MILAN — The U.S.-Canada hockey rivalry will get a second chapter at the 2026 Olympic Games when the two men's national teams meet Sunday in the gold medal matchup that many had been hoping for all along.
With a show-of-force 6-2 win in Friday night's semifinal against Slovakia, the U.S. has guaranteed its first men's hockey medal since the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.
But the American ambitions are bigger than runner-up: Beat Canada, win gold.
The U.S. men have not won an Olympic gold medal since the "Miracle on Ice" in 1980.
Since then, they have reached the medal podium just twice — both silver medals, in 2010 and at the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City, both of them losses to Canada. No country has won more Olympic gold medals in hockey than Canada, with nine; no country has won more silver medals than the U.S., with eight.
On Sunday, the Americans will have an opportunity to change that old narrative when the two teams meet at 2:10 p.m. local time (8:10 a.m. Eastern).
"We have a chance to do something not a lot of American hockey players have ever done, so we've got nothing to lose," said defenseman Zach Werenski. "We're aware of what's at stake. We're going to embrace it."
"It's going to be a battle of the ages," added forward Dylan Larkin, who scored the first goal of the game Friday. "I think it's what everyone wanted as this matchup in the gold medal game."
Last year, without an Olympic gold on the line, two games between the national teams in the NHL's 4 Nations Face-Off tournament showed just how small the difference has shrunk. In an opening game, the U.S. won 3-1. Five days later in the final, it took more than eight minutes of overtime for Canada to edge out their rivals 3-2.
Now, in these Olympics, Canada comes into Sunday's game after nailbiters in each of its two elimination games, while the U.S.will cruise in fresh off a dominant win over Slovakia.
"The line between winning and losing is so fine in tournaments like this," said forward Jack Eichel after Friday's win. "We know it's not going to be easy, but we're ready for a really hard and demanding game. And we're going to give everything we have."
In the semifinal, the goals came fast and easy for the Americans, and with each another needle drop on "Free Bird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Americans' goal song, and more chants of "U-S-A" from the thrilled crowd.
First there was Larkin, who worked the gap in a Slovakia line change to get on the board. Then, a Tage Thompson one-timer made it 2-0. Forward Jack Hughes found the net twice in the second period, with a quick goal from Eichel, assisted by the brothers Matthew and Brady Tkachuk, sandwiched in between. Then, in the third period, Brady Tkachuk scored on a breakaway, his third goal of the Olympics so far.
This is the first Olympic Games since 2014 in which NHL players have been allowed to compete. Their participation has led to a thrilling knockout round in which three of four quarterfinals went to overtime.
The U.S. roster includes five NHL captains and two players who have been named the league's MVP, the Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews and goaltender Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets. On Wednesday, the game-winning overtime goal was scored by Quinn Hughes of the Minnesota Wild, who in 2024 was named the NHL's best defenseman.
Of course, the Canadians are not lacking for talent. Their roster includes Edmonton's Connor McDavid, the three-time MVP, alongside the league's leading goal scorer, Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche, and its best young player, the 19-year-old Macklin Celebrini, who was drafted by the San Jose Sharks barely a year and a half ago.
On Friday, Canada prevailed 3-2 over Finland after trailing early. It took two goals in the third period — first an equalizer by Shea Theodore, then the last-minute power play game-winner by MacKinnon — for the Canadians to earn their way to the final.
Canada was the favorite coming into the Olympics, but they have now struggled in two consecutive games. In the quarterfinal Wednesday, Czechia took a 3-2 lead with under 8 minutes to play in the third period (on a controversial play which officials admitted should have been penalized for too many men on the ice).
Those close calls are not cause for concern, said Canadian defenseman Cale Makar afterward. "When you've got a team like this that's got so many leaders on it, everybody's been through scenarios like this before, regardless of what team they're playing for," he said. "It's amazing to see all the veterans in the room, how positive everybody is. The talk just never really stopped."
Canadian captain Sidney Crosby, a two-time gold medalist in 2010 and 2014, missed all of Friday's game after he was injured in the game against Czechia earlier in the week.
His status for Sunday's gold medal game is unknown, said coach Jon Cooper after the game. "We have 48 hours to decide that. But I will tell you, he's got a better chance of playing in that gold medal game than he had playing in tonight's game," Cooper said.
The bronze medal game between Slovakia and Finland will take place Saturday.
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