MILAN (AP) — Marie-Philip Poulin expressed relief after rejoining her Canadian teammates for practice on Friday, but the player nicknamed “Captain Clutch” isn’t sure if she will be available for the women's hockey quarterfinal against Germany.
Poulin revealed she felt what s he called “a tweak” in her right knee during the first period of a 5-1 win over Czechia on Monday. Though she is still experiencing soreness, Poulin said she is feeling better.
“We’ll see. It’s daily, obviously,” Poulin said following an hourlong practice, and after she skated on her own a day earlier. “I was excited to skate today.”
The 34-year-old’s presence on the ice provided a boost to Canada entering the quarterfinal knockout stage as it faces Germany on Saturday.
And it comes at a time the Canadians face questions as to whether they can repeat as Olympic champions after finishing second in Group A — behind the United States.
Poulin is among the most accomplished players in the women's game. She is making her fifth Olympic appearance and earned her nickname for scoring three Olympic gold medal-winning goals. Poulin's 17 Olympic goals are one short of matching Canada’s record held by Hayley Wickenheiser.
Poulin missed the team’s two final preliminary-round games, including a 5-0 loss to the United States, which is the Canadian women’s worst loss in Olympic play and the first time they’ve been blanked in a game.
“You itched to be out there no matter what,” Poulin said, as to whether the loss to the U.S. spurred her return. “It’s part of it. I think, obviously, you never want to miss those games. But again, I’m surrounded with great people. It’s a team sport. And the girls stepped up.”
Poulin was hurt after being checked by Kristyna Kaltounkova, who was penalized for an illegal hit. She returned to the ice briefly before heading back to the bench while favoring her right leg.
“I would be lying if I didn’t think that,” Poulin said as to whether she feared her tournament was over. “You want to be 100%, and obviously it’s never fun. You don’t want to think that way.”
Poulin was among the first players on the ice for practice and spent the first 10 minutes skating on her own and taking shots, while at times shaking and testing her right leg.
“I don’t think there’s anybody in this event that I’d want having back to our lineup more than Poulin,” coach Troy Ryan.
“You can even just see the look in her eyes. She’s just waiting to get back, waiting for the right opportunity,” Ryan added. “And we want to make sure we manage it. That we’re setting her up for success and our team up for when she does come back.”
Forward Blayre Turnbull wasn’t surprised in seeing No. 29 back skating.
“Nothing would keep her off the ice. So we knew it was just a matter of time that she’d be back out with us,” Turnbull said. “I think we’re all pretty happy that it’s happening as quickly as it is.”
AP Olympic coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
Canada's Marie-Philip Poulin (29) is down on the ice in the first period against Czechia during a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Canada's Marie-Philip Poulin (29) skates during warmups before a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey against Czechia at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
WASHINGTON (AP) — A measure of inflation may have fallen to a five-year low in January as rental costs have cooled, a sign that some prices are moderating while Americans continue to grapple with a big rise in overall prices in the past five years.
Inflation is forecast to have fallen to a 2.4% annual rate in January from 2.7% in December in the latest government report on consumer prices to be issued Friday. That would be the lowest rate in nine months. Core prices, which exclude the volatile food and gas categories, are expected to decline to 2.5% from 2.6%, the lowest in nearly five years, according to data provider FactSet.
On a monthly basis, inflation may show signs of remaining elevated: Overall and core prices are expected to rise 0.3% in January from December, a pace that if maintained for several months would start to push annual inflation higher.
Friday's report may point to cooling inflation, but it comes after the cost of food, gas, and apartment rents have soared since the pandemic, with consumer prices about 25% higher than they were five years ago. The increase in such a broad range of costs has become a high-profile political issue under the rubric of “affordability.”
If inflation gets closer to the Federal Reserve's target of 2%, it could allow the central bank to cut its key short-term interest rate further this year, as Trump has repeatedly demanded. High borrowing costs for things like mortgages and auto loans have also contributed to a perception that many big-ticket items remain out of reach for many Americans.
In January, economists expect that gas prices will have declined, while the cost of groceries could rise again after they jumped in December. Overall prices could increase by more than expected, economists say, because costs often rise more in January than other months as companies reset their prices at the beginning of the year.
Inflation surged to 9.1% in 2022 as consumer spending soared at the same time supply chains snarled in the wake of the pandemic. It began to fall in 2023 but leveled off around 3% in mid-2024 and has since barely improved.
Inflation cooled a bit this fall, though some of that reflected the disruptions of the six-week government shutdown in October. The shutdown disrupted the government's data collection and led them to estimate price changes in November for housing that most economists say artificially lowered inflation that month.
At the same time, measures of wage growth have declined in the past year or so as hiring has cratered. With companies reluctant to add jobs, workers don't have as much leverage to demand raises. Smaller pay increases can reduce inflationary pressures as companies often raise prices to offset higher wages.
More modest wage growth is a big reason that many economists expect inflation to continue easing this year.
“We're not expecting inflation to start up again by any stretch,” said Luke Tilley, chief economist for Wilmington Trust.
Many businesses are still eating some tariff costs and economists expect they may raise prices more in the next few months to offset those extra expenses. Still, most forecast that inflation will decline further by the second half of the year and drop closer to the Fed's 2% target by the end of 2026.
Shoppers shop at a grocery store in Schaumburg, Ill., Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
A person shops at a grocery store in Schaumburg, Ill., Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Shoppers shop at a grocery store in Schaumburg, Ill., Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Shoppers shop at a grocery store in Schaumburg, Ill., Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
A shopper looks at produce at a grocery store Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
