MINNEAPOLIS — Gigi Marvin finds herself at a different vantage point this Olympics.
Rather than playing, the former University of Minnesota women's hockey standout and three-time Olympian for Team USA will be watching her former teammates face Canada again for a gold medal, with the rivalry set to be renewed at 10:10 p.m. CT on Wednesday.
"I love it. It's so fun for me personally because I know every single one of those players. I know their character, and just what it's like to be in their skates," said Marvin, who formally retired just a few months ago. "We've got a watch party where I'm at and we're going to be cheering so hard and so loud for Team USA."
The two countries are competing for gold for the sixth time in seven Olympics, with Marvin most recently helping the U.S. edge Canada in a shootout back in 2018. That epic contest earned the Americans a gold medal for the first time since 1998, but to repeat as champions in Beijing, they'll need to defeat a Canadian team that has already set an Olympic record for goals scored. In the preliminary round earlier this Olympics, Canada defeated the U.S. 4-2.
"It'll be interesting now because I'll be sweating and nervous, because I have no control over it, which is a completely different case than four years ago," Marvin said. "It's the first time since 2006 where I've watched a winter Olympics. I feel at peace. I know the women so well, and so it's a joy to just sit and cheer for them."
In particular, Marvin places great faith in goaltender Alex Cavallini, who made some critical saves to push the U.S. past Finland in the semifinals.
"She just shut the door and she played such great hockey," Marvin said. "[For Team USA], the outcome will take care of itself. But they can only control their effort and attitude, so I think just continuing to not get discouraged if it doesn't go in early, be resilient, and believe in one another."
As usual, the game will carry a distinctly Minnesota flavor, with eight former or current Gophers on Team USA's roster. That includes fifth-year Gopher Grace Zumwinkle and sophomore Abbey Murphy. Even the head coach, Joel Johnson, is a former longtime Gophers assistant.
"It makes you more invested when you know the players and their background. It just shows you the University of Minnesota, the players we produce here," said current U of M assistant Natalie Darwitz, also a former Gophers star and three-time Olympian from 2002 to 2010 for Team USA. "The team will be up late tonight watching the game and having a watch party. So, it's just a lot of excitement around women's hockey right now."
With the Minnesota roster carrying two Canadians in 2021-2022, Darwitz said there has been some fun banter between her players.
But the rivalry between the U.S. and Canada is no joke.
"It comes down to this one game, again, between the two top countries in the sport of women's hockey. I think nobody expected anything less," Darwitz said. "It's why you play. To play in those big moments."
Darwitz expects a hard-fought game at Wukesong Arena in Beijing, especially coming off the Americans' shootout victory in the 2018 gold-medal game.
"I think it's going to come down to, really, who is going to have the better goaltending and capitalize on special teams, I believe," Darwitz said. "At the end of the day, these two teams know each other extremely well on and off the ice, but when the puck drops, it's not about friendships, it's about competing. And both teams have worked hard to try to get the gold medal and they're going to do all they can to get it tonight."
Marvin, meanwhile, will be adjusting to her new role as a spectator in the U.S./Canada rivalry.
Even so, she's feeling as competitive as ever.
"A championship is almost always on the line against Canada. There aren't very many rivalries where you can literally compete for a championship at the end. I think, as an athlete, you want to face the best," Marvin said. "I think, as athletes, we enjoy it. It's so fun to play them."