Breaking Down One of the Greatest Rivalries in Sports: Canada vs. U.S. National Women’s Hockey Teams

One of international hockey’s fiercest rivalries returns to TSN this week, as the women’s national teams from Canada and the U.S. begin the final three games of their 2019-20 RIVALRY SERIES. As depicted in TSN’s ENGRAVED ON A NATION documentary “On The Line” (which is available to stream on CRAVE), the decades-long rivalry between the Canadian and American women’s hockey teams features a fiery intensity that makes these games truly meaningful. The battle for hockey supremacy has seen a constant exchange of medals, trophies, and records between the teams for more than 30 years. Ahead of puck drop on Monday, Feb. 3 on TSN1 and TSN3 at 10:30 p.m. ET, live from Victoria, B.C., here’s a primer on the key aspects of one of the greatest rivalries in sports: The Opening Faceoff To most hockey fans, the Canada-U.S. rivalry began at the Nagano 1998 Olympic Winter Games, when women’s hockey was first included as an Olympic sport. However, the true spark of the rivalry goes back almost 10 years earlier. The first-ever IIHF-sanctioned Women’s World Championship in 1990 was historic, paving the way for players from eight countries to compete on the global stage. The tournament brought worldwide attention to Canadian hockey legends like Geraldine Heaney and Angela James, who dominated the tournament and led Canada to a 5-2 victory in the gold medal game. The runners-up? None other than the United States, led by Cindy Curley’s staggering 23 points in only five games. Going for Gold The IIHF Women’s Worlds returned in 1992, and Team Canada was on the hunt for another taste of gold. Despite both teams reaching the gold medal game with unblemished records, Canada proved to be too much for the United States, as they secured their second consecutive gold with a dominant 8-0 win. The tradition of Canada and Team USA squaring off for gold (with Canada coming out on top each time) continued leading up to the 1998 Olympics in Nagano. A confident Canadian team entered the tournament with high expectations, finished 4-1 in the preliminary round, and despite a lone hiccup to its rival U.S., Canada entered the gold medal game as the favourite to once again beat its rivals. However, things didn’t go as planned, as for the first time in international play, the U.S. were victorious over Canada in the final. The 3-1 victory shocked Canadian hockey fans, and added a spark to an already electric rivalry. Staying on Top Since it began in 1990, an incredible 18 IIHF World Women’s Championships have resulted in a Team Canada vs. Team USA final. The razor-thin margin between the two countries is evident as Canada holds the slightest edge, with 10 gold medals to the USA’s nine. In the six Olympic women’s hockey tournaments, Canada’s four gold medals are bookended by Team USA’s pair of victories in 1998 and 2018. The only occasion where the two teams didn’t face off for gold was in Turin, Italy in 2006, when Canada defeated Sweden in the final. The rivalry and the sport both continue to grow with each international tournament and through the inception of the aptly-named RIVALRY SERIES, a slate of five games that showcases top players from Canada and the United States to women’s hockey fans in both countries. Following the success of the three-game event last February, the 2019-20 RIVALRY SERIES expanded to five games in a cross-border, best-on-best battle. The RIVALRY SERIES provides an opportunity to continue to build the intense rivalry, while providing the chance to showcase and inspire the next generation of women’s hockey fans. Team Canada has no shortage of experience as the roster is comprised of a veteran line-up featuring Marie-Philip Poulin, Natalie Spooner, and Renata Fast. The Team USA roster is headlined by Hilary Knight, Amanda Kessel, and Kendall Coyne Schofield, who were all integral members of the gold medal-winning team at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games. The 2020 RIVALRY SERIES continues in Vancouver on Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 10 p.m. ET and concludes south of the border on Saturday, Feb. 8, live from Anaheim, Cali. at 10 p.m. ET. The series is followed by the 2020 IIHF WOMEN’S WORLD HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP, airing March 31 through April 10 on TSN.