U.S. men’s hockey is one win away from winning their first Olympic gold medal in 46 years. The long-awaited victory follows their famous ‘Miracle on Ice’ victory against the Soviet Union in 1980.
The team will play Canada after securing their spot in the final following a 6-2 win over Slovakia in the semi-finals on Friday.
If the men’s hockey team manages to beat Canada in the final, the victory will end a 46-year golden drought for the US.
According to forward Brock Nelson, whose grandfather was on the 1960 gold medal-winning U.S. team, “the rivalry with Canada is obviously a long struggle and a long history.”
“(These are) two countries that want to come out on top and be proud of being the best country in the world,” Nelson said.
What is the stake?
The upcoming match between the US and Canada is for several reasons, as the US team has not defeated Canada in an Olympic gold medal match since 1960.
Additionally, this is the first time since 2014 that NHL players have been allowed to participate in the Olympics.
Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin also expressed his long-held desire to play for Olympic gold.
“I’m not even going to go into how much I thought about it as a kid, but that was just a dream until the Four Nations, it turned into serious thoughts,” Larkin said of the tournament won by Canada last year.
According to Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk, winning gold would be a historic moment in American hockey history and would inspire a new generation of American kids to play hockey just like the ‘Miracle on Ice’ team.
The match will take place on Sunday, February 22, 2026. In the US you can watch it live at NBC or stream it via Peacock. The match will be broadcast in Canada on CBC, TSN, And Sportsnet.
