The United States and Canada will meet for gold for the 7th time in Olympic women's hockey

MILAN (AP) — Marie-Philip Poulin won’t dispute how good the Americans have looked in romping through the women’s hockey tournament at the Milan Cortina Games. And Canada’s captain will readily acknowledge her team has yet to come close to playing its best.

What's matters to Poulin, who continues building upon her “Captain Clutch” reputation in her fifth Olympic Games, is having the opportunity to play in a one-game showdown with the gold medal on the line on Thursday.

“Obviously, we know they’re a talented team, a skilled team. They’ve had a lot of success this year, obviously against us, and we’re all aware of that,” Poulin said. “For us as a group, it’s going to be all about us, all about our heart and everything we’re going to put on that ice.”

The U.S. and Canada will face off for Olympic gold for a seventh time since women’s hockey debuted at the 1998 Nagano Games in a rivalry between the sport's two global powers that never gets old.

And this time, the Americans are the favorites.

The U.S. clinched its berth with a 5-0 win over Sweden in semifinal play on Monday. And the defending champion Canadians followed with Poulin scoring twice to set the Olympic career goal record in a too-close-for-comfort 2-1 victory over Switzerland.

For the Americans, it didn’t matter who they faced in a tournament they’ve dominated by going 6-0 and outscoring their opponents by a combined margin of 31-1.

“We’ve played them quite a few times, so obviously, won’t be surprised,” defender Lee Stecklein said. “Whoever we face, we’ve got to be ready for that challenge.”

Goalie Aerin Frankel stopped 21 shots for her third shutout of the tournament, and the Americans blew the game open with Abbey Murphy, Kendall Coyne Schofield and Hayley Scamurra scoring on consecutive shots over a 2:47 span late in the second period. Cayla Barnes opened the scoring and Taylor Heise also scored.

The U.S. has yet to trail or be tied after 0-0, and in position to become the third women’s team to do so over the entire tournament, joining Canada in 2006 and 2010. The Americans also extended their shutout streak to 331 minutes, 23 seconds, going back to Czechia’s Barbora Jurickova beating Frankel on a breakaway in the second period of a tournament-opening 5-1 win.

“I think we’re looking incredible. The whole tournament we’ve really been consistent,” Scamurra said. “I don’t even think we’re at the peak, but I think our peak is getting that gold medal in hand for sure.”

The Canadians’ performance has been left open to questions and concerns.

Aside from eking out a win over Switzerland, the defending Olympic champions dropped a 5-0 decision to the U.S. in the preliminary round — an outing Poulin missed due to a right knee injury.

The outcome marked the first time Canada has been shut out and its most lopsided loss in Olympic play. The Americans also hold the edge by having won seven straight dating to beating Canada twice at the world championships in April.

“I personally love the underdog mentality,” Canadian defender Renata Fast said.

“There’s been a lot of noise on the outside, but there’s has been tons of belief in the locker room and we’ve gone through a ton of adversity this year,” she added. “This is the moment we have been fighting for is to play for gold. And no better matchup than to play Team USA. I’m so excited and excited to see the fight that this group brings.”

Against Switzerland, Poulin opened the scoring 1:49 into the second period by skipping a shot from between the circles that bounced and banked in off goalie Andrea Braendli’s stick. She made it 2-0 some 6 1/2 minutes later by converting a rebound.

Poulin now has 20 career goals and broke the record of 18 held by former teammate and Hockey Hall of Famer Hayley Wickenheiser.

Ann-Renee Desbiens stopped seven shots.

Rahel Enzler scored for Switzerland 4:53 into the third period. Braendli, coming off a 40-save outing in a 1-0 quarterfinal win over Finland, finished with 44 saves.

Now it’s on to the gold medal game with U.S. seeking its third title after winning in 1998 and 2018, and the Canadians their sixth.

“Nothing matters. It’s the gold medal game,” Heise said of a potential rematch against Canada. “Obviously, I’m going to say we’ve done great and we’ve had great success. You want to take that confidence and motivation, but you want to move forward. We’re going to look for us and we’re going do what we need to do on Thursday and hopefully come on top.”

And it could very well be the last meeting between the two teams’ long-time stars: Poulin, nicknamed “Captain Clutch,” and U.S. captain Hilary Knight, who has already announced these will be her fifth and final Olympics.

Sweden and Switzerland will play for bronze in a rematch of their meeting at the 2014 Sochi Games. Switzerland won 4-3 to win its first and only women’s hockey medal.

The Swedes are seeking to win their third Olympic medal, and first since winning silver at the 2006 Turin Games after upsetting the U.S. in the semifinals.

Ebba Svensson Traff stopped 19 of 23 shots before she was pulled after Coyne Schofield tipped in Laila Edwards’ shot from the blue line with 3:50 left in the second period. Emma Soderberg took over, allowing a goal on 11 shots.

Though the Swedes kept the game close through 35 minutes, the Americans eventually wore them down.

AP Olympic coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Canada players celebrate after Canada's Marie-Philip Poulin (29) scored her side's second goal during a women's ice hockey semifinal game between Canada and Switzerland at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

United States' Abbey Murphy (37) celebrates after scoring a goal against Sweden during the second period of a women's ice hockey semifinal match at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

United States' Kelly Pannek (12) challenges with Sweden's Emma Soderberg (30) during a women's ice hockey semifinal game between the United States and Sweden at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (David W Cerny/Pool Photo via AP)

United States goalkeeper Aerin Frankel blocks a shot by Sweden during the second period of a women's ice hockey semifinal match at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

United States' Hayley Scamurra (16) celebrates after scoring her side's fifth goal during a women's ice hockey semifinal game between the United States and Sweden at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

United States' Taylor Heise (27) celebrates after scoring a goal against Sweden during the second period of a women's ice hockey semifinal match at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The Dolphins released star receiver Tyreek Hill on Monday, ending the All-Pro's four-year tenure in Miami.

Hill, who turns 32 on March 1, is recovering from a season-ending injury suffered in a game against the New York Jets on Sept. 29 that required surgery to repair significant damage to his left knee, including a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

It is one of several major roster cuts the Dolphins made on Monday. Miami also cut offensive lineman James Daniels and receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, and will release two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Bradley Chubb.

The Dolphins acquired Hill in a trade with Kansas City ahead of the 2022 season and gave him a $120 million, four-year contract extension that made him the highest-paid player at his position at the time.

His contract, which runs through 2026, would have represented around $51 million against Miami's cap.

“These past few years have been some of the most meaningful of my life and career,” Hill said in an Instagram post Monday afternoon.

Hill had consecutive 1,700-yard receiving seasons in his first two years with Miami, including a league-leading 1,799 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2023. The five-time All-Pro entered the 2025 season aiming to regain that elite form after a relatively down year in 2024, when he had 81 catches for 959 yards — his lowest totals in both categories since 2019.

He had 21 receptions for 265 yards before he was hurt while making a catch in Miami’s Week 4 win against the Jets. Hill was running toward the sideline and planted his left foot, and his knee twisted as he was getting pulled down. He was carted off the field and placed on season-ending injured reserve on Oct. 1.

Hill’s Dolphins tenure was characterized by tremendous production on the field coupled with numerous rocky moments off the field, including an altercation with police outside of Hard Rock Stadium ahead of the 2024 season opener, and pulling himself from that season’s finale and later indicating he wanted to play elsewhere.

In an October podcast interview, Hill, who has played 10 NFL seasons, said he was undecided on whether he plans to retire when he's done rehabbing his injury, but on Monday he indicated on social media that he's not done playing yet.

“The Cheetah don't slow down. Ever,” Hill said in the post. “So to everyone wondering what's next...just wait on it. The Cheetah will be back...Born Again.”

Chubb spent the past three seasons with the Dolphins after being traded to Miami from Denver in 2022.

He suffered a gruesome knee injury late in the 2023 season that required surgery to fix a torn anterior cruciate ligament, meniscus and patellar tendon in his right knee and sidelined him all of 2024. Chubb had 11 sacks — the most he had in a season since getting 12 as a rookie in 2018 — in 2023 before the injury.

Last season, Chubb’s 8 1/2 sacks led the team. He represented a $31 million cap hit for 2026.

New general manager Jon Eric Sullivan, who was hired by the Dolphins last month along with head coach Jeff Hafley, was expected to begin making moves to overhaul Miami's roster.

“We will move with responsible aggression here,” Sullivan said when the Dolphins introduced him on Jan 22. “We will utilize every avenue of player acquisition to bolster this roster.”

Sullivan still faces the question on whether to move on from 2020 first-round pick Tua Tagovailoa, who was benched by former Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel toward the end of last season because of poor play.

Tagovailoa signed a four-year, $212.4 million extension in July 2024, but has since shown a decline in accuracy and mobility. Tagovailoa finished 2025 with 15 interceptions, second most in the NFL and a career high.

He is guaranteed $54 million for 2026, and the Dolphins would incur significant hits to the salary cap by releasing him. Cutting him would result in a $99 million dead cap charge. If the move is designated as a post-June 1 release, those charges are split over two years, with $67.4 million allocated to the 2026 cap and $31.8 million in 2027.

Sullivan said last week at a fan event that he doesn't know “what the future holds right now.”

“And I told Tua that,” Sullivan said. “We're working through some things. What I can tell you is that we're going to infuse competition into that room — whether Tua is part of the room, whether he's not part of the room.”

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

FILE - Miami Dolphins' Tyreek Hill looks toward the field son the sideline before an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Sept. 29, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, file)