The rivalry between countries in team sports is a huge part of what makes the Winter Olympics so much fun to watch. Ice hockey has some of the greatest rivalries of all.
Both men’s and women’s hockey have some of the most memorable events in the Olympics.
One of the most iconic moments in Olympic history happened in 1980, when the USA faced off against the USSR.
There was a very slim chance that the USA would win because the USSR athletes were professionals, while the USA and all other countries’ athletes were still amateurs playing at the college level.
Among those USA players stood Mark Johnson, a Wisconsin Badgers forward who is now the UW-Madison women’s hockey coach.
He scored twice in the upset over the USSR and led the team in points with 11 during that Olympics.
This leads to the 2026 Winter Olympics — the first time since 2014 the professional players from the NHL will be able to compete in the Olympics.
It will create another matchup for the ages. The three powerhouse countries for hockey in the Olympics will be USA, Canada and Russia.
This will lead to some of the best games seen since the 1980s.
Team USA Women’s Hockey has had some great success. The team has won two goald medals, in 1998 and 2018, and four silver medals including in 2022.
Four current Badgers are on the USA women’s hockey team including Laila Edwards, Caroline Harvey, Ava McNaughton and Kirsten Simms.
The women’s team opened preliminary round play in the Olympics on Feb. 5, while the men’s team begins play on Feb. 12. The gold metal game is set for Feb. 22.
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