“THIS WILL BE THE LAST TIME SHE PLAYS FOR CANADA” – Team Canada women’s head coach Troy Ryan has officially announced the permanent dismissal of a player from the national team and declared that this player will never be called back under any circumstances. Coach Ryan stated that the player has continuously caused trouble in the locker room, undermined team morale, sparked internal conflicts, and was the main reason Canada suffered a humiliating 1-2 overtime loss to the United States in the women’s hockey gold medal final at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
Notably, team captain Marie-Philip Poulin personally met with Troy Ryan to demand the immediate dismissal of this player. The person in question will leave women’s hockey fans in Canada deeply disappointed.
The ice at Santagiulia Arena in Milan still echoed with the final buzzer of the women’s hockey gold medal game when the post-match narrative took a dramatic and unexpected turn. Team Canada, having fought valiantly against their arch-rivals from the United States, fell 2-1 in overtime after a game that showcased their grit, resilience, and near-heroic effort. Kristin O’Neill had given Canada a short-handed lead in the second period, and goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens stood tall for much of the contest.
But Hilary Knight’s late third-period tip-in forced overtime, and Megan Keller’s backhand winner at 4:07 of the extra frame sealed gold for the Americans. It was a heartbreaking end to what many called Canada’s best performance of the tournament—especially after a string of losses to the U.S. in recent years.
Yet the real storm brewed not on the scoreboard, but behind closed doors. In a stunning press conference shortly after the medal ceremony, head coach Troy Ryan stepped to the podium with a face hardened by disappointment and resolve. He did not mince words. “This will be the last time she plays for Canada,” Ryan declared, his voice steady but laced with frustration. He announced the immediate and permanent dismissal of a veteran forward from the national team roster, stating unequivocally that she would never wear the maple leaf again.
Ryan accused the player of persistent locker room disruption—creating divisions, spreading negativity, and eroding the unity that had carried Canada through a grueling Olympic run. “She undermined morale, sparked unnecessary conflicts, and distracted from what should have been our focus: winning gold,” he said. “That distraction played a direct role in why we came up short tonight.”
The revelation sent shockwaves through the hockey community. Canada had entered the final as underdogs after a dominant 5-0 preliminary-round loss to the U.S., yet they responded with fire in the gold-medal matchup—blocking shots, winning key battles along the boards, and nearly stealing the game. Ryan, who had praised the group’s tightness and trust throughout the tournament, now pointed to internal fractures as the hidden culprit.
He revealed that captain Marie-Philip Poulin—the legendary scorer who had battled through a knee injury earlier in the Games, scored crucial goals in returns against Germany and others, and provided emotional leadership—had personally approached him post-game. Poulin, visibly emotional during the medal ceremony as she consoled teammates, reportedly demanded the player’s removal, citing the toll it had taken on the team’s cohesion.
The unnamed player’s identity remained under wraps in Ryan’s initial statement, but speculation exploded across social media and hockey forums. Fans dissected every shift, every line combination, searching for clues. Was it a veteran whose minutes had dwindled? A younger player struggling to fit in? The coach offered no further details, only emphasizing that the decision was final and non-negotiable. “We’ve built something special here,” Ryan added. “We can’t allow one individual to jeopardize that moving forward. This team deserves better, and Canada deserves better.”
Reactions poured in immediately. On the ice, the Canadians had earned widespread praise for their effort—pushing the heavily favored Americans to the brink despite the odds. Poulin, in what many believed could be her final Olympic appearance at age 34, had been the emotional core, hugging teammates one by one after the loss and fighting back tears. Ryan himself had spoken glowingly of the group in the mixed zone, calling them “tight-knit” and expressing immense pride even in defeat. “They battled right to the end and saved their best game for the last,” he had said earlier.
Yet this bombshell shifted the narrative from heroic silver to internal implosion.
The hockey world grappled with the implications. Women’s hockey in Canada has long been a source of national pride—multiple Olympic golds, world championships, and a rivalry with the U.S. that defines the sport. Losing gold again stung, but the idea of locker room toxicity leading to such a drastic move raised questions. Was this the culmination of tensions that had simmered throughout the tournament? Poulin’s injury earlier (a knee issue from a hit against Czechia) had forced adjustments, and the team had rallied admirably.
But whispers of cliques, unequal ice time, and off-ice frustrations had circulated in quiet corners of the hockey media.
Supporters of Ryan’s decision argued it showed decisive leadership. “If there’s a cancer in the room, you cut it out,” one former national team player tweeted. Others defended the dismissed player anonymously, claiming the blame was misplaced—perhaps on coaching decisions or the overwhelming U.S. talent pool. Poulin, ever the class act, issued no public comment on the matter, but sources close to the team described her as supportive of Ryan’s call, prioritizing team unity above all.
As the Olympic flame dimmed in Milan, the fallout continued. The IIHF issued a brief statement noting that national federations handle internal roster decisions, with no immediate investigation required. Hockey Canada remained silent beyond acknowledging Ryan’s authority. For fans, the silver medal—hard-fought and respectable—now carried a bittersweet asterisk. The group that had consoled each other so tenderly on the ice, that had pushed the U.S. to overtime despite the historical dominance, would never be the same.
Ryan closed his presser with a forward-looking tone. “This hurts, but it’s a wake-up call. We honor what this team accomplished, and we build stronger for the future—without distractions.” Whether the move galvanizes Canada for the next cycle or fractures the program’s legacy remains to be seen. One thing was certain: the gold-medal game was not just lost on the ice. For one player, it marked the end of a national chapter in the most abrupt and controversial way possible.
In the quiet aftermath, as medals were packed away and flights home booked, the story shifted from heroic effort to harsh reckoning. Women’s hockey had delivered drama beyond the scoresheet—proving once again that the battles off the ice can be as intense as those on it.
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