USA women’s hockey star Brianna Decker is out of the 2022 Beijing Olympics after leaving on a stretcher during the team’s preliminary-round win over Finland on Thursday.
Decker, a three-time Olympian, was tied up by Finland defender Ronja Savolainen and fell with her left leg trapped with 10:58 left in the first period. She was unable to put weight on her leg and was wheeled off the ice on a stretcher.
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Decker was later seen with a walking boot on her left leg, with ESPN reporting she is out for the tournament.
"It was sickening," Amanda Kessel said of the yelps of pain coming from Decker, adding, "She's one of the toughest players that I've ever played with or against, so you know she's not staying down on the ice or crying when it's not bad. So it's definitely a gut punch. We want to win for her."
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Decker has made 146 appearances for the national team with 170 total points (81 goals, 89 assists). There are still 13 players on the 23-player roster who won in PyeongChang and 15 with prior Olympic experience.
Here’s a deeper look at Decker’s injury:
The Injury
After the play, Savolainen was not penalized, something that USA coach Joel Johnson said he would not dispute but appeared to be upset about.
"They saw it as just people getting tangled up," Johnson said. "I'm biased, and so I saw it a little differently. But I don't think it was a missed call by any means."
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Savolainen said she wasn’t sure what happened and called the play an “unlucky situation.”
"I just ask how she's feeling, and then I said, 'Sorry,'" Savolainen said. "Like, I didn't want to hurt her."
Potential Replacements
Abby Roque, who is the first Indigenous woman to represent Team USA in women’s ice hockey at the Olympics, stepped into Decker’s forward spot with Amanda Kessel and Alex Carpenter. Roque finished with a plus-2 goal differential and had an assist.
She may continue to fill in for Decker, along with Kessel and Carpenter. Captain Kendall Coyne Schofield, who had two goals in Thursday’s win and also plays forward, will continue to fill in.
How to watch Olympic women's hockey games
- TV channel: USA Network, NBC
- Live stream: Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, NBC Sports app, fuboTV
The 2022 Winter Olympics will air live on USA Network and NBC. The women's hockey competition began Feb. 3 in Beijing.
Viewers will be able to watch Team USA on multiple platforms. Other games will also be available to live stream on NBC's Olympics website, the NBC Sports app and fuboTV, which offers a free trial.
The United States will have their first chance to fill in for Decker on Saturday against the Russian Olympic Committee at 8:10 a.m. ET.