It’s the gold medal game for the 2026 Olympics which figures to be a doozy for the United States trying once again to knock off their biggest rivals and stumbling block in Canada.
The two teams, both 5-0 in the tournament, have laid waste to the competition. Both have had some close calls with the US needing overtime to beat Sweden and Canada making comeback wins in their last two games against the Czechs and Finland, but in the end the top two teams certainly ended up in the finals.
Each team has a major injury concern, Tage Thompson missed the third period of Friday’s semifinal game with a lower body issue, but is expected to play today. That’s small potatoes to the situation with Sidney Crosby, who missed the semifinals but is surely going to do everything within his powers to suit up for the chance to win a third gold medal.
The international rules allow teams to dress extra players, so Crosby could be a 13th forward without a regular shift and still be available for limited time and situations like the power play while not handicapping the team numbers-wise.
The US and Canada met for the 4 Nations championship in Boston last year, Canada took a 3-2 victory on Connor McDavid’s overtime goal. The United States did not have the services that game of Charlie MacAvoy or Quinn Hughes, who were out with injury and been very impressive in these Olympics. Thompson too is a new face, his presence has given the Americans a dynamic third line with Dylan Larkin and Jack Hughes that has really come on as the tournament has advanced while also helping on the power play.
Canada has the concern about Crosby’s availability in general and then how strong he might be if he can play, though teenaged sensation Macklin Celebrini who has recorded five goals in the tournament and quickly emerged as a true, blue superstar. Celebrini was not a part of the 4 Nations event last year either. For as powerful and deep as the Canadians are, they have had to ride the ‘nuclear option’ of Celebrini on a line with McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon for a heavy helping of ice-time and reliance on production.
This 2026 Olympics will be added to the long list of US/Canada marquee matchups. In addition to last year’s 4 Nations Faceoff, Canada won the 2010 Olympic gold medal game on home soil in Vancouver after Crosby’s famous overtime goal against the Americans. Canada followed that up in the next Olympics by defeating the US 1-0 in the 2014 Sochi games in the semifinals there.
To finally get over that hurdle. the United States could be reaching back to the spirit of 1996, where they beat Canada by matching 5-2 scores in Games 2 and 3 of the World Cup of Hockey which also serves as the most recent time the Americans were victorious in a true best-on-best international event. Keith Tkachuk starred on that team, now his two sons are on the US’s top line. Fellow ‘96er Bill Guerin now the general manager as another tie between that illustrious past and the present.
USA Hockey has a lot of momentum in general, their squad won the 2025 World Championships and their women took down Canada to claim Olympic gold in the latest chapter of that fierce rivalry. A victory today would earn the US their first men’s gold in hockey since the 1980 Miracle on Ice team and provide a strong case for this being one of the best teams of all-time. It will take an epic performance to finally get past the team that has been one goal better than them in so many recent contests (2025 4 Nations, 2010 and 2014 Olympics), we’ll find out if today is the day they can do it, or if Canada will continue their epic run of dominance to claim a third straight gold in the NHL Olympic era.
Game starts at 8:10am eastern time, feel free to use this comment section to discuss the event.
