MILAN – The U.S. Olympic women’s hockey team won’t have to see Marie-Philip Poulin in its first meeting against rival Canada in Milan.
Team Canada ruled out Poulin due to a lower-body injury Tuesday evening, just a few hours before taking on the United States in the most highly-anticipated matchup of the women’s preliminary round at the 2026 Winter Games.
On Monday night, Poulin exited Canada’s 5-1 win over Czechia in the first period after absorbing a big hit from Czech forward Kristýna Kaltounková.
Despite taking the ice on the ensuing power play, Poulin ultimately retreated to the locker room shortly into her shift.
She returned to the bench toward the end of the period, but did not take another shift for the remainder of the game.
The 34-year-old Poulin is considered day-to-day, according to a statement from Hockey Canada.
Considering it’s only the preliminary round, Canada is naturally taking precautions with their 11-year captain.
2026 WINTER OLYMPICS
Workload management has already made its way into the conversation around the men’s and women’s hockey tournament, with Sweden’s handling of William Nylander serving as an example.
Poulin, a five-time Olympian and future Hall of Famer, is the heartbeat of Team Canada.
Collecting three Olympic golds over her career, Poulin is one of the most decorated women hockey players of all time.
