Shannon Coulter
GAME NOTES: CANADA VS. SWITZERLAND (FEB. 16)
It’s a rematch from the preliminary round in the semifinals on Monday as Canada’s Women’s Olympic Team takes on Switzerland for a spot in the gold medal game at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan.
Last Game
Canada advanced to the semifinals with a 5-1 win over Germany on Saturday. Marie-Philip Poulin returned after missing two games with a lower-body injury and scored a historic goal (more on that below). Sarah Fillier had a goal and an assist and Daryl Watts chipped in with two assists.
Switzerland blanked Finland 1-0 in its quarterfinal on Saturday. Alina Müller scored the lone goal for the Swiss late in the second period. Andrea Brändli turned in an excellent performance, stopping all 40 shots she faced for the shutout to return Switzerland to the Olympic semifinals for the second Games in a row.
Last Meeting
The Canadians began their journey in Milan with a 4-0 win over Switzerland, scoring three times on the power play. Julia Gosling and Daryl Watts scored their first Olympic goals, with Watts also adding an assist. Natalie Spooner opened the scoring, Sarah Fillier had a goal and an assist and Emerance Maschmeyer needed to make just six saves as Canada gave up its third-fewest shots ever in an Olympic game.
What to Watch
It was a historic return to the ice for Poulin on Saturday. The Canadian captain scored her 18th career Olympic goal, pulling even with Hayley Wickenheiser for the most by a women’s hockey player at the Games. And more history is on the horizon in the semifinal; Poulin will pull even with Wickenheiser and Jayna Hefford for the most games played by a Canadian at the Olympics (26). Fillier continues to climb the all-time Canadian scoring chart; with six points (3-3—6) in five games, which has her tied with Watts for the team lead, the Georgetown product is up to 17 (11-6—17) in 12 career games. That has Fillier 13th among all Canadian women who have played at the Olympics, and her 11 goals is already seventh best.
Müller continues to lead the way offensively for the Swiss. The 27-year-old has been a constant for Switzerland in recent years at major international events—she has led or co-led in scoring at four of seven IIHF Women’s World Championships since 2017 and at the Olympics in 2018 and 2022, leading the entire tournament in scoring (and earning Best Forward honours) in PyeongChang. So it comes as no surprise that Müller has been the straw stirring the Swiss drink in Milan, scoring three of the team’s five goals—including the lone marker in the quarterfinal thriller with the Finns—and assisting on another. The veteran leadership shown by Müller and captain Lara Stalder, among others, has been important with the Swiss icing the youngest roster in the women’s hockey tournament, averaging just 23.09 years old.
A Look Back
This marks the seventh meeting between Canada and Switzerland at the Olympic Winter Games, and the Canadians have won every matchup so far.
The first time these teams faced off was in Vancouver, with Canada earning a 10-1 win in the preliminary round. Meghan Agosta had two goals, with Wickenheiser and Cherie Piper adding a goal and two assists each.
All-time record: Canada leads 6-0 Canada goals: 44 Switzerland goals: 6