Canada’s women’s hockey team will be without its captain for its preliminary-round game against the archrival United States at the Milan Cortina Olympics.
The Canadian Olympic Committee and Hockey Canada announced that Marie-Philip Poulin will be unavailable for Tuesday’s game after sustaining a lower-body injury in Canada’s 5-1 win over Czechia on Monday.
Kristyna Kaltounkova hit Poulin nine minutes into the team’s 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.
Hockey Canada said Tuesday that Poulin had a “lower-body injury.”
“You never like to see that, especially to someone like that, our leader, our rock,” said linemate Laura Stacey, who is also married to Poulin.
“It hurts, and I think our bench did feel that a little bit. We all looked at each other, we all felt it. She’s picked us up so many times, she’s led the way and it was our turn to pick her up.
Poulin, who had an assist in Canada’s tournament-opening 4-0 win over Switzerland, is listed as day-to-day.
The 34-year-old from Beauceville, Que., known as “Captain Clutch,” is in her fifth Olympics and is seeking her fourth Olympic gold medal and fifth overall.
She is known for big Olympic moments against the U.S., including the game-tying goal and the winner in Canada’s 3-2 overtime victory in the 2014 gold medal game and two goals in Canada’s 3-2 championship win in 2022.
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.
Canada enters the game with a 2-0 record, while the Americans are 3-0.
Team Canada captain Marie-Philip Poulin injured during Canada’s win over Czechia
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.
Canada will close out preliminary play on Thursday against Finland. Their opener on Feb. 5 was postponed because of multiple cases of the norovirus among the Finns.
Poulin’s availability is uncertain for Saturday, when Canada is scheduled to play its quarterfinal against an opponent yet to be determined.
