Team USA and Team Canada Meet in Olympic Gold Medal Game for Sixth Time
Kenny Albert (Play-by-Play), Gold Medalist A.J. Mleczko (analyst), Gold Medalist Angela Ruggiero (Studio Analyst) and Leila Rahimi (Reporter in Beijing) to Call Game
“The rivalry between these two powerhouses continues to elevate this sport to incredible new heights.” – A.J. Mleczko
“The passion and emotion on both sides of this tremendous rivalry is second to none.” – Kenny Albert
STAMFORD, Conn. – Feb. 15, 2022 – Adding yet another chapter to one of the fiercest rivalries in sports, Team USA and Team Canada will face off in the Olympic women’s hockey gold medal game at the Wukesong Sports Center in Beijing, China, on Wednesday night at 11:05 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
The U.S. and Canada have met in five of six Olympic gold medal games. Canada has won three of those five gold medal matchups, but the Americans won the most recent contest, a thrilling shootout at PyeongChang 2018. The teams met in the preliminary round in Beijing with Canada defeating the U.S. 4-2. Following are the results of the previous five Olympic gold medal games the teams have played:
| YEAR | OLYMPICS | SCORE |
| 1998 | Nagano | USA, 3-1 |
| 2002 | Salt Lake City | Canada, 3-2 |
| 2010 | Vancouver | Canada, 2-0 |
| 2014 | Sochi | Canada, 3-2 (OT) |
| 2018 | PyeongChang | USA, 3-2 (SO) |
Since the introduction of the IIHF women’s world championship in 1990 and the inclusion of women’s ice hockey on the Olympic program in 1998, Canada and the United States have met in the gold medal game at 24 of 26 major tournaments. Seven of the last nine meetings between the teams in major finals have gone to overtime, including each of the last four.
On the call for the gold medal game is Kenny Albert (play-by-play), A.J. Mleczko (analyst), Angela Ruggiero (studio analyst) and Leila Rahimi (reporter in Beijing). This is Albert’s third women’s gold medal game for NBCU having also called the final in 2002 and 2018. Mleczko, who won gold in 1998 and silver in 2002 as a member of Team USA, is working her fifth Winter Olympics for NBCU. Ruggiero, a former teammate of Mleczko, is a four-time Olympian (1998-2010) having won one gold and two silver medals. Rahimi is working her second Olympics for NBCU.
Producing USA-Canada is Kaitlin Urka, who will be the first woman to ever produce the women’s hockey gold medal game for NBCU.
Albert: “The 2018 gold medal game was one of the most exciting and memorable broadcasts of my career. The passion and emotion on both sides of this tremendous rivalry is second to none. In Beijing, the United States has received balanced scoring from up and down the entire roster as well as outstanding goaltending, while Canada has scored goals at a record-setting pace. I can’t wait for Wednesday night!”
Mleczko: “There’s nothing better than Team USA vs. Canada with an Olympic gold medal on the line. The rivalry between these two powerhouses continues to elevate this sport to incredible new heights. I am honored to have been on the team that was awarded the first-ever Olympic gold medal in women’s hockey 24 years ago, and I am thrilled for the next chapter of this epic battle to unfold in Beijing.”
Wednesday’s Olympic primetime show on NBC and Peacock will air from 8:00-10:30 p.m. ET, followed by local news (except on the west coast). Prime Plus, including the USA-Canada gold medal game, begins at 11:05 p.m. ET across all time zones. For more information on Wednesday night’s Olympic programming, click here.
--WINTER OLYMPICS--
