Updated February 19, 2026 at 3:54 PM MST
MILAN — With Olympic gold on the line, with just over two minutes to play in regulation of Thursday's final match, it was the U.S. women's hockey team's two biggest stars who kept their dream alive.
The 22-year-old phenom Laila Edwards, a Day 1 starter in her first career Olympic Games, launched a rocket toward the goal, where the 36-year-old captain of Team USA, Hilary Knight, tipped the puck into the net — sending Milan's Santagiulia Arena into roars and the gold medal match into overtime, where the Americans prevailed 2-1.
The equalizer by Knight, with an assist by Edwards and Megan Keller, represented the essence of this U.S. team — the energy of its young stars combined with the calm experience of its veteran leadership.
Then, just over four minutes into a thrilling, fast-paced overtime period, Keller was the hero, maneuvering the puck around Canadian defender Claire Thompson for the game-winner.
Coming into the gold medal match, the Americans hadn't yet trailed in their entire Olympic run, in which they had outscored their opponents 31 to 1.
But Canada struck first with a shorthanded goal just 54 seconds into the second period, after a rare defensive lapse by 22-year-old U.S. star Laila Edwards allowed Canadian forward Laura Stacey to scoop up the puck and charge toward the goal before passing it across to teammate Kristin O'Neill, who finished neatly around the pads of U.S. goaltender Aerin Frenkel.
That set up a nerve-racking second and third period in which the U.S. players pressed repeatedly, desperately even, to keep alive their dreams of a gold medal — then, in the span of barely six minutes, Knight's equalizer and Keller's game-winner.
"Words can't even articulate how I'm feeling right now. This is something I've wanted for my whole life and I finally got it," said U.S. forward Hayley Scamurra. "It's beautiful. I'm just so proud of being on this team."
For decades, Canada had been the top dog of Olympic women's ice hockey. Since the sport was added to the Winter Games in 1998, Canada has reached the gold medal match all eight times and won five of those.
The Americans won the first gold medal back in 1998, but it took 20 years to win a second — on a shootout, no less.
But things have changed dramatically over the past year. Since February 2025, the two teams have faced each other nine times — including last week in an Olympic group stage match — and the U.S. has won all but one.
At the Olympic preliminary match just nine days ago, the U.S. won 5-0, although Canada was playing without its captain and best player, Marie-Philip Poulin, who returned from injury to play in Thursday's game.
Coming into the 2026 Games, Canada placed its Olympic bet on experienced players. The U.S. instead bet on youth development. The average age of the U.S. Olympic roster is under 27 years old, while Canada's roster, on average, is just about 30. Seven American players are still in college; Canada has zero.
Now, the Americans' wager has paid off. Four of the team's five leading scorers in Milan — including Edwards, defensemen Caroline Harvey and forwards Hannah Bilka and Abbey Murphy — are all 22, 23 or 24 years old.
"In my opinion, I think this is the best hockey team [that] women's hockey has ever seen," said U.S. forward Kelly Pannek. "Up and down the lineup in every single role, whether it was points on the board or penalty kills, power plays, you name it, everyone knew what their role was going into this and executed."
Thursday's final was the last Olympic game for Knight, the most accomplished hockey player in U.S. Olympic history. She has competed in five Olympic Games, winning two gold medals, including Thursday's, and three silvers. Her equalizer late in the third period marked her 15th career Olympic goal, the most all-time of any U.S. women's hockey player.
Knight's stamp on women's hockey extends beyond her Olympic records. She was key in the founding of the Professional Women's Hockey League, the most stable and financially successful such league to date, with eight teams now and expansion plans in the works.
In total, her legacy is not only one of her own past success, but a sustained future of success for the U.S. women's national team, as more players have the genuine capability to pursue hockey professionally and continue development into their 20s and 30s.
"Simply put, we are not here without her," said Heise. "Obviously it's sad to say that this might be her last one. We're going to hopefully do it for her as well."
Copyright 2026 NPR
