Love On Ice: The USA-Canada Rivalry Gets Extra Gay
Gay. Gay. Gay. The women’s hockey gold medal game between Team USA and Canada on Thursday is stacked with married line mates, a freshly engaged couple, and breakup rumors.
Featured Image: Alexander NEMENOV / AFP via Getty Images
The Lunar New Year just kicked off and somehow we already have Olympic-level lesbian drama. From playing on the same line as your wife, to meeting at your first Olympics and leaving your last one engaged, to possibly breaking up right before the biggest hockey game of the year…only to face each other on opposite teams. Whew! Talk about a HEATED rivalry. Thursday’s U.S. vs. Canada gold medal game is about to be spicy.
On Canada’s bench, five-time Olympian Marie-Phillip Poulin is once again doing Marie-Phillip Poulin things at the 2026 Olympics. The captain just broke the all-time Olympic goal record, casually cementing her legacy while skating on the same team as her wife, Laura Stacey. Yes, they go home together after a game. Yes, they still have to figure out when to stop talking about hockey at home. Married couple communication but make it elite international sport.
Meanwhile on Team USA, captain Hilary Knight raised the romance stakes by proposing to American speed skater Brittany Bowe during the Games. They feel in love at the 2022 Beijing Olympics and now they’re leaving their likely final Olympics engaged, which is objectively the cutest Olympics souvenir possible. Imagine preparing for the gold medal game and also planning a wedding. Iconic.
And now…here’s the tea.
Rumors exploded this week that U.S. defense star Caroline Harvey, aka, KK and Canadian forward Daryl Watts have broken up right before the gold medal game. The speculation hit overdrive after Harvey appeared on TikTok Live with teammate Laila Edwards and confirmed that Harvey is single heading into the final. The two have allegedly been dating for months now, however, neither have ever confirmed the relationship. Fans put together context clues through the very gay photos they’d post of each other and livestreams they’d have. Social media detectives immediately clocked deleted photos and suddenly the rivalry gained a whole new emotional subplot. Love to angst pipeline speed run.
Which brings us to Thursday, Feb. 19 at 1:10 p.m. ET. The United States Women’s National Ice Hockey Team vs the Canada Women’s National Ice Hockey Team is already the most intense matchup in women’s hockey. Now add married teammates, a fresh engagement, and rumored exes possibly matching up on the ice in the gold medal game. From love stories to breakup arcs, this rivalry is delivering a full rom-com trilogy in real time.
