The 2017-18 U.S. Women’s National Team will finish its pre-Olympic exhibition series against Canada tonight (Dec. 17) at 5 p.m. MT/7 p.m ET in Edmonton, Alta., at Rogers Place. Tonight’s game marks the eighth and final meeting between the U.S. and Canada on the season, the U.S. having won three of the first seven.
GAME DAY: Today marks the eighth and final meeting between the U.S. and Canada leading up to the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, and the third held between the two teams north of the border. Today’s game will be televised in the U.S. on NHL Network. Follow the updates on Twitter @USAHockey and join the conversation by using the hashtag #TheTimeIsNow.
ON TOUR: The Time is Now Tour, presented by Toyota, wrapped up on Friday (Dec. 15) at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., as the U.S. fell to Canada, 3-1, to finish the series with a record of 2-0-1-2-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L-T). Both of the U.S. wins came during the 2017 Four Nations Cup, which was held Nov. 7-12 in Wesley Chapel and Tampa, Florida. The U.S. went undefeated throughout the tournament, with wins also coming against Finland (8-2) and Sweden (5-0) en route to its third straight tournament championship.
TOP PERFORMERS: Forward Kendall Coyne (Palos Heights, Ill.) and defenseman Emily Pfalzer (Buffalo, N.Y.) led the way for the U.S. throughout The Time is Now Tour, presented by Toyota, as the team’s top point-getters – Coyne with 8 (4-4) and 9 on the season overall (4-5), and Pfalzer with 7 (4-3) and 8 on the season overall (4-4). All three U.S. goaltenders – Nicole Hensley (Lakewood, Colo.), Alex Rigsby (Delafield, Wis.) and Maddie Rooney (Andover, Minn.) – turned in impressive performances throughout the season, making a collective total of 175 saves on 193 shot attempts by opponents.
PRE-OLYMPIC TOUR: After falling to Canada in the previous three matchups on Friday (Dec. 15) at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., Tuesday (Dec. 5) in Winnipeg, Man., and Sunday (Dec. 3) in St. Paul, Minn., the U.S. record against Canada moved to 3-0-1-3-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L-T) on the season. In the pre-Olympic tour that preceded the Sochi Winter Olympic Games, the Bring On The World Tour, the U.S. finished 3-1-0-0-3 (W-OTW-OTL-L-T) against its rival.
TURNING THE PAGE: As 2017 comes to a close, the Olympic year will officially begin. Since falling to Canada in overtime, 3-2, and earning a silver medal at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games, the U.S. Women’s National Team has played Canada in seven international events (three IIHF Women’s World Championships and four Four Nations Cups, including the 2017 Four Nations Cup), winning six of seven titles and 11 of 14 games overall. Including the pair of exhibition games played in 2016 (part of the Winter Champions Series) and the 2017-18 season, since Sochi, the U.S. has won 12 of 21 games overall against its northern rival. The 23-player 2018 U.S. Olympic Women’s Ice Hockey Team – which will be announced on Jan. 1, 2018 – has its sights set on winning the U.S.’s first Olympic gold medal in women’s ice hockey in 20 years.
Date | Opponent | TIme (Local/ET)/Result | Venue | Location | Broadcast/Stream |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sun., Oct. 22 | Canada | W, 5-2 | Centre Videotron | Quebec City, Que. | NHL Network |
Wed., Oct. 25 | Canada* | L, 1-5 | Agganis Arena | Boston, Mass. | NHL Network |
Tues., Nov. 7 | Finland Four Nations Cup* |
W, 8-2 | Florida Hospital Center Ice | Wesley Chapel, Fla. | HockeyTV |
Wed., Nov. 8 | Canada Four Nations Cup* |
W, 4-2 | Florida Hospital Center Ice | Wesley Chapel, Fla. | HockeyTV |
Fri., Nov. 10 | Sweden Four Nations Cup* |
W, 5-0 | Florida Hospital Center Ice | Wesley Chapel, Fla. | HockeyTV |
Sun., Nov. 12 | Canada Championship Game Four Nations Cup* |
W, 5-1 | AMALIE Arena | Tampa, Fla. | HockeyTV |
Sun., Dec. 3 | Canada* | L, 1-2 OT | Xcel Energy Center | St. Paul, Minn. | NBCSN Live Stream: NBC Sports App |
Tues., Dec. 5 | Canada | L, 0-2 | Bell MTS Place | Winnipeg, Man. | NHL Network |
Fri., Dec. 15 | Canada* | L, 1-3 | SAP Center | San Jose, Calif. | NBCSN Live Stream: NBC Sports App |
Sun., Dec. 17 | Canada | L, 1-2 OT | Rogers Place | Edmonton, Alta. | NHL Network |
Sat. Jan 13 | Team NWHL | W, 3-0 | Florida Hospital Center Ice | Wesley Chapel, Fla. | HockeyTV |
Mon., Jan. 15 | Team NWHL | W, 6-2 | Florida Hospital Center Ice | Wesley Chapel, Fla. | HockeyTV |
*Game part of The Time is Now Tour, presented by Toyota