Trio of European teams to watch at the Olympic women’s hockey tournament

Kristýna Kaltounková has seen the headlines saying everyone is expecting another epic clash between Canada and the United States in the Olympic gold medal final.

She’s tired of reading them.

“If I could, I would do anything to be up there and be able to win that gold or silver medal,” said the Czech striker. “I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Kaltounková, who was selected first overall in last year’s PWHL draft by the New York Sirens, leads the league in goals (11) and penalty minutes (31) after her first 16 professional games.

The 23-year-old, blessed with size and a superb shot, could be an X-factor for an up-and-coming Czech team hoping to shake up the Olympic podium.

Only one Olympic final, in 2006, featured a non-North American team. Canada beat Sweden for the gold medal that year.

But now, the best international players compete in the PWHL, where they play and train alongside top talent every day. Czechia has eight PWHL players on its roster, including Kaltounková.

Although the United States and Canada remain the top-ranked teams in the world and heavy favorites to advance to another Olympic final, there is no doubt that the rest of the world has improved.

Here are three European teams to watch ahead of the Olympic women’s hockey tournament, which begins in Milan, Italy on February 5. You can watch all the Olympic hockey action on CBC and CBC Gem.

Czechia

It’s only been four years since Czechia made its Olympic debut in women’s hockey, but a lot has happened since then.

The country won its first two medals at the World Championships with back-to-back bronze medals in 2022 and 2023.

Then, the Czechs hosted the world championship for the first time in 2025. The home team nearly upset the Americans in the semifinals, before losing to Finland in the bronze medal match.

At home, funding for the program “exploded” after Olympic participation four years ago, according to Boston Fleet defender Daniela Pejšová, who will compete at Milan Cortina 2026 with the Czech team.

“In the summer, when I’m home at these girls’ summer camps, they all tell me they started because they saw us on TV winning the [world championship bronze medal in 2022] or just compete in the Olympics,” she said. “Women’s hockey has just exploded in Czech. The federation started funding our program and obviously the PWHL took place. We have a lot of players in this league, so that helps too.

Another change was the addition of head coach Carla MacLeod, who also coaches the Ottawa Charge in the PWHL, and 27-year-old general manager Tereza Sadilová, who took over in 2022.

Kaltounková praised the two for helping the team gain more respect and trust.

“Four years ago, not many people knew about women’s hockey back home, so seeing these people fight for us to be respected is something I really appreciate and enjoy,” she said. “They’ve done a tremendous job with all of this because the conditions we have today and the opportunities available to us are so different than four or 10 years ago.”

Beyond Kaltounková, the Czech team will look to Vancouver’s Tereza Vanišová and Ottawa’s Kateřina Mrázová for offense. Captain Aneta Tejralová (Seattle Torrent) will be counted on to play tough minutes against the top teams, provided she is healthy.

But the player to watch is 19-year-old Adéla Šapovalivová, who helped propel the Czech under-18 team to a victory over Canada in 2024. She plays college hockey with the University of Wisconsin and played on a line with Kaltounková at the world championships.

“You can expect a lot of physicality, a lot of courage,” Kaltounková said of her team. “We have a Czech heart. All Czechs will tell you that we will fight until the last end or until the last minute. It is not really easy to get rid of us.”

Finland

Since her Olympic debut in 2010, Michelle Karvinen has seen a lot of changes in women’s hockey. None was greater than the creation of the PWHL.

Since joining the league last season, the 35-year-old says her game has reached a new level. She has six points in 16 PWHL games with Vancouver, where she developed chemistry with Canadian Sarah Nurse.

Karvinen is part of a Finnish Olympic team that features four PWHL players and won back-to-back bronze at the World Championships.

“I think we probably have the best team I’ve ever played on for the Finnish team,” Karvinen told CBC Sports. “Extremely good skaters, fast and very skilled. I think we’re obviously still a little bit of an underdog, but I have a good feeling about the team we have.”

In addition to Karvinen, Finland will count on Boston Fleet forward Susanna Tapani and forward Petra from the Swedish Women’s Hockey League (SDHL). The promontory to fuel the offensive.

Tapani is one of the most underrated centers in the PWHL, a talented forward who can take the puck off his stick in an instant. She had eight points in 14 games for league-leading Boston.

Nieminen leads the SDHL with 43 points in 25 games, thanks to his accurate shooting. Her strength should not be underestimated, said Karvinen, who should help Nieminen transition well to the PWHL, if she decides to come next season.

At the back, captain Jenni Hiirikoski is expected to return to the national team after undergoing heart surgery in the offseason. Long considered one of the best defenders in the world, Hiirikoski logged big minutes, scoring six points in seven games for Finland at the 2024 World Championship, where the country finished third.

Karvinen is excited about her friend’s return to hockey after overcoming significant health issues.

“For her to kind of come back after all of this, it just shows her heart and her character,” Karvinen said. “It hasn’t been easy.”

She will be accompanied by Ronja Savolainen (Ottawa Charge), a solid defender who is one of the most difficult to face in the PWHL. Karvinen has seen her game evolve since arriving in North America and believes she is also underrated.

A player to watch? Ottawa Charge rookie goaltender Sanni Ahola could steal a game from the Finns.

Swiss

The Swiss team joins Canada, the United States, Finland and Czechia in Group A, where all teams will automatically advance to the quarterfinals.

Alina Müller (Boston Fleet) was just 15 years old when she won a bronze medal for Switzerland at the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia.

But the Swiss have not managed to get back on the podium since. The country has also lost three consecutive bronze medal matches at the world championships from 2021 to 2023.

Now 27, Müller is aiming for another Olympic medal. She knows she will have to do her best for the Swiss team to get there.

“Our advantage is that we are such a small country,” she said. “We don’t have a lot of players. We know each other inside out and have played together for years on the national team. We know what everyone needs. If we can bring that to the ice, we are a very dangerous team.”

She is one of only two PWHL players on the Swiss roster. New York Sirens reserve defenseman Nicole Vallario is the other.

“Our motivation to win a medal is greater than ever because we have been so close so many times,” Vallario said.

Swiss legend Lara Stalder will be back with Müller, as will goalkeeper Andrea Brändli.

Müller expects solid hockey defensively from the Swiss, supported by Brändli, who was the SDHL goaltender of the year last season.

“Anything can happen in women’s hockey with a good goalie,” Müller said. “It’s another do-or-die tournament, and we’re going to try to show our best hockey and that can take us very far.”

Sweden, Japan, Germany, France and hosts Italy make up Group B. The top three teams from this group will advance to the quarterfinals.

Canada opens its tournament on February 5 against Finland at 3:10 p.m. Eastern Time.

The gold medal game will take place on February 19 at 1:10 p.m. Eastern Time.