BEIJING — Three Indigenous women were on the ice this year at the Beijing Olympics 2022 — Abby Roque, Ojibway from Wahnapitae First Nation who grew up in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, for the Americans; and Jocelyne Larocque and Jamie Lee Rattray, both of the Métis Nation, for the Canadians.
The women in this particular hockey tournament represented the largest contingent of Indigenous athletes in the Olympic games, and they represented well.
In the final throes of the championship game, The United States was awarded a power play with just over a minute remaining. After producing some strong pressure in the offensive zone, Canada scored with the American net empty, making it a 3-2 game with 13.5 seconds remaining. Canada would go onto win the ensuing centre face-off and the United States couldn’t generate another scoring opportunity, making it a 3-2 final.
Canada entered the game with a 6-0 record in while the Americans were 5-1 in Beijing. The Canadians went 4-0 in the preliminary round, which included a 4-2 victory over the U.S.. Canada then went on to defeat Sweden 11-0 in the quarterfinals and Switzerland 10-3 in the semifinals to advance to the gold medal game.
This marks the fifth time that Canada has won gold in women’s hockey at an Olympic Games, the first since 2014. Since women’s hockey was added to the Olympic program at Nagano 1998, Canada and the United States have met in six of the seven gold medal matches.
Not only was this the mark of gold for two Indigenous players, Sarah Nurse was the focal point as the only Black player in women’s hockey at the 2022 Olympics. She also earned the most points in the tournament.
