Live updates: Team Canada vs. USA for Olympic gold in men's hockey — Game score, how to watch, Crosby's status, latest storylines and more

Team Canada and Team USA are finally facing off in the 2026 Winter Olympics gold-medal game in Milan. It’s the rivalry in men’s hockey we’ve all been waiting for, as the tournament also marks the first time since 2014 that we’ve seen best-on-best NHL talent participate.

At the end of the first period, it is currently 1-0 for the United States, as Matt Boldy scored the opening goal at the 14:00 mark. He burst past Canada’s Cale Makar and Devon Toews to slot one past Jordan Binnington.

For this matchup, Team Canada announced Sunday that Sidney Crosby won’t be in the lineup. Canada’s captain also missed the semifinal, after suffering an injury vs. Czechia in the quarters.

Despite the news for Canada, the stage is set for another historic chapter between these two teams, as they share a whole lot of history, both on and off the ice. Last year, we got a taste of how much disdain there is between the two at the 4-Nations Face-Off, which Canada ultimately won. The tension continues to be a major talking point, whether it’s Wayne Gretzky or Brady Tkachuk, as the American star put it simply: “There’s hatred there.”

The Canadians won the most recent Olympic tournament featuring NHL-talent in Sochi 2014, and the one before that in 2010, as they took down the Americans behind Crosby’s “Golden Goal” in Vancouver. On the other hand, the U.S. men’s team hasn’t won a gold since 1980, while they’ve never beat Canada in a gold-medal game during their four Olympic final opportunities.

Both teams have been tested coming into the final. Now, their biggest challenge awaits, as they both look to finish the 2026 Olympic Games with a gold medal.

For all the latest highlights, updates, news and analysis, follow along below with Yahoo News Canada’s live blog coverage, as we bring you all the action from this highly-anticipated matchup, in what should be another exciting chapter in the Canada-USA rivalry.

To watch the game live, you can also tune in for free on CBC Gem.