The 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics will end with one of its most anticipated events when the U.S. and Canada face off for the gold medal in men’s hockey, the final event before the closing ceremony Sunday night.
The matchup of two powerful rivals caps the NHL’s return to the Games following a 12-year absence. The Americans and Canadians are undefeated and both teams are stacked with some of the best players in the world. The two teams had much the same rosters a year ago when they played two memorable games at the 4 Nations Face-Off that reminded everyone just how good best-vs.-best international hockey can be.
How to watch the game
The game will air on NBC in the U.S., with Kenny Albert doing play by play and Ed Olczyk and Brian Boucher as in-arena analysts. CBC is broadcasting the game in Canada.
What time is the game?
The puck drops at 2:10 p.m. in Milan, 8:10 a.m. Eastern Time and 5:10 a.m. Pacific.
Key players to watch
The weekend arrived with questions about the status of Canada’s injured captain, Sidney Crosby. He did not play in the semifinal win over Finland after leaving the quarterfinal game against Czechia with an apparent right knee injury.
Connor McDavid wore the captain’s “C” in Crosby’s absence. McDavid with 13 points in five games has already set the record for the most by an NHL player in a single Olympics.
The U.S. is led by two sets of brothers, Brady and Matthew Tkachuk and Quinn and Jack Hughes. Quinn and Jack have been the best Americans on the ice in the tournament.
Canada is the favorite
Canada is favored by 1 1/2 goals on BetMGM Sportsbook. Canada has been the favorite since before play began in Milan, with the U.S. not far behind.
The last time the US won gold
While the women’s team has three gold medals since 1998 — including this year’s thriller over rival Canada — the last U.S. men’s team to win it all at the Olympics was the “Miracle on Ice” team in Lake Placid in 1980. The only other is 1960.
The U.S. last reached the final in 2010 in Vancouver, losing to Canada on Crosby’s golden goal in overtime. Canada has won Olympic gold a record nine times, including three in the first five Games with NHL players.
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AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
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