United States women's national ice hockey team

History

Women's ice hockey became an Olympic sport at the 1998 Winter Olympics, where the US won the gold medal in an upset over perennial world champions Canada. As of 2026, in five of the last six Winter Olympics the gold medal match was between the United States and Canada, with the United States winning gold in 2026 Winter Olympics. Since their inclusion in the Olympics' the women's team has appeared in all but one gold medal match with each appearance playing against the Canadian women's team.

On March 15, 2017, players for the U.S. women's ice hockey team announced that they would boycott the 2017 World Championship over inequitable support and conditions for women's ice hockey unless concessions were made by USA Hockey. Members of the team including captain Meghan Duggan made public statements regarding poor pay and conditions for female hockey players. The players were publicly supported by the players' associations for the NBA, WNBA, MLB and the NHLPA. On March 28, 2017, the players agreed to play in the World Championship after an agreement was struck with USA Hockey to increase player pay and support for women's development.

In 2023, team member Laila Edwards became the first black woman to play for the US, and became the first black woman of any country to win a gold medal in women's hockey in 2026. In May 2025, Olympic team captain Hilary Knight announced that the 2026 Winter Olympics would be her fifth and final Olympics, Knight is the only United States female player to win five medals at the Olympics.

During the 2026 Winter Olympics the women's team was undefeated with a perfect record allowing for only one point in their opening game against Czechia during the preliminary rounds prior to the gold medal. The team outscored all of their opponents at 33–2 and won all seven of their games. Megan Keller scored a overtime goal to defeat Canada at 2–1, after Hilary Knight tied the game in the final moments of regulation. Members of the team were named to Olympic all star teams with Caroline Harvey being named a MVP and best Defender, Harvey, Laila Edwards, and Hannah Bilka being named to the Media All-Star Team. Of the 23-person team, nine players are 23 or younger, 12 are newcomers and four made their Olympic debut in the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

After the 2026 Winter Olympics men's ice hockey teams gold medal game, President Trump called the men's team and joked that he would also need to invite the Women’s Olympic team–who had also won gold–to the White House and State of the Union or risk being impeached. The women's team rejected the invite to the White House, with captain Hilary Knight calling the joke distasteful and lamented the overshadowing of the teams' connections, and highlighted a good learning point about how women in sports are discussed. During the Olympics the women's team met and dined with actor Stanley Tucci in Milan, Italy. The women's team was also invited by Flavor Flav along with other female Olympian and Paralympian athletes to celebrate their achievements in July 2026 through the She Got Game weekend event.

Rivalry with Canada

Team USA has a long-term rivalry with Canada. Since women's ice hockey was introduced to the Winter Olympics in 1998, every Olympic gold medal game except one has featured the United States against Canada, with the U.S. winning multiple titles in those meetings. This rivalry often draws significant media attention and fan interest. The U.S.–Canada rivalry has produced historic moments and elevated women's ice hockey in both countries while raising the bar for excellence in the sport worldwide.

Historically, the rivalry has been most visible during the Winter Olympics and World Championships. While Canada initially dominated the early Olympic competitions, the United States has also won Olympic gold in head-to-head finals, including a dramatic 2–1 overtime victory over Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. At the IIHF Women's World Championships, the two nations have frequently met in gold-medal games, largely dominating the sport and consistently competing for the top spot.

Rivalry Series

Beyond major tournaments, USA Hockey and Hockey Canada have formalized the rivalry through the Rivalry Series, an annual set of exhibition games designed to showcase top international women's hockey and prepare both teams for major championships. It has been played annually since its inception in 2018–19. The 2025 Rivalry Series featured four games between the two nations, with the United States sweeping all four matchups and outscoring Canada by a combined 24–7. Players and media describe the rivalry as exceptionally competitive and emotionally charged, with elite talent and exciting games becoming the norm whenever the teams meet. Team USA players have emphasized that beating Canada is a central focus of many national team cycles, with heightened preparation and intensity leading up to the Olympics.

Tournament record

Team

Current roster

Roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Head coach: John Wroblewski

Development team roster

Roster for the 2026 Collegiate Series.

Head coach: John Wroblewski

IIHF World Championship directorate awards

Since 1990, the IIHF has given awards for each championship tournament to the best goalie, defenseman, and forward, and Most Valuable Player (MVP). The following team members have won awards: