not dress for Tuesday’s shutout loss to the Americans or Thursday’s shutout win over Finland.

Poulin’s return was even more special in the final minutes of the third period, when former first overall pick Sarah Fillier fed the captain for her first goal of the tournament and 18th career Olympic goal. Poulin is now tied with Canadian legend Hayley Wickenheiser for the most career Olympic goals in both men’s and women’s hockey, poised to set a new record of her own with at least a game still to play before the conclusion of the Olympic tournament.

Gosling and Team Canada advance to play Switzerland in the semifinals. Hilary Knight, Alex Caprenter, Hannah Bilka, Cayla Barnes, and Team USA will face off against Sweden, with both puck drops slated for Monday.

February 14, 2026 | Latvia Upsets Germany, Grubi; Opportunity for Finns

In a duel of NHL goalies, Philipp Grubauer and his German teammates were on the short end of a 4-3 outcome against Latvia in Group C play. Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs was in the net for his country’s first victory at the Olympics since 2014 in Sochi.

Latvia evened the score at 2-2 mid-second period, then scored twice more in the third period to pull off the upset. The Latvians scored twice more in the first 12 minutes of the final frame to put Germany in desperation mode. Latvia’s relentless forechecking, crashing of Grubauer’s net and pinpoint-accuracy shooting were the building blocks of its win.

With Grubauer pulled for an extra attacker, Ottawa Senators forward Tim Stutzle tallied a goal with two minutes and 19 seconds remaining in the third period. The Germans were swarming and shooting at the Latvia net front. Stutzle’s shot caromed in off a Latvian defender.

But Germany could not secure the equalizer, hitting one goal post in the final pair of minutes. Though he earned a primary assist on his nation’s third goal, German-born Edmonton Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl could not score on any of his 10 shots on goal. His best chance was later in the second period on a breakaway, stopped by Silovs, who was acquired in a trade this past summer with Vancouver.

The Kraken’s American Hockey League affiliate, Coachella Valley, is all too familiar with Silovs. The Latvian goaltender backstopped the AHL Abbotsford Canucks to a Calder Cup championship last season, eliminating the Firebirds in the second round to end a third straight Western Conference title for the franchise now in its fourth season. Silovs finished with 26 saves, and Grubauer made 18 stops.

Germany faces Team USA Sunday (12:10 p.m. Pacific) while Latvia faces Denmark and Kraken forward prospect Oscar Fisker Molgaard in a game that could be pivotal in the group standings for Germany if Denmark is victorious. Fisker Molgaard and his Danish teammates play Team USA at 12:10 p.m. Saturday.

One note about Group B play: Sweden felled Slovakia Saturday to establish what will be a three-way tie if heavily favored Finland beats host nation Italy. As it stands, Slovakia’s goal differential in play among the projected tied three teams is good for a first-place bye into Tuesday’s quarterfinals.

A final-minute goal from St. Louis forward Dalibor Dvorsky narrowed Slovakia’s loss to 5-3. In a strange twist, when the final buzzer sounded, it was Slovakia celebrating its defeat while the Swedes appeared lost in thought about the surrendering the late tally. Both Dvorsky and Montreal Canadiens rising star Juraj Slafkovsky called it “the best loss” they’ve ever experienced.

Check back on the Kraken app and website for the outcome between Finland and Italy (7:40 a.m. puck drop).

February 13, 2026 | Goal from Bilka powers USA to 6-0 shutout of ITA, Americans advance to semifinals

The Olympic tournament is over for Torrent defender Aneta Tejralová and Team Czechia following their 2-0 loss to Sweden. Tejralová got off one shot on goal but was held pointless in her nation’s defeat.

In the later game, Team USA continued to do what they do best, with a dominant 6-0 shutout of Italy to advance to the semifinals on the heels of a goal from Hannah Bilka.

The game started off slow through the opening frame, with the only goal coming at equal strength off the stick of Megan Keller. Torrent alternate captain Carpenter earned the secondary assist, springing a give-and-go between 2026 PWHL Draft-eligible defender Laila Edwards and Boston Fleet captain Keller.

Once the puck dropped in the second frame, the offensive firepower that Team USA had treated opponents to all tournament long was back on display. The Americans scored three goals in the first five minutes of the middle period, including two from Minnesota Frost captain and four-time Olympian Kendall Coyne Schofield and another from Edwards. A shorthanded goal by Curl-Salemme put the United States up 5-0, before Torrent forward Bilka sealed the deal by tapping home a rebound for her fourth goal of the Games.

While Tejralová’s tournament is over, Team USA awaits the remainder of the quarterfinals to determine their next match. Torrent forward Julia Gosling and the Canadians will take on Germany tomorrow at 7:40 am PT.

February 13, 2026 | Finland, Kakko, Tolvanen Gain Upper Hand on Rival Sweden, 3-1

Kraken forward Kaapo Kakko earned the primary assist on his native Finland’s opening goal Friday against Sweden and was a net-front nuisance on the Finns’ second first-period goal. The double-strike built a 2-0 lead at first intermission that converted to a 3-1 win for Finland over its Nordic rival in an intense game that felt more like next week’s medal round.

That’s because Friday’s matchup was a must-win for Finland to still hope for a first-round bye as the first-place winner in Group B. Each top team in group round-robin play gets that bye. The best second-place team in group play will also receive a bye and become the 4^th seed in the overall tournament. From there, teams will be ranked No. 5 through No. 12 to determine which squads face each other Monday in four “Playoffs” games. The four Monday winners will face the bye teams on Wednesday (matchups to be determined).

Kakko and countryman Eeli Tolvanen can still win a first-place bye despite losing in a Wednesday 4-1 upset to Slovakia. It will require Sweden to beat Slovakia in regulation on Sunday and Finland to defeat Italy in regulation. There would then be a three-way tie to be decided by the Olympic tournament tiebreakers in this order: Goal differential, goals scored, and International Ice Hockey Federation 2025 ranking. Slovakia can seize the Group B bye with any kind of a win against the Swedes. Going one layer deeper, Slovakia has a plus-four goal differential after two games, while both Finland and Sweden have even goals-for/goals-against ratios.

In Friday’s Nordic showdown, the action on ice was practically breathless at the start of the third period. Nashville goalie Juuse Saros was the Finnish hero, making 34 saves, including half of those in the final period alone. Saros and the Finland penalty killers snuffed two mid- to late-third period power plays (five shots on the first of the two). All told, Sweden had six power-play opportunities and could muster just one man-advantage score in the game.

Kakko finished with the opening goal assists, two shots on goal, and several outstanding shifts as a net-front presence. On the game-winning goal, his linemate, Anton Lundell, tipped a shot from the point by Finland defenseman Eetu Luostarinen with Kakko occupying a Swedish defender at the other side of the crease. For his part, Lundell’s best play of the game was arguably a third-period “save” with his stick blade to prevent a loose puck crossing the goal line behind Saros. The puck was maybe an inch from making it a 3-2 game.

Tolvanen, who scored the lone goal in the loss to Slovakia, played a strong physical game Friday, as is his habit with Seattle. With Finland protecting a 3-1 lead late in the Olympics matchup, Tolvanen put a late-game strong hit on Sweden forward Joel Eriksson Ek, who had nearly scored on his previous shift.

The rivalry was clear all game long, most especially at the end of the middle period, when multiple players pushed and shoved as the frame ended. Three players from each side were in the penalty boxes when the final 20 minutes beckoned.

February 12, 2026 | Grubauer Makes 37 Saves in Win over Denmark, Fisker Molgaard

Young Kraken forward Oscar Fisker Molgaard scored for his native Team Denmark to tie up the opening game for the Danes, beating Germany goaltender and fellow Seattle teammate Philipp Grubauer. Fisker Molgaard took a net-front pass from NHL star Nikolaj Ehlers as he was speeding across Grubauer’s crease, first pushing the puck through the leg pad at the right post, then assuring the puck crossed the goal line, flying by the right goal post. But the popular Kraken goaltender went a clean sheet from there, making 37 saves in a 3-1 win for Germany.

Fisker Molgaard’s tally was the lone goal for Denmark, which fell behind 23 seconds into the game when German-born NHL superstar Leon Draisaitl ripped a shot past NHL goaltender Fredrik Andersen. The two squads were knotted at 1-1 first intermission via Molgaard hitting paydirt in the game’s 14^th minute as Grubauer made some big stops to keep the game even.

Grubauer faced 20 total shots in the final 40 minutes, turning away a game-high seven shots on goal by ex-Kraken Oliver Bjorkstrand and coming up with a huge save on Ehlers late-game that allowed German fans to avoid too much stress as the clock wound down. With elite scorers like Draisaitl and Stutzle, plus gifted young defenseman Moritz Seider and Grubauer continuing a bounce-back season, many experts project Germany to be a medal contender.

Denmark outshot the Germans 16 to 11 in the middle period with Grubauer playing a calm, tactical game to keep his net clear. Ottawa Senators star Tim Stutzle helped out Grubauer by scoring a pair of goals in the second stanza (the insurance deflecting off a Danish D-man’s shin guard) to establish a two-goal lead by mid-period that Grubauer made sure to keep safe. Stutzle’s second goal was scored on a power play when Fisker Molgaard was whistled off for holding Draisaitl behind the Danish net after an extended puck battle that was impressive for one of Seattle’s most promising prospects.

Despite the loss, Denmark and Fisker Molgaard are guaranteed to play four games against the “best on best” competition. As Coachell Valley Firebirds head coach Derek Laxdal was meeting with his coaches before Thursday’s practice to resume the American Hockey League season, he took a minute to discuss how the Olympic tournament would benefit Molgaard.

“He will be an even better two-way player for us after the four games,” said Laxdal about his centerman, who has seven goals and 15 assists for 22 points in 36 games during his AHL rookie season. “He will be going up against tough opponents each game [including Team USA on Saturday, 12:10 p.m.].”

February 12, 2026 | Gosling back on the scoresheet, CAN dominates FIN, 5-0, to wrap up preliminary play

At long last, Seattle Torrent forward Julia Gosling & Team Canada wrapped up the preliminary round, skating to a decisive 5-0 victory over Finland to finish with a 3-0-0-1 record in Group A.

Gosling, still on Canada’s fourth line alongside Kristin O’Neill and Jenn Gardiner, continued to have an impact on the ice and on the scoresheet, finishing the day with two assists. In the dying minutes of the first period, Gosling fed teammate Gardiner for her first Olympic goal, then found her second point of the night on O’Neill’s tally in the middle of the second frame to put the Canadians up 3-0. When all was said and done, the Canadians flipped the script from their previous match-up, handily taking down a stunned Finnish squad by a final score of 5-0.

With the gamesheet submitted, the preliminary round for the women’s tournament has ended, with the USA leading the pack and Team Canada close behind. Aneta Tejralová and Czechia, whose tournament started off with back-to-back losses, finished third in Group A with a 1-0-1-2 record.

The quarterfinals get underway on Friday, with Czechia squaring off against Sweden at 7:40 am PT. Hilary Knight, Alex Carpenter, Hannah Bilka, Cayla Barnes, and the rest of Team USA will face host country Italy at 12:10pm PT, followed by Gosling and the Canadians taking on Germany at 7:40 am PT on Saturday.

February 11, 2026 | Slovakia Upsets Finland, Tolvanen, Kakko in Opening Game

Kraken forward Eeli Tolvanen scored his native Finland’s first goal at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 to tie the opening matchup of the men’s hockey tournament at 1-1 against Slovakia. The problem is, the second-period score turned out to be Finland’s only goal. Slovakia poured in three third-period goals for a 4-1 upset.

Tolvanen, Kraken teammate and countryman Kaapo Kakko, and their squad now face Sweden on Friday. It is now a must-win game for Finland to keep its hopes of a bye into the quarterfinals alive, which start Feb. 18.

The 12 teams in the men’s tournament are divvied up into three groups for round-robin play. Finland is in Group B with Slovakia, Sweden, and host nation Italy (with Kraken VP and assistant GM Ricky Olczyk on the Italian leadership group). After each group plays three round-robin games, four teams receive byes to the quarterfinal knockout round. Each group's winners get a free pass along with the top second-place team. Standings points are earned with three points for a regulation win, two for an overtime or shootout win, and one for an overtime or shootout defeat. That second-place bye now requires Finland to win out in regulation against Sweden and Italy, then hope for help to come out as the top group runner-up with eyes on all three groups in round robin play.

Otherwise, Finland joins the remaining eight teams (including two second-place teams along with all third- and fourth-place squads) advancing to the so-called "playoff round” Feb.16. Basically, teams will be ranked from No. 5 to No. 12 and square off higher-ranked against lower-ranked. Kraken fans expected Finland, with Tolvanen and Kakko, to get a bye, while Philipp Grubauer and Germany, along with Oscar Fisker Molgaard and Denmark, would not. Now, experts would project that all four of the Kraken could well be participating in the “playoffs” to get to the quarterfinal round.

But as Game 1 proves, upsets are both possible and plausible. Slovakia entered Wednesday’s Olympic opener with seven NHL players compared to 24 for the Finns. Two young stars for Slovakia handled the key scoring for their country, with Montreal forward Juraj Slafkovsky tallying twice and St. Louis forward Dalibor Dvorsky scoring the game-winner seven-plus minutes into the third period. Slovakia scored a power-play goal on a long snapper through traffic three minutes later to make it 3-1. Slafkovsky scored seven goals at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics as a 17-year-old and now has nine goals in eight Olympic games.

Finland had its chances throughout the game with both Kakko (including a Grade-A opportunity early) and Tolvanen getting ample ice time while making timely plays. The Finns had outshot Slovakia by a two-to-one ratio after two periods with only a 1-1 tie to show for it.

That’s because Slovakia goaltender Samuel Hlavaj made 38 saves in the victory, many of them spectacular and acrobatic. It was basically a goalie steal by Hlavaj, a 24-year-old Minnesota Wild prospect who plays for the American Hockey League affiliate Iowa Wild.

February 10, 2026 | Bilka’s 2-goal efforts lead undefeated USA to shutout of CAN

In what many consider to be the marquee match-up of the preliminary round — and a preview of the gold medal game — Americans Hilary Knight, Alex Carpenter, Hannah Bilka, and Cayla Barnes went head-to-head against Julia Gosling and Team Canada for the first time since Team USA swept Canada in four Rivalry Series contests this fall, handily taking down their rivals from up north by a final score of 5-0.

The biggest story going into today’s match-up was the loss of Canadian and Montréal Victoire captain Marie-Philip Poulin, who is day-to-day with a lower-body injury following a hit from Kristýna Kaltounková during yesterday’s match-up with Czechia.

Team USA opened the game with a goal just under four minutes into the first period, with Torrent captain Knight winning a draw and feeding the puck to Haley Winn, who found Caroline Harvey for the goal. With the assist, Knight tied Jenny Potter for the most career points in American Olympic history (32).

Torrent forward Hannah Bilka also got in on the action with her second and third goals of the tournament. Her first tally came in the final minutes of the opening frame, with Bilka finding the back of the net off an unbelievable no-look pass from 2026 PWHL Draft eligible forward Abbey Murphy. Bilka scored her second goal of the game off another feed from Murphy, who skated through the zone and passed to Bilka at the top of the circle. From the slot, the Texas-born Torrent forward beat Canadian netminder Ann-Renée Desbiens to put the Americans up 4-0.

Bilka, acquired by Seattle with the third overall selection in the 2025 PWHL Expansion Draft, was bumped to the second line ahead of today’s match-up to skate alongside Murphy and Taylor Heise. The lineup change clearly paid off for Team USA head coach John Wroblewski, who is hunting for his first Olympic gold at the helm of the American women’s national team.

The Americans’ final tally to seal the 5-0 win came from 2026 PWHL Draft eligible defender Laila Edwards, a phenom out of the University of Wisconsin who has caught attention for her size and versatility at both forward and defense. With her appointment to the roster back in December, Edwards became the first Black woman to represent Team USA in women’s ice hockey — and with her goal today, became the first Black woman to score a goal for the American Olympic squad. Should Edwards declare for this summer’s Draft, she, like teammate Harvey, is projected to go in the first round and would be a valuable pick-up for a Torrent squad sitting out of playoff contention coming into the international break.

At the opposite end of the ice, Torrent forward Julia Gosling was held off the scoresheet for the first time tonight in Milan. The Canadians will look to regroup ahead of their final preliminary match-up against Finland on Thursday, ahead of the quarterfinals.

With today’s 5-0 win, the Americans have locked up the top seed in Group A and will not see the ice again until the knock-out round begins on Friday. Aneta Tejralová and Team Czechia, who wrapped up their preliminary play yesterday, await Thursday’s results of CAN-FIN to determine the final seeding for the next round.

February 9, 2026 | Gosling’s 2-goal effort leads CAN to 5-1 win over CZE, USA shuts out SUI to stay undefeated ahead of Tuesday’s rivalry rematch

The puck dropped first for Americans Hilary Knight, Alex Carpenter, Hannah Bilka, and Cayla Barnes, who skated to a 5-0 win over Switzerland in their third match-up of the tournament, while Julia Gosling and Team Canada handily took down Czechia, 5-1, with two goals from Gosling.

Despite a steady scoring pace in the first and second period, which saw captain Knight assist on Haley Winn’s opening tally, it took until the beginning of the third frame for a Torrent skater to find the back of the net — the longest any of the four skaters have been held off the board in three games so far. Forward Bilka, the Torrent’s second selection in the 2025 PWHL Expansion Draft, scored her first Olympic goal to put the Americans up by three, followed by a third period goal by Carpenter.

The third period seemed to come up all Seattle, with a pass from Knight in the neutral zone springing long-time teammate Carpenter on a breakaway that she took all the way to the net for her third goal in as many games. With her goal today, Carpenter ties American legend Jenny Potter for fourth all-time in Olympic goals scored by Americans (11). Knight finished the day with two assists, and Carpenter with a goal and an assist.

Across the city, a busy opening frame for the Canadians saw four goals on the scoresheet, including two in 39 seconds that resulted in Czechia swapping netminders with five minutes to play in the first frame. Torrent forward Gosling, who led Seattle in goals (6) and in points (12) ahead of the international break, tallied two power play goals en route to the 5-1 win.

Gosling, who started the tournament on the wing of captain Marie-Philip Poulin, was bumped to the fourth line alongside Kristin O’Neill and Jenn Gardiner (both of whom are also making their Olympic debuts). Despite the shuffle, Gosling was clearly still clicking with the second power play unit, with all three of her tallies this tournament coming with the advantage.

Opposite Canada, Aneta Tejralová and Team Czechia suffered their third loss of the tournament. Despite a less-than-promising preliminary round record of 1-0-1-2 for the Czechs, who have seen immense growth and success over the past several seasons of international competition (including their first two trips to the podium at the World Championships in 2022 and 2023), they are guaranteed a trip to the quarterfinals as part of their membership in Group A.

A fun note for Torrent fans tuning in from home: all Seattle skaters found the scoresheet in Milan today, with the only players left off the scoresheet being defenders Cayla Barnes (USA) and Tejralová (CZE).

Both the Americans and Canadians are back in action on Tuesday, skating opposite each other in what many consider the annual gold-medal preview, at 11:10 am. Tejralová and Czechia await the results of the remaining preliminary-round matches to determine their quarterfinal opponent.

February 8, 2026 | Tejralova, CZE skate to first win of tournament with 2-0 victory over winless FIN

The only Torrent skater in action today, defender Aneta Tejralová and Team Czechia bounced back after an inauspicious start to their tournament, toppling traditional powerhouse Finland by a final score of 2-0. Finland, still recovering from having a number of the team sidelined due to illness, has fallen to 0-2 in the preliminary round following yesterday’s shutout defeat at the hands of the United States.

Tejralová finished second amongst Czech skaters in time on ice with 23:27 logged over 28 shifts.

There will be no rest for the Czechs, who are right back into the fray Monday against Canada. The puck drops at 12:10 pm PT. The Americans, who enjoyed a Sunday off, will square off across the ice against Switzerland at 11:10 am PT in hopes of preserving their undefeated streak through the preliminary round.

February 7, 2026 | Knight makes history, USA stays undefeated; Gosling scores first Olympic goal in CAN opening win

Alex Carpenter, Hilary Knight, Hannah Bilka, and Cayla Barnes saw the first action of the day for the Torrent skaters in Milan, downing Finland 5-0 to advance to 2-0-0-0 in the preliminary round.

Carpenter once again opened the scoring for Team USA, getting onto the scoresheet in the first period with her second goal of the tournament just 7 seconds into the power play after Finland's Susanna Tapani sat for hooking. Carpenter’s goal was the difference-maker headed into the second frame, but the narrow margin wouldn’t last long.

Two quick goals by Americans Taylor Heise and Megan Keller opened the second period and extended the U.S. lead to 3, before Torrent & Team USA captain Knight continued to do what she does best: make history. With Finnish defender Ronja Savolainen in the box for holding, Laila Edwards fed Knight a net-front pass, and the 36-year-old from Sun Valley, Idaho, found the back of the net for her second goal of the tournament and 14th career Olympic tally. Knight finished the game tied with Team USA legends Natalie Darwitz and Katie King for the all-time American Olympic goals record.

In the evening game, Julia Gosling and Team Canada earned a dominant 4-0 win over Switzerland for the group’s first match of the tournament (their original first game, scheduled for Thursday vs. Finland, was postponed).

Gosling is the Torrent’s lone representative on the Canadian roster but is no stranger to the world stage. A late cut from the 2022 Olympic squad, Gosling has earned a gold and silver medal at the 2024 & 2025 World Championships, respectively, and has been in the Canadian national team development pipeline since 2018. A fun note: when Gosling suited up for the Canadian U-18 team in 2018 and 2019, she did so alongside future Torrent teammates Lexie Adzija (2018) and Danielle Serdachny and Megan Carter (2019).

Back to Milan: Despite generating a high shot volume in the first period, the Canadians didn’t find the net until the middle of the second frame when Natalie Spooner scored on the power play. Late in the third, now with a 2-goal cushion, a tripping call on Switzerland’s Nicole Vallario sent Canada to the power play. A net-front scramble ensued, and Gosling cleaned up in front for her first goal of the tournament and first career Olympic marker.

Knight, Carpenter, Bilka, Barnes, and the rest of Team USA will be back in action on Monday when they take on Switzerland at 11:10 am PT, followed by Gosling and Team Canada’s match-up with Czechia at 12:10 pm PT.

February 6, 2026 | Torrent's Tejralová leads CZE in time on ice, falls to SUI in shootout

Aneta Tejralová was the lone Torrent player to see game action on Day 2 of the preliminary round, with her native Czechia falling to Switzerland in the shootout, 4-3. Tejralová led Czech skaters in time on ice (21:59) through 65 minutes of play.

Still winless in Group A, Czechia will look to gain some ground back on Sunday in their next match-up when the puck drops at 12:10 pm vs. Finland. Provided the Finns can ice a healthy lineup as the group recovers from illness, Czechia will need both points from this upcoming contest to set the tone for the rest of the tournament.

February 5, 2026 | Torrent's Carpenter, Knight, Bilka power USA in Milano Cortina Opener

Torrent forwards Alex Carpenter, Hilary Knight, and Hannah Bilka and defenders Cayla Barnes and Aneta Tejralová took the ice for their first preliminary match-up of the 2026 Olympic Winter Games, with Carpenter, Knight, and the Americans claiming a 5-1 victory over Tejralová’s Team Czechia.

The first goal for Team USA came off the stick of alternate captain Alex Carpenter, who opened her third Olympic tournament today in Milan. Long-time American stalwart and Torrent captain Hilary Knight tallied the game’s fifth goal off a neutral zone feed from Carpenter and went top shelf to put the Americans up 4-1 over Czechia. Torrent rookie Hannah Bilka tallied her first Olympic point on Knight’s goal.

Knight’s third-period tally marks the first time three PWHL teammates have combined for a goal at any Olympic Games.

Prior to being reunited on a line in the Torrent’s top-6, Carpenter and Knight have competed alongside each other for Team USA since the 2013 Women’s World Championship in Ottawa, where the pair claimed their first of seven World Championship gold medals together.

Tejralová saw nearly 18 minutes of ice time in her country’s opening round defeat. The 30-year-old defender from Praha, Czechia, is skating in just her second Olympic tournament but has been part of the Czech national team program since age 15.

Torrent forward Julia Gosling was slated to make her Olympic debut this afternoon for Team Canada opposite Finland, but an illness among the Finnish squad caused the match-up’s postponement. Gosling and the Canadians will stay rested until Saturday, when they’ll face off against Switzerland at 12:10 pm PT.

Tejralová and Czechia will be back in action Friday to take on Switzerland at 5:40 am PT. Barring no further health complications or postponements, Knight, Carpenter, and Team USA will square off against Finland on Saturday at 7:40 am PT.