Despite having medaled at every Games since women’s hockey debuted in 1998, Team USA hasn’t exactly been in a celebratory mood. Head coach John Wroblewski made it clear he’s far from satisfied. In fact, he’s frustrated. From his perspective, not every team is being officiated the same way, and he’s not staying quiet about it.

Things boiled over on Friday, February 13, 2026, at the Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena. Late in the second period of Team USA’s 6-0 quarterfinal win over Italy, Hannah Bilka buried the Americans’ sixth goal at 18:27, but the play didn’t end there. After scoring, she fell on top of Italian goaltender Gabriella Durante, and that’s when tempers flared. A full-on scrum erupted behind the net, with Abbey Murphy and Italy’s Franziska Stocker at the center of the pushing and shoving.

Amid the chaos, Wroblewski was seen jawing toward the Italian bench, clearly fired up. Afterward, he didn’t hold back when talking about how the game was being called. According to him, the standard hasn’t been consistent. “They’re not supposed to be able to remove a player from the puck with any type of force except while playing the puck,” he said, making it clear he believes some teams are getting different treatment on the ice.

The 44-year-old said he keeps seeing the same pattern play out – teams that might not be as deep, as skilled, or as athletic are allowed to clutch, grab, and slow the game down without consequence. Meanwhile, if his players matched that same level of physicality and edge, he believes they’d be headed straight to the penalty box every single time. To him, the standard just hasn’t felt equal.

“And you just see it time and time again, a team that’s maybe not as deep or skilled or as athletic as some of the players are allowed to hold up and blatantly break the rules. Meanwhile, if those same players played against the opponent the same way, as physical and as determined, they’d be going to the box every single time,” he added.

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On the ice, though, the players knew they had to adjust. U.S. forward Taylor Heise, who picked up an assist in the win, explained afterward that facing Italy required a “specific” style. “A little spicy,” she said, per ESPN.

By “specific style,” Heise was referring to a more physical, composed brand of hockey, one that meant staying disciplined while handling extra contact and scrums after the whistle.

As reported by ESPN, the U.S. understood they couldn’t simply play their usual free-flowing game; they had to adapt to tighter checking and heightened emotions. “I don’t want to say too much about it,” she added, “but I think at the end of the day, we had to play a specific style of hockey, and we’re willing to form to whatever we need to do to be successful.”

Disruption or not, the result never felt in doubt. The Americans are now heading into Monday’s semifinal, and the sense around the rink is that gold is looking even more inevitable.

Abbey Murphy draws penalties amid Winter Olympic chaos

In the middle of the mayhem, all eyes were on Italy’s Franziska Stocker and Team USA’s Abbey Murphy, who were assessed offsetting minor penalties. Murphy, the 23-year-old Minnesota standout, skated to the box with a noticeable smile, seemingly unfazed by the moment.

Afterwards, Murphy explained exactly where she was coming from. “When you represent your country, you hold yourself to a high standard,” she said. “So, anyone in front of the net that gets cross-checked, I’m not just going to watch that happen. That’s not me. I’m not just going to let it go.”

Coming from an athletic family, competition has always been part of Abbey Murphy’s DNA. Her mom, Lynne Murphy, played college softball, and her two older brothers, Patrick and Dominic, both competed in college sports. So stepping onto the Olympic stage for the second time feels less like a surprise and more like a continuation of the path she’s always been on.

When Murphy left for Milan, she was already turning heads at the college level. The 23-year-old was leading the NCAA with 36 goals in just 26 games, and she also led in penalties with 23. She admitted her coach gave her a clear message before she left: “Find that fine line. Don’t get in trouble. Don’t do anything stupid that’s going to keep you out of the next game or whatsoever.” Then she added with a grin, “But yeah, you know me.”

Regardless, even with the physical play and frustration, Team USA has been nothing short of dominant at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The Americans have outscored opponents 26-1, putting up at least five goals in every game so far. As they wait to find out who they’ll face in the semifinals, they carry an eye-popping 271:23 shutout streak, split between goaltenders Aerin Frankel and Gwyneth Philips.

Statistically, the quarterfinal was lopsided. The U.S. outshot Italy 51-6 overall, including a commanding 20-2 edge in the first period alone. Still, Italy closed out the Games with two wins in five games, a noticeable step forward after going 0-5 in its only other Olympic appearance back in 2006.