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Teams from the United States and Canada will reignite their bitter rivalry Thursday in the women’s ice hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
All eyes will be on the Americans when faceoff drops in Milan, Italy at 1:10 p.m. ET. “Miracle on Ice” star Jim Craig will be among the spectators.
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Jim Craig celebrates the victory of the American team against the USSR on February 22, 1980. (Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
He shared some advice for the women’s team before the match.
“As the women of Team USA go for gold, remember: The moment is not bigger than you. You have prepared for this,” he wrote on X. “Trust in the work. Trust in yourself. Compete with heart.
“When you play for the name on the front of the jersey, anything is possible.”
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Caroline Harvey (4) of the United States shoots during the second period of a women’s ice hockey quarterfinal match between the United States and Italy at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Friday, February 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Craig was the goalie for Team USA when the United States won gold at the 1980 Winter Olympics, upsetting the Soviet Union and edging out Finland for the gold medal.
It hasn’t been the same conflict on the women’s side, as they’ve been mostly in cruise control during the Olympics this time around. The Americans outscored their opponents in the group stage, 16-1, including a 5-0 victory over Canada on February 10.
In the tournament portion, the American team dominated its opponents 11-0.
U.S. players celebrate after a women’s ice hockey semifinal match between the United States and Sweden at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
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The United States will look to win gold in a rematch of the Beijing Games in 2022. Canada dominated the United States 3-2 in that match. The United States and Canada have faced each other in every gold medal game since the 2010 Olympics in Canada.
