MILAN — The Canadian women’s hockey team will be facing border rival United States minus captain Marie-Philip Poulin in a highly anticipated preliminary round game between the sport’s top powers at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Tuesday night.
About five hours before faceoff, Canada’s Olympic Committee announced Poulin would not play due to an injury, without elaborating. The news came a day after Poulin limped off the ice with an undisclosed lower-body injury in the first period of a 5-1 win over Czechia.
rescheduled game against Finland.
Poulin, 34, is considered day-to-day, though it’s unclear when the player nicknamed «Captain Clutch» will be available for Canada’s preliminary round closing game against Finland on Thursday — the game was previously scheduled for last week but postponed after the Finns’ roster was depleted by a stomach virus.
And Poulin’s availability is uncertain for Saturday, when Canada is scheduled to play its quarterfinal against an opponent yet to be determined.
Kristyna Kaltounkova hit Poulin nine minutes into the teams’ game, making contact with her helmet. Poulin returned for a shift on the resulting power play but headed back to the bench within seconds and seemed to be keeping weight off her right leg.
She headed to the locker room but was briefly back on the Canada bench, smiling broadly, near the end of the first period. Poulin did not return.
U.S. coach John Wroblewski called it «a shame» upon learning of Poulin’s injury following his team’s 5-0 win over Switzerland on the same evening.
Poulin’s injury has sent shock waves through Canada’s hockey community, and is considered a potential major blow to the team’s chances to defend its Olympic title and win a sixth gold medal. She is one of the nation’s most decorated female players and earned her nickname by having scored three gold-medal-clinching goals.
Poulin is making her fifth Olympic appearance, and her 17 career Olympic goals are one short of matching the women’s team record set by Hayley Wickenheiser. She has been particularly dominant against the U.S. in being Canada’s active leader with 74 points (42 goals, 32 assists) in 104 games against the Americans.
Poulin’s injury puts on hold her longtime rivalry against U.S. captain Hilary Knight, who is also competing in her fifth Olympics — a U.S. women’s hockey team record. Knight has already announced these will be her last Winter Games, while Poulin has not shed light on her future.
Though Canada has won its first two games by a combined 9-1, concerns were raised over whether the team had fallen behind the Americans, who entered the tournament as favorites.
The worries particularly arose after the U.S. swept Canada in a four-game exhibition Rivalry Series spanning November and December. Canada was out-scored by a combined 24-7, including a 10-4 win which marked the most goals Canada has ever allowed in international play.
The U.S. has won six straight meetings against the Canadians dating to a two-game sweep in winning the gold medal at the world championship in April.
«I don’t know where she’s at but I do know, no matter what, we’re all going to stick together,» said Canada forward Laura Stacey, who is also married to Poulin. «We are going to support her and I know she’s going to support us, so whatever happens I know that our team is in great hands.»
