Murphy registers 3 assists in Team USA’s 5-0 women’s hockey win over Canada

Abbey Murphy picked the right time to play her best hockey yet at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.

The forward from Evergreen Park registered 3 assists and drew four penalties in the United States women’s hockey team’s 5-0 win Tuesday over archrival Canada.

Outshooting Canada 33-20, Team USA’s final preliminary-round game was the rare one-sided Olympic contest against Canada. The teams have met in the gold medal game in six of the last seven Olympics, including the 2022 Beijing Games when Canada won 3-2.

Dealing Canada its first shutout loss in Olympic history, according to NBC, the United States’ third goal Tuesday, in the second period, was Team USA’s first 3-0 lead over its rival since the 1998 Nagano Games.

Murphy had a hand in both ends of that goal. She drew an interference penalty and, though slow to get up, remained on the ice for the ensuing power play.

Taking the puck into the offensive zone down the left side, Murphy passed to Tessa Janecke on the far side of the goal, trying for a deflection. During a five-player scrum in the goal mouth the puck slid under Canadian goalkeeper Ann-Renee Desbiens and over the goal line.

Crashing the net, Kirsten Simms was credited with the goal, which withstood an official review as well as Canadian coach Troy Ryan’s challenge of goaltender interference.

Team USA led 1-0 on Caroline Harvey’s goal at 16:15 of the first period.

The lead grew to 2-0 with 2:42 left in the period when Murphy hustled to retrieve the puck behind Canada’s goal line and sent a blind, backhand pass directly on the stick of Hannah Bilka in the crease. Bilka lofted the puck over the right shoulder of a diving Desbiens.

Murphy added her third assist on Bilka’s second goal of the game for a 4-0 second-period lead.

Harvey passed to Murphy, who skated along the left boards then backed in near the goal line. The University of Minnesota forward found Bilka below the left faceoff circle. Bilka lifted the puck past Desbiens, screened by her own defender.

The United States (4-0) will take a No. 1 seed against No. 8 Italy (2-2) when the Olympic quarterfinals begin Friday.