MILAN (AP) — Canada women's hockey captain Marie-Philip Poulin's status is uncertain for her team's highly anticipated preliminary-round matchup against the U.S. after she limped off hurt in a game against Czechia at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Monday.
Coach Troy Ryan said he didn't have full details of Poulin's apparent lower-body injury and that it was too early to say whether she could play against the U.S. on Tuesday after her exit in the first period of Canada's 5-1 win.
“I don’t know where she’s at but I do know no matter what, we’re all going to stick together," forward Laura Stacey said. "We are going to support her and I know she’s going to support us, so whatever happens, I know that our team is in great hands.”
Poulin briefly stayed down on the ice after a hard hit from Kristyna Kaltounkova in which the Czech player's upper arm seemed to make contact with Poulin’s helmet. Kaltounkova was given a two-minute penalty for an illegal hit at 8:52 of the first period.
Poulin came back out for a shift on the resulting power play but headed back to the bench within seconds and seemed to be keeping weight off her right leg. She headed to the locker room but was briefly back on the Canadian bench, smiling broadly, near the end of the first. She did not emerge for the second period.
“You never like to see that, especially to someone like that, our leader, our rock. It hurts and I think our bench did feel that a little,” Stacey said.
“She’s picked us up so many times. She’s led the way and it was our turn to pick her up. It was our turn to support her and try and do whatever we could to get a way to get that win tonight for her but also for ourselves as a group and I think that’s what we did.”
Poulin has shined at the Olympics, earning her “Captain Clutch” nickname by scoring the gold medal-winning goal three times. She was the International Ice Hockey Federation's Female Player of the Year last year and tournament MVP at the last world championships.
Forward Sarah Fillier said the uncertainty around Poulin wouldn't throw off preparations to play the U.S.
“Full speed ahead for sure,” she said. “We’re focused on the task at hand."
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