The Athletic Hockey Show – Olympic Women’s Hockey Tournament Preview

Date: January 29, 2026
Hosts: Sean Gentille (B) & Haley Salvian (C)

Episode Overview

This special episode is a deep dive preview of the upcoming Olympic Women’s Hockey Tournament in Milan-Cortina 2026. With CBC and The Athletic’s Haley Salvian (a recognized women’s hockey analyst) co-hosting alongside Sean Gentille, the episode breaks down Canada vs. USA, player matchups, key storylines, the rest of the international field, and rapid-fire predictions. The tone is insightful but light, with smart analysis and plenty of on-the-ground perspective from Haley, who’s off to cover the Games.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Canada vs. USA: The Rivalry and Favorites ([03:20]–[18:22])

• The Eternal Final: "It's another Olympics where everyone can just fairly write and pen that it's going to be US versus Canada in the gold medal game. It’s been that way every year since 2006." – Sean [04:56]

• Who’s the Favorite?

  • Haley leans USA as the on-paper favorite. Recent tournaments and IIHF rankings put the U.S. at #1.
  • However: “Calling Canada the underdogs has been a little bit overdone…We’re the reigning Olympic champions. We won two of the last four world championships. Remember, they rewrote the record book in Beijing and demolished everybody.” – Haley [05:47–07:35]

• Team USA Analysis:

  • “The U.S. team is more dynamic. They are faster, they are younger, they can score more goals.”
  • Standouts: Hilary Knight, Kendall Coyne Schofield (“most productive 5-on-5 PWHL player last two seasons”), Kelly Pannek, Caroline Harvey, Abby Murphy.
  • “Abby Murphy and Caroline Harvey are going to be the breakout 'who are they?' players for the casual Olympic viewer.” – Haley [08:25]

• Team Canada Analysis:

  • More veteran, less dynamic, but loaded with Olympic experience (16 players from 2022; 9 in their third Games or more).
  • “If they can play to their strengths, I think Canada will be OK.” [08:54]

U.S. Dominance in Rivalry Series – Should Canada Be Worried? ([09:26]–[14:17])

• U.S. has won 6 straight versus Canada, including 24-7 cumulative scoreline in Rivalry Series and worlds.
• Haley’s caveats:
  • Canada was experimenting: “Troy Ryan has been very open…we’re testing new players, seeing how Watts, Jaques do”—rivalry series as tryouts for Olympic roster. [10:23–11:32]
  • U.S. was all-in; Canada was tinkering.
• Goalie reassurance: "And Renee Debien is not letting in five goals in a 10-4 beatdown in Milan. She is the best goalie on the planet. That was a blip on the radar." – Haley [13:20]
• Goaltending stats border on absurd:
  • "She had a .954 save percentage in the PWHL… these are sick numbers." – Sean [14:17–14:44]

Goaltending Matchup: Debien vs. Frankel ([15:05]–[18:22])

• Both are elite, but edge goes to Canada because Debien has "been there, done that."
• “If Canada wins gold, it’s because Debian stole it. If they win, it's a 3-2 game, Debian shut the door.” – Haley [16:10]
• “I do give Canada a bit of an edge. But you have to beat Frankel too.” – Haley

Canada’s Top Forwards – Who Rides With Poulin? ([18:22]–[22:57])

• Line construction drama
  • "Trying to find the right left winger for Marie Philip Poulin has been a challenge since Mélodie Daoust retired." – Haley [21:19]
  • Laura Stacey is a lock on the right. "She complements Poulin so well. Great forechecker, creates space, they’ve developed chemistry for club and country." [19:49–21:00]
  • Left wing options include Daryl Watts (elite scorer in PWHL), Jennifer Gardner (worked in Montreal), and other possible combinations.
• Memorable note: How Sarah Nurse unexpectedly became the top-line winger mid-tournament in 2022 and broke records [20:32].
• "Daryl Watts should make sense [on the top line] because she’s got a ton of skill…But we haven’t really seen that yet on Team Canada." – Haley

Tournament Format & The Rest of the Field ([25:12]–[37:18])

Group A/B Structure & Criticism ([27:11]–[31:22])

• Women’s tournament still uses “all the powers in Group A, others in Group B,” unlike men’s balanced format.
• “The way the groups are set up is actually starting to do a disservice…It’s hurting the growth of the game.” – Haley ([28:33])
• Sweden’s stagnation is blamed on lack of federation support and inability to play top teams, highlighting the need for group rebalancing ([29:21])

Medal Contenders Beyond USA/Canada

• Who’s next?

  • “Are we still just penciling in Finland–Czechia for the bronze medal game? I think so.” – Sean and Haley agree ([31:01],[31:22])

• Czechia’s case:

  • “Christina Kaltounkova’s been awesome in her rookie year, Natalie Malinkova is skilled, they have a nice mix of pros and NCAA young kids.” ([33:56])
  • Tara Lová’s health is a question mark.
  • “Most player poll respondents I spoke to picked Czechia for bronze.” – Haley

• Finland’s case:

  • Jenny Hirakoski playing her fifth Olympics, Michelle Karvinen (“highest scoring Finnish player at Worlds”), Susanna Tapani (“she’s sick”), Petra Nieminen (“one of the best forwards in the world”).
  • Haley leans Finland for bronze due to their physical, classic style—“sometimes the games are won in the trenches, unfortunately along the walls, and I think Finland’s very good at that.” ([35:40])

• Sweden as a sleeper: Dynamic, young team—“Hilda Svensson, name to watch!” ([37:18])

Rapid Fire Predictions & Big Picture ([40:33]–[49:12])

• Gold Medal Picks

  • Haley: "I'm gonna be spicy and say Canada. I think everyone’s poo-pooing them…the way they’re talking, I think they go in with a chip on their shoulder.” Comparisons to 2002 and 2014 cycles where Canada slumped pre-tournament then won gold ([40:33],[41:45])
  • Sean: “I have to go with the Americans…Frankel is going to bridge the gap, and a bunch of young superstars—tough to pick against them.” ([41:45])

• MVP

  • Haley: “Debien. If Canada wins, I don’t think they’re gonna score a ton of goals.” Reminds that a goalie (Florence Schelling) has won MVP before even on a bronze team ([42:13],[42:21])
  • Sean: Alex Carpenter—“At this point, she’s the best American player on the planet.” ([42:32])

• Leading Scorer

  • Haley: “Hilary Knight…she cooks against lower competition and comes up in big moments, too.” ([44:46])
  • Sean: “I’ll just say Carpenter again. I know it’s a boring chalk pick.” ([45:15])
  • Both float Abby Murphy as a contender, but with the caveat about her on-ice aggression possibly affecting MVP ballots.

• Best European Player

  • Haley: “Kaltounkova. Nobody has more goals than she does in the PWHL this season. This could be a huge moment for her.” ([46:19])
  • Sean: “Tapani for Finland. She just pops in every game I see—she’s active, always noticeable.” ([47:11])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Blunt Previews:
  • “The reality is, the Olympics provides an opportunity for more eyeballs on the sport…and I think Abby Murphy and Caroline Harvey specifically are going to come out as like, oh my god, who are these people?” – Haley [08:25]
  • “The women’s hockey tournament gets better every four years. But with the PWHL, the level of play will be even more raised—most of them have played in a best-on-best competitively all year.” – Haley [49:12]
• Insight for Casuals:
  • “Safe percentages in the PWHL are sick…9:15 is bad. In the NHL, that gets you Vezinas.” – Sean [14:17]
• Inside Broadcast Choices:
  • “[On host setups]…sometimes that’s just being a very kind host and not taking the time themselves. That’s your ‘how the sausage gets made.’” – Haley [03:57]
  • “[On MVP voting] …my biggest beef, it’s an honor, but you have to vote for MVP with 15 minutes to go in a game that’s always going to overtime!” – Haley [44:34]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:20] Start of Olympic women’s hockey tournament preview
• [04:56] The inevitability of USA-Canada in the gold medal game
• [05:47–09:26] Who’s the favorite and team-by-team breakdown
• [10:03–13:34] How to interpret Rivalry Series/Worlds results and Canada’s strategy
• [14:45–18:22] Goaltending breakdown: Debien vs. Frankel
• [18:22–22:57] Canada’s forward lines and Poulin’s wingers
• [27:11–31:22] Group format criticism and development impact
• [31:22–37:18] Battle for bronze: Finland, Czechia, Sweden as dark horse
• [40:33–49:12] Predictions: Gold, MVP, leading scorer, best European player
• [49:12–51:00] Big picture: Growth potential and excitement for the sport

Final Thoughts & Outlook

• Haley’s closing thoughts: The tournament will be a showcase for women’s hockey’s rapid progress, especially with the momentum from the PWHL. "This is a huge opportunity for the PWHL to grab those eyeballs and grow sustainability and momentum for the sport."
• Both hosts encourage fans to tune in: "Millions may watch this gold medal game—and now, unlike in the past, they can see these stars all year in the PWHL."

In Short

• Canada-US rivalry remains the headline, but the gap is closing
• Canada leans on experience and goaltending; US on speed and star youth
• Czechia and Finland lead the European charge for the bronze
• Big potential for breakout stars given Olympic exposure
• Anticipation is high for a best-ever Olympic women’s tournament—"the level of hockey is about to go up another notch."

This summary captures the essence, insight, and exuberant tone of the preview, perfect for any listener wanting the full rundown ahead of the Milan-Cortina women's hockey tournament.