Winter Olympics 2022: Live Updates

Brianna Decker, a star forward for the United States, was carried out on a stretcher with a lower body injury during a game against Finland on Thursday.Credit...Anthony Wallace/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Brianna Decker was screaming, her agony audible to most everyone in an arena that was nearly empty on Thursday. The cries kept coming after the tangling collision, the first period’s clock stopped at 10:58.

American hockey officials later confirmed what most had immediately assumed: that Decker, one of the most formidable and experienced players for the U.S. women’s team, would not be able to play for the remainder of the Games, a harsh blow to the team’s ambitions to repeat as Olympic champions.

The United States, which defeated Finland, 5-2, did not bring any reserves to Beijing. Coach Joel Johnson said after the game that he would explore his options for any necessary roster adjustments.

“It was awful,” Kendall Coyne Schofield, the American captain, said of the moment when Decker was injured in a collision with Ronja Savolainen of Finland. “There’s no other way to put it. It was really tough to see. She’s one of the toughest, strongest players in the world, and so when you hear her react like that, obviously, it was devastating and nerve-racking for us.”

Decker, a forward from Dousman, Wis., made her third Olympic roster just four years after she had led the United States in assists during its gold medal run at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. This year, she has been an alternate captain.

After medical officials evacuated an alert and calm Decker from the ice on a stretcher, the Americans responded swiftly. Amanda Kessel slowly approached the net along the goal line, edged around the crease and, just 21 seconds after play had resumed, scored the first goal of the tournament for the United States.

Less than three minutes later, Alex Carpenter scored on a power play to add to the U.S. lead. Coyne Schofield added two goals for the Americans in the second period, and Carpenter scored again in the third.

Susanna Tapani had two power play goals for Finland in the third period.

“It wasn’t because of the injury that we played better, but I think there was some extra emotion that took place inside of everybody,” Johnson said.

Although the game against Finland was essentially a glorified scrimmage — both teams were already guaranteed to advance to the tournament’s next round — the matchup was an opportunity for both teams to take early measures of formidable rivals.

Finland won the bronze in Pyeongchang, South Korea, in 2018. Canada, which took silver that year, beat Switzerland, 12-1, earlier on Thursday.

But Thursday turned into a costly nightmare for the Americans.

“This team has depth, and everyone has a role, and that role may change,” Coyne Schofield said. “And no matter what that role is, you have to embrace it.”

She added: “You saw that our line shifted when Brianna went down, and everyone did an amazing job stepping up. There’s no replacing Brianna Decker in that situation, but everyone stepped up to the plate in the way they were asked to.”

Who’s on the U.S. Women’s Hockey Team?

Who’s on the U.S. Women’s Hockey Team?

The United States women’s hockey team opened play today against Finland. The Americans won gold in 2018 and are expected to contend this month in Beijing.

Let’s meet some of the players →

Who’s on the U.S. Women’s Hockey Team?

Kendall Coyne Schofield, a forward and the U.S. captain, is making her third Olympic appearance. She has scored 74 goals for the United States in 155 games and is known as one of the world’s fastest skaters.

Who’s on the U.S. Women’s Hockey Team?

Hilary Knight, who helped the University of Wisconsin win two N.C.A.A. titles, is on her fourth Olympic roster. Knight, 32, is a fearsome forward and a prolific scorer who is credited with 219 points over her career with the U.S. national team.

Who’s on the U.S. Women’s Hockey Team?

Megan Bozek and Alex Carpenter played for the United States during the 2014 Games but missed the 2018 roster. Carpenter led the Americans in Sochi in 2014 with four goals, and Bozek, who plays defense, was named to the tournament’s all-star team.

Who’s on the U.S. Women’s Hockey Team?

Liam Richards/The Canadian Press, via Associated Press

The Americans have an abundance of riches in the crease, including Maddie Rooney, who helped the Americans survive a shootout in the 2018 gold medal game against Canada.

Who’s on the U.S. Women’s Hockey Team?

Joel Johnson is the new head coach for the United States.

He also coaches women’s hockey at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota.

Who’s on the U.S. Women’s Hockey Team?

The tournament’s format guarantees the Americans a spot beyond the preliminary round, along with the Canadians, Finns, Russians and Swiss. The gold medal game is scheduled for Feb. 17 in Beijing.

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