The U.S.'s Megan Keller (right) is one of the players IIHF.com asked to discuss the heated rivalry between the North American superpowers.
photo: PHOTO: © INTERNATIONAL ICE HOCKEY FEDERATION / ANDRE RINGUETTE
Want statistical proof that Canada versus the U.S. in women’s hockey is arguably the greatest and most competitive rivalry in all of sports?
The North American superpowers have faced each other 36 times at the IIHF Women’s World Championship prior to Sunday night’s marquee matchup in Ceske Budejovice. Each side has 18 wins and 18 losses. The Canadians have barely outscored the U.S., 104-103. (That one-goal edge goes back to Danielle Serdachny’s 6-5 overtime winner in the 2024 gold medal game in Utica, New York.)
It’s no wonder the Americans and Canadians have met in 22 out of the 23 all-time Women’s Worlds finals.
Of course, that’s not even to mention the epic battles these archrivals have waged on the biggest global stage at the Winter Olympics. The excitement is mounting as we count down the days until Milano Cortina 2026.
But right now, there’s work to be done at Women’s Worlds. And statistics alone don’t capture what this passionate clash is all about.
IIHF.com caught up with the U.S.’s Megan Keller and Abbey Murphy and Canada’s Natalie Spooner and Daryl Watts and asked them to put their mindset into words ahead of the showdown for top spot in Group A.
On getting ready to square off again
Megan Keller: It’s always a lot of fun playing them. When we get to represent our countries, it’s a huge rivalry.
Natalie Spooner: It’s always tight with them. I think these are the games that we want to play in as players, and we always get excited to play in those games. So I’m looking forward to it, and it’s for sure going to be a battle!
On facing PWHL teammates at Women’s Worlds
Daryl Watts: I’ve got some [U.S.] teammates on the Toronto Sceptres – Savannah Harmon, Jesse Compher, and Hayley Scamurra – so it'll be fun to play them. And then I played at Wisconsin for a couple years, and there's a lot of Wisconsin girls on that team. I’m pretty close with most of them. I’m really excited to play them.
Natalie Spooner: When they’re on our team, we love them, but I think as soon as you put on that Canada jersey and they put on that American jersey, it just kind of takes you back to all those tournaments you’ve been in before, when you’re standing on that blue line and it’s not your anthem. So I think that rivalry is still just as strong as it was before, and I'm looking forward to that game.
On what stands out about these rivalry games
Daryl Watts: I think when we think about the Americans, we think about their speed. We play most of them in the PWHL. A large number of them are still in the NCAA. They’re super-skilled, a great team, and we’re just excited.
Abbey Murphy: The aggressiveness, the competitive nature that comes along with it. It’s crazy! It’s just the battle to win, and I love that. I think that’s the most fun part of it.
On a favourite Canada-U.S. rivalry memory
Daryl Watts: My family went to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. It was a family trip, and my dad and I went to the gold medal game [where Marie-Philip Poulin scored twice in a 2-0 Canada win]. So that was a really inspiring experience. I've got a lot of family photos, and I had my face painted red. It was really fun. That's for sure my favourite memory.
Megan Keller: I think of watching [those games] on TV for the first time at the Olympics. I mean, it used to be only the Olympics where we would get to see them play! You’d see highlights, fights, scrums. It’s a fierce battle. When all of us put on our country’s crest, you fight for something a little extra special. You have a little extra juice in you.
On being part of the great rivalry tradition
Abbey Murphy: It’s going to be a hard-fought battle, just like any other game. It’s fun. It’s a rivalry. We’re really excited for it.
Daryl Watts: It’s kind of crazy to think about. I’m just really excited to make an impact on this team and help them in any way I can to get that gold.
The North American superpowers have faced each other 36 times at the IIHF Women’s World Championship prior to Sunday night’s marquee matchup in Ceske Budejovice. Each side has 18 wins and 18 losses. The Canadians have barely outscored the U.S., 104-103. (That one-goal edge goes back to Danielle Serdachny’s 6-5 overtime winner in the 2024 gold medal game in Utica, New York.)
It’s no wonder the Americans and Canadians have met in 22 out of the 23 all-time Women’s Worlds finals.
Of course, that’s not even to mention the epic battles these archrivals have waged on the biggest global stage at the Winter Olympics. The excitement is mounting as we count down the days until Milano Cortina 2026.
But right now, there’s work to be done at Women’s Worlds. And statistics alone don’t capture what this passionate clash is all about.
IIHF.com caught up with the U.S.’s Megan Keller and Abbey Murphy and Canada’s Natalie Spooner and Daryl Watts and asked them to put their mindset into words ahead of the showdown for top spot in Group A.
On getting ready to square off again
Megan Keller: It’s always a lot of fun playing them. When we get to represent our countries, it’s a huge rivalry.
Natalie Spooner: It’s always tight with them. I think these are the games that we want to play in as players, and we always get excited to play in those games. So I’m looking forward to it, and it’s for sure going to be a battle!
On facing PWHL teammates at Women’s Worlds
Daryl Watts: I’ve got some [U.S.] teammates on the Toronto Sceptres – Savannah Harmon, Jesse Compher, and Hayley Scamurra – so it'll be fun to play them. And then I played at Wisconsin for a couple years, and there's a lot of Wisconsin girls on that team. I’m pretty close with most of them. I’m really excited to play them.
Natalie Spooner: When they’re on our team, we love them, but I think as soon as you put on that Canada jersey and they put on that American jersey, it just kind of takes you back to all those tournaments you’ve been in before, when you’re standing on that blue line and it’s not your anthem. So I think that rivalry is still just as strong as it was before, and I'm looking forward to that game.
On what stands out about these rivalry games
Daryl Watts: I think when we think about the Americans, we think about their speed. We play most of them in the PWHL. A large number of them are still in the NCAA. They’re super-skilled, a great team, and we’re just excited.
Abbey Murphy: The aggressiveness, the competitive nature that comes along with it. It’s crazy! It’s just the battle to win, and I love that. I think that’s the most fun part of it.
On a favourite Canada-U.S. rivalry memory
Daryl Watts: My family went to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. It was a family trip, and my dad and I went to the gold medal game [where Marie-Philip Poulin scored twice in a 2-0 Canada win]. So that was a really inspiring experience. I've got a lot of family photos, and I had my face painted red. It was really fun. That's for sure my favourite memory.
Megan Keller: I think of watching [those games] on TV for the first time at the Olympics. I mean, it used to be only the Olympics where we would get to see them play! You’d see highlights, fights, scrums. It’s a fierce battle. When all of us put on our country’s crest, you fight for something a little extra special. You have a little extra juice in you.
On being part of the great rivalry tradition
Abbey Murphy: It’s going to be a hard-fought battle, just like any other game. It’s fun. It’s a rivalry. We’re really excited for it.
Daryl Watts: It’s kind of crazy to think about. I’m just really excited to make an impact on this team and help them in any way I can to get that gold.