How Canadians got to the Olympic gold medal hockey game

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BEIJING — He was an assistant coach at the time, but Troy Ryan has invested heavily in the talent and commitment of Canada’s elite female hockey players.

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Like the players who suffered the most, the shootout loss to the Americans at the Gangneung Hockey Center in Pyeongchang left a mark on Ryan’s memory.

Above all, he will remember the look of anguish on the faces of Canadian players who narrowly failed in the gold medal showdown with their passionate rival four years ago.

However, out of the carnage and emotion, tears and disappointment, came a revolution in Canadian women’s hockey.

It took four tough years to get to the same familiar stage, this time with a chance for gold medal redemption against the Americans here on Thursday. And while Ryan and his players didn’t dwell on the depth of the grief of that moment in South Korea, they haven’t forgotten it either.

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“I remember it very well,” said Ryan, who took over as head coaching for the women’s program in 2019. “I remember seeing a lot of faces.

“We had a few conversations earlier this year and one of the comments we made was, ‘I’d rather be a little tougher on them periodically this year if it means not seeing some of those faces on the blue line at the end. ‘”

So, under Ryan’s steady hand and General Manager Gina Kingsbury’s encouragement, the team was rebuilt. There are 10 first-time Olympians on the Canadian roster in China – young stars like Sarah Fillier mingling with proven veterans like captain Marie-Phillip Poulin, Sarah Nurse and Natalie Spooner.

But the staff are only part of the brilliance unfolding on the ice here, and a product of Ryan and Kingsbury forging ahead with change. They are well retooled and built to be a super power in their sport. Encouraged to show their skill and talent with a relentless attack on offense, they played the opposition, racking up double-digit scores in four of six wins.

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The domination is real, but it is not an accident, nor a regression of other nations.

“It’s not easy, believe me,” said Canada captain and future Hockey Hall of Famer Poulin. “The hard work that’s put in behind the scenes that not many people see. There’s a team behind us that supports us all. The heart and soul that all of these girls have shown over the past two years is there. We’re here.” very proud.”

Poulin’s words are instructive for those who want to diminish (and even remove) the place that belongs to women’s hockey from its place in the Olympics.

But isn’t it possible that the Canadians dominated the early stages of this tournament like no women’s team before them because they worked harder and improved at a faster rate than the rest of the world, the States States included?

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It’s cause for celebration, really, not an indictment.

“I think we’re taking the game to new heights right now,” said forward Nurse, who leads the tournament with 16 points (four goals and 12 assists). “I know people are watching the scores and we’re just dominating the teams, but I think what we’re doing on the ice right now is pushing the pace of women’s hockey.

“We play a style that has never been seen in our tournament before. We will continue to push the limits and continue to improve our sport. »

The most anticipated showdown has once again come to fruition, a rematch of six of the previous titles and a rematch of a group clash last week in which Canada lapped the United States, 4-2.

Canada has now reached all seven Olympic finals since women’s hockey made its debut at the 1998 Games in Nagano. They lost to the United States that year, then won four consecutive gold medals from 2002 to 2014 before the Heartbreaker in 2018.

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Heading for a seventh appearance on the golden stage, however, the offense was beyond brilliant, really, which led to superlatives.

The 54 goals surpassed Canada’s own Olympic record of 48 at Vancouver 2010 and everyone on the roster scored at least one point. Led by Nurse, whose 12 assists equal the Olympic record of the great Hayley Wickenheiser, the Canadian snipers hold the top six spots in the scoring chart.

Finish it off with a golden moment at the Wukesong Sports Arena — a rare one for the country at these Games — and it could become the greatest Canadian Olympic team in history.

Success at this stage did not come without persevering through adversity, starting the day after the Sochi Games. There was the cancellation linked to the pandemic of the 2020 world championships and the postponement of the 2021 version. We trained in isolation and with all the necessary precautions. There was the crisis facing the professional women’s hockey leagues in North America.

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And like the rest of those who traveled to Beijing, taking all necessary measures to escape the curse of Omicron.

“You think of all the hours we’ve spent the last two years training with three, four people on the ice, training in masks,” said forward Brianne Jenner, who leads the tournament with an Olympic record of nine goals. “It’s not easy to get there.

“The way we score didn’t just show up at this tournament. He built and built and built for years.

This lapse of time is both the blessing and the curse of the Olympic quadrennial and the inevitable culmination of its end. The redemption shot, however, can make every moment worth it.