MILAN – Canadian captain Marie-Philip Poulin left the first period of an Olympic women’s hockey game against Czechia on Monday with an apparent knee injury and did not return.
Poulin was checked by Kristyna Kaltounkova midway through the opening period and skated off, favouring her right knee.
She returned to the ice with Canada’s second power-play unit while Kaltounkova served an illegal hit penalty, but skated out of the offensive zone seconds later in discomfort and headed for the dressing room. Poulin later rejoined her teammates on the bench before the period ended.
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Canada led 1-0 when the captain initially left the game and scored two more goals before she returned to the bench. They added a fourth before the end of the period.
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After the first-period buzzer, Poulin skated onto the ice with her teammates and took a few circles to test her knee, but she did not return to the bench to start the second period.
Canada later confirmed she would not return to the game.
Poulin has scored the most goals of any active player in the Olympic women’s hockey tournament with 17. Her former teammate Hayley Wickenheiser holds the record with 18.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 9, 2026.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
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