Here are the former Wisconsin Badgers chasing gold today in the Winter Olympics

No matter the result of the latest edition of the storied rivalry, at least four UW player will win a gold medal in women's hockey for a sixth straight Olympics.

The exact number will be decided in front of a captive audience when Team USA and Team Canada will meet for the gold medal in women's hockey at the Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy.

The Americans - with six current and former Badgers on their team - are undefeated and outscored its six opponents by a combined score of 31-1. The Canadians are 5-1 with the only setback being a 5-0 shutout to the Americans in the group stage.

USA qualified for the gold medal game after a four-goal second period in a 5-0 win over Sweden. Canada hung on for a 2-1 win over Switzerland.

Here are the former Badgers who will be on the ice this afternoon.

11 current and former #Badgers will face off this afternoon for Olympic gold in women's ice hockey. Here's how to watch Team USA vs. Team Canadahttps://t.co/VVJp5duxGX
— Benjamin Worgull (@TheBadgerNation) February 19, 2026

Team USA

Britta Curl-Salemme

Olympic Stats: 1 goal, 5 assists, +4, 85:48 of ice time

The North Dakota native played for UW from 2018-24, where she won three national championships (2019, 2021, 2023) and served as team captain for two seasons. She finished her collegiate career as the program's all-time leader in games played with 181 and ranks eighth in program history with 179 points.

Currently playing in the Professional Women's Hockey League, where her Minnesota Frost team won the league title in 2025, she has won gold medals with Team USA at the 2023 and 2025 World Championships, and silver medals at the 2021 and 2024 World Championships.

Laila Edwards

Olympic Stats: 2 goals, 5 assists, +8, 129:53 of ice time

Competing in her first Olympic Games after representing the U.S. at the 2024 and 2025 IIHF World Championships, Edwards led the country in goals with 35 while playing for the Badgers last season. Edwards was the first Black woman to play for the U.S. women's senior national team and will now be the first Black woman to compete for the U.S. women's Olympic team.

Caroline Harvey

Olympic Stats: 2 goals, 6 assists, +14, 157:11 of ice time

Harvey has been one of Team USA's most impactful players, including a four-game point streak that included a goal and two assists in the first meeting against the Canadians.

Competing in his second Olympics after securing a silver medal at the 2022 Olympics, Harvey currently leads all NCAA players in points (41) and assists (30) and could be the first overall pick in the upcoming Professional Women's Hockey League draft. The Salem, New Hampshire, native is the current captain for the Badgers and is the school's all-time defensive point leader with 178 career points.

Hilary Knight

Olympic Stats: 2 goal, 3 assists, +4, 97:22 of ice time

Knight has scored 14 career Olympic goals, tying the U.S. women's hockey record previously held by Natalie Darwitz and Katie King. This is her fifth and final Olympic appearance, having played in a record 28 Olympic games and being the team's captain since 2023.

Knight is Wisconsin's second all-time leading scorer with 262 points, won two national championships (2009, 2011) and currently captains the Seattle Torrent in the PWHL.

Ava McNaughton

Olympic Stats: 1 shot on goal, 1 save, 1:48 of ice time

McNaughton is one of three goaltenders on the Team USA roster and is the second-youngest player on the team. She was named the HCA Goaltender of the Year in 2024–25 and made her U.S. senior national team debut at the 2025 IIHF World Championships. The Seven Fields, Pennsylvania, native currently ranks second in the NCAA with a 1.27 goals-against average.

Kirsten Simms

Olympic Stats: 1 goal, +2, 67:48 of ice time

Making his Olympic debut after stints on the 2024 and 2025 World Championship teams, Simms first Olympic goal came against Canada in the 5-0 victory. She eclipsed the 200-career point mark earlier this season, becoming one of nine Badgers to reach the milestone. Simms played the hero at the 2025 NCAA Championship, scoring both the game-tying and game-winning goals against Ohio State to secure the Badgers' eighth national championship.

Team Canada

Emily Clark

Olympic Stats: 2 goals, 1 assist, +3, 86:33 of ice time

Clark scored two goals to lead Canada to a 5-0 victory over Finland, securing second place in Group A. A member of the 2019 Wisconsin championship team, Clark tallied 28 points off of 14 goals and 14 assists in just 34 games played in that title season. She notced 146 points in 147 games. Clark has previously won a gold and silver medal with the Canadians.

Ann-Renee Desbiens

Olympic Stats: 4 appearances, 64 saves on 71 shots (90.1 save percentage), one shutout

Desbiens served in net for Wisconsin from 2013-17, accumulating a 99-14-9 record with a .955 career save percentage. She earned the 2017 Patty Kazmaier award as a Badger, and led the Badgers to four Frozen Fours, breaking the NCAA record for shutouts. She won a silver medal in 2018 and gold in 2022, when she made 38 saves in the final game against USA.

She made just 22 saves on 27 shots against the Americans this year, as well as stopping seven of eight shots in the semifinals.

Sarah Nurse

Olympic Stats: 2 assists, +1, 92:26 on the ice

Nurse played with the Badgers from 2013-17, serving as assistant captain in 2016-17 and earning Second-Team All-American status that same year. She posted a tournament-leading 18 points at the 2022 Olympics as Canada defeated USA in the final, with Nurse notching a goal and assist.

Blayre Turnbull

Olympic Stats: 1 goal, 1 assist, +1, 92:22 on the ice

She played for Wisconsin from 2011-15, earning the team's Rookie of the Year in 2012 and serving as the team's captain and was an All-WCHA First-Team selection as a senior. In her junior year, she scored five shorthanded goals, which set a program record, and was the most in the NCAA that season. She also led Wisconsin in assists (22) and was second on the team in points (40).

Daryl Watts

Olympic Stats: 2 goals, 6 assists, +2, 102:12 of ice time

Watts has scored at least one point in five of Team Canada's six games. That includes four assists in the knockout round and assisting on both goals in Canada's 2-1 semifinals win over Switzerland. The only game where she didn't score was in the 5-0 shutout at the hands of the Americans, where Watt was on the ice for three of USA's goals in just 15:41 of ice time.

Watts spent three years with the Badgers from 2019 to 2022, leading the NCAA in scoring during the 2019-20 season with 74 points. She helped the Badgers win the 2021 National Championship after scoring the game-winning overtime goal against Northeastern.

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