GAME DAY: Tonight is the first meeting between the U.S. and Canada at the 2016 Four Nations Cup. Tonight’s game will take place at 6:30 p.m. (local) at the Vierumaki Arena in Vieurmaki, Finland. The game will be streamed live on LiveStream.com. Follow along on Twitter @USAHockey and @USAHockeyScores and join the conversation by using hashtag #4NationsCup. Prior to the 2016 Four Nations Cup, the last meeting between the two teams at this event took place on Nov. 4, 2015. In that game, the U.S. defeated Canada, 3-2, in overtime in the championship game.
USA vs. CANADA: In the Four Nations Cup, Team USA has a 6-5-6-22-1 record (W-OTW-OTL-L-T) overall.
Prior to the Four Nations Cup, the last time the U.S. and Canada met in an international tournament was on April 4 during the 2016 IIHF Women’s World Championship in Kamloops, British Columbia. There, the U.S. defeated Canada, 1-0, in overtime to win the gold-medal.
The United States and Canada are the only gold-medal winners in Olympic Winter Games and IIHF World Women’s Championship history. Team USA won the inaugural Olympic gold medal in 1998, while Canada has taken the top prize in the four Games since (2002, 2006, 2010, 2014).
The United States has captured gold at seven of the 17 IIHF Women’s World Championships it has participated in, including six of the last seven world championships (2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016) and seven overall, including 2005, while Canada won gold the remaining 10 years (1990, 1992, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2012).
GETTING OFFENSIVE: Fifteen players have at least one point in the tournament, while seven players have multiple points. Monique Lamoureux-Morando leads the tournament with five points (2-3) in two games and Brianna Decker paces the event with four assists overall and is second with four points. Haley Skarupa is tied for second overall with three assists and tied for third with three points.
PERFECTION: Goaltenders Alex Rigsby and Nicole Hensley both registered shutouts in the games they started at the Four Nations Cup as Team USA has not been scored against in the Four Nations Cup. Rigsby made eight saves in the opening game versus Sweden before Hensley stopped all 18 she faced vs. Finland on Wednesday.