The Athletic has live coverage of Canada vs USA in the Winter Olympics men’s hockey gold medal game.
The United States and Canada will battle for the men’s hockey gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics, setting up an all-time showcase on the biggest stage. It’s the finale we expected, and it has a real chance to draw the largest viewing audience the sport has ever seen.
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The road to the final was less certain. Neither team has lost, but there have been close calls. Canada needed overtime to survive a motivated Czechia in the quarterfinals, and it overcame a 2-0 deficit to foil Finland’s upset bid in the semis — without captain Sidney Crosby, no less. The U.S. also went to sudden death in the quarterfinals, taking down Sweden 2-1 before turning in arguably its most dominant outing of the tournament, a 6-2 rout of Slovakia, on Friday.
How to watch USA vs. Canada in the men’s hockey gold-medal final
- Venue: Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena — Milan
- Time: 8:10 a.m. ET, Sunday
- TV (U.S.): NBC
- TV (Canada): CBC
- Streaming: Peacock, NBCOlympics.com (U.S.); CBC Gem (Canada)
The game will re-air on USA Network at 4:30 p.m. ET Sunday.
The stakes couldn’t be higher. Not since 1980 has Team USA delivered a gold medal in men’s hockey — coincidentally, the Miracle on Ice semifinal win happened 46 years ago to the day of Sunday’s final. It’s come close in two more attempts, settling for silvers to Canada’s golds in 2002 and 2010, but this time feels different.
This roster, led by Auston Matthews and goalie Connor Hellebuyck, was assembled with the distinct intention to contend directly with its northern neighbors. Now, Bill Guerin’s squad gets the opportunity to prove that it’s the best in the world.
Crosby’s absence loomed large in Canada’s come-from-behind win over Finland, and his status for Sunday likely won’t be known until the moments before the match begins. Performance aside, his leadership is an invaluable asset. He’s also been here before: Crosby scored the game-winning goal over the United States in 2010 with a puck that now sits in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Almost exactly a year ago, on Feb. 20, 2025, the U.S. fell to Canada in overtime in the heated 4 Nations Face-Off championship game. Connor McDavid scored the game-winner that day; he also assisted on Canada’s goal with 35.2 seconds left Friday against Finland.
Needless to say, the rivalry will be on full blast as the U.S. seeks its third gold medal in men’s hockey and Canada its 10th. This is the biggest test that either team has faced thus far in these Games. The U.S. is in position to peak at the right time. Canada has already proven capable of overcoming adversity.
Now the question is who can rise to the occasion when the pressure mounts and when the situation demands perfection. One thing is certain: A hero is about to be crowned.