USA men’s hockey faces Canada in gold medal game for third time in Olympic history

Third time’s the charm, eh? For Team USA’s sake, they hope that saying rings true, as they seek Olympic gold in the men’s hockey final against Canada in Milan Cortina.

The neighboring countries have met twice before in Olympic gold medal games. The first matchup came in 2002 at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, where Canada cruised to a 5-2 victory. The last gold medal game between the two came in 2010 in Vancouver, where Canada won an overtime thriller 3-2 in their home country.

While team USA has not won a gold medal in men’s hockey since 1980, Canada’s last gold medal came at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, when they beat Sweden 3-0.

The last time Canada and United States met on the ice was at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, when Canada topped the U.S. in the championship game, thanks to a dagger in overtime by NHL standout Connor McDavid. Team USA will undoubtedly be looking to seek revenge in this gold medal game.

How did the U.S. men’s team make it to the gold medal game?

Team USA cruised through a weaker group in round-robin play, earning nine out of a possible nine points. En route to the gold medal game, they faced Latvia, Denmark and Germany, earning an automatic spot in the quarterfinals as a result.

In the quarterfinals, the U.S. took a real gut punch when Sweden equalized in the final moments, forcing the game into overtime at 1-1. But the USA responded with the knockout blow, thanks to a Quinn Hughes overtime goal for the victory. In the semifinals, America routed Slovakia, winning 6-2 to book a spot in the gold medal game.