Canada and the United States face each other Thursday in the women’s ice hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics. Ahead of the matchup, ex-BT host Sid Seixeiro stressed that Marie-Philip Poulin is the primary reason Canada can pull off an upset in the women’s hockey gold medal game Thursday against the United States.

Speaking this week on The Sid Seixeiro Show, he argued that Poulin’s presence on the ice regardless of the physical condition she is in makes Canada a legitimate threat and that the overwhelming expectation of an American victory could work against the United States rather than for them.

“What Marie-Philippe Poulin is doing here is, in my opinion, a top three storyline of this entire Winter Olympics for Canada physically, mentally and all of it,” Seixeiro said. “She’s become the head coach. She’s become the positive influence. She has become a galvanizing force.”

Seixeiro’s prediction is conditional on her availability that if Poulin plays, Canada can win.

“If 29 in red is out there Thursday, Marie-Philippe Poulin has scored more goals in the Olympics than any other woman, Canada can win the game,” he said. “I believe in Marie-Philippe Poulin. That’s why Canada can win.”

Poulin enters the final as the all-time leading goal scorer in women’s Olympic hockey history with 20 goals. She sat out Canada’s 5-0 preliminary round loss to the United States while injured, meaning the Americans have not faced her in this tournament.

Marie-Philip Poulin playing through bigger injury than disclosed per Seixeiro

Team Canada captain Marie-Philip Poulin is playing through what Sid Seixeiro believes is a significantly more serious injury than has been publicly disclosed.

Poulin sustained a lower body injury during Canada’s 5-1 win over Czechia on Feb. 9 after a heavy hit along the boards and missed two games. She returned for the quarterfinal against Germany and scored both of Canada’s goals in the semifinal against Switzerland.

Seixeiro described that performance as one that should not have been physically possible given what he believes she is dealing with.

“She’s on one knee,” Seixeiro said. “She got both goals yesterday. She should not be out there. We’re going to find out something wild when this is over. wild about the condition of that knee.”

The United States enters the gold medal game having gone 6-0 through the tournament including the 5-0 win over Canada in group play. Seixeiro acknowledged the gap between the two sides is real but raised the question of what that level of expectation does to a team when the game actually starts.

“Because everything’s gone the USA’s way. The US is way too far, that’s a trap,” he said. “That can be a trap. Sometimes no one thinks they’re going to beat the States Thursday. Or Canada.”

The women’s hockey gold medal game is Thursday Feb. 19 at 1:10 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock.