Women’s Worlds gold medal game live updates: U.S. vs. Canada lineups, predictions, start time and how to watch

Abbey Murphy is the kind of player opponents hate to play against — and would love to have on their team. Murphy plays a hard-nosed game, is a constant trash-talker, and isn’t afraid to mix it up or defend her teammates on the ice.

But calling her a pest doesn’t do Murphy enough justice.

She’s a dynamic offensive player, with excellent hands, quick feet and an elite goal-scoring ability. She made the senior U.S. roster for the 2021 world championship when she was 19 years old and was one of two teenagers on the Olympic roster that won silver in Beijing. And, after one year off the national team, won a world championship in 2023.

At the University of Minnesota this season, Murphy scored almost 25 percent of her team’s goals and — with 62 points in 39 games— factored in on 46 percent of the 135 goals the Gophers scored. She was named a top-10 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award, given to the top player in women’s college hockey. Nobody in the nation had more goals (33) or penalty minutes (118) than Murphy.

“She is one of the most dynamic and skilled players I’ve ever coached, and we’ve had a lot of good ones at the University of Minnesota,” said Frost, who has coached the team since 2007. “But she also brings a competitive nature to her play that I’ve also really never seen out of a female hockey player.”

In the gold medal game at last year’s world championship, Murphy scored the first U.S. goal, then drew the penalty that set the table for the go-ahead goal scored on the power play. As Team USA continues its title defense at worlds in Utica, N.Y., there’s little doubt that Murphy will play a key role in the American attack, especially against Canada in an expected gold medal rematch.

Said U.S. teammate Caroline Harvey: “There is truly no one like her.”

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