Canadian hockey star Marie-Philip Poulin had to leave an Olympic women’s hockey game against Czechia due to a knee injury during the first period, and did not return for the rest of the match. The official ruling came at the beginning of the third period, as reported by CBC.
Poulin sustained the injury after a collision with Kristyna Kaltounkova in the first period, visibly favoring her right knee as she left the ice. Despite briefly returning during a power play, she soon left the game again, heading to the dressing room in discomfort before rejoining her team on the bench later in the period.
During Poulin’s absence, Team Canada managed to extend their lead with two additional goals, eventually finishing the period 4-0 ahead. Poulin, known for her impressive scoring record, has netted 17 goals in Olympic women’s hockey – one shy of the record held by Hayley Wickenheiser.
As a five-time Olympian, Poulin has clinched three gold medals in her career at Vancouver 2010, Sochi 2014, and Beijing 2022, along with a silver from PyeongChang 2018.
The injury raises concerns as Canada gears up to face Team USA in their upcoming Group A match on Tuesday.