Team Canada captain Marie-Philip Poulin will return to the lineup Saturday in the quarter-final against Germany after missing the past two games with a knee injury.
Head coach Troy Ryan said he will manage Poulin’s minutes against Germany.
“It’s not that we have to be overly cautious, but just easing her back in is really important,” Ryan said. “I gotta take the feedback that she provides me. She’s agreed to be open and just have discussions on the bench when need be.”
Troy Ryan says he’ll manage Marie-Philip Poulin’s minutes against Germany:
— Claire Hanna (@clahanna) February 14, 2026
“It’s not that we have to be overly cautious, but just easing her back in is really important. I gotta take the feedback that she provides me. She’s agreed to be open and just have discussions on the…
Poulin was injured in Monday’s 5-1 win over Czechia after taking a hard hit along the boards from Czech forward Kristyna Kaltounkova midway through the first period.
She was in visible pain after the hit and attempted to return to the game but after not coming out for the second period, she was ruled out for the remainder of the contest.
The 33-year-old would go on to miss the 5-0 loss to the United States on Tuesday and the team’s 5-0 win over Finland to wrap up the preliminary round on Thursday.
At Friday’s practice, Poulin was the first player on the ice and was skating around testing her right leg repeatedly. She would later take part in the full practice with the rest of the team, skating on the top line between Sarah Fillier and Daryl Watts.
She confirmed after practice to TSN’s Claire Hanna that she tweaked her knee on the hit from Kaltounkova and while it felt better than it did on Monday, she was still experiencing pain. She was considered a game-time decision after Friday’s skate.
Poulin has one assist in two games with five shots on goal at this year’s Olympics.
Today’s matchup with Germany is the first time the two teams have faced off in Olympic women’s hockey.
