Men's Olympic Ice Hockey
2026 Olympic
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Team USA has dominated Slovakia 6-2 in the semifinals of the men’s hockey tournament at the 2026 Winter Olympics, advancing to the gold medal game for the first time since 2010.
Jack Hughes scored two goals for the U.S. while Dylan Larkin, Tage Thompson, Jack Eichel and Brady Tkachuk each added one. Juraj Slafkovský and Pavol Regenda scored for Slovakia in the third period.
Team USA will face Canada in the final on Sunday at 8:10 a.m. ET.
Share your reaction with us at live@theathletic.com.
Thanks Henry B. for writing in. I’m sure a lot of people are in a similar boat considering who to cheer for in Sunday’s gold medal game if they have connections to both countries.
Here are Henry’s full thoughts:
💬: “My uncle played on the NHL Toronto Maple Leafs but I played hockey in New York and Ontario.
“Who do I root for? Every four years my in-laws are for the USA. I am for Canada. But I feel like the Cubbies in baseball. Give my Canadian cousins a break!!”
The U.S. men's hockey team is now guaranteed to win its 12th Olympic medal. Only two of those have been gold, both coming on home soil: Squaw Valley 1960 and Lake Placid 1980.
A whopping eight of the 11 previous medals have been silver, including in 1956 at Cortina d'Ampezzo here in Italy.
Juraj Slafkovský speaking after the loss about the challenges Slovakia faced in this game: “Well, they’ve got four lines pretty much of first-liners in the NHL on their team. The biggest challenge was (to) not make as many mistakes as we did, and…we didn’t complete the challenge.”
Canada opens as -125 favorites in the gold medal game on the money line.
Team USA is a very slight +105 underdog.
Canada has the unguardable top-end and the unkillable aura. Team USA has the size, speed, depth and the perennial Vezina nominee goalie.
Is it Sunday yet?
Connor Hellebuyck has continued to rewrite the narrative about his career, that he’s only elite in the regular season and is a big-game liability. He made 22 saves tonight, his shutout spoiled by Juraj Slafkovsky’s third-period goal.
Hellebuyck has allowed five goals in four games at the Olympics.
The thought of Connor McDavid matching up against Auston Matthews, Nathan MacKinnon lining up against Jack Eichel, Cale Makar dueling Quinn Hughes has tormented and tantalized fans for years, with the NHL choosing to sit out the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, and pulling out of the 2022 Olympics in Beijing because of the pandemic.
Now, it’s happening.
Slovakia now turns its attention to defending the bronze medal it won in Beijing in 2022. Slovakia has had a wild run to this point — upsetting Finland in the opener, barely holding off Italy, then losing to Sweden but winning the group with a last-minute Dalibor Dvorský goal that gave Slovakia a bye into the quarters, where they knocked off Germany. Slovakia — with youth, swagger and joy on their side — believed a gold medal was within reach, but a bronze against an NHL-laden field would be a massive achievement.
Mike Sullivan says he anticipates Tage Thompson, who missed the third period today, being ready for the gold medal game, but that he's dealing with a lower-body injury and that he was held out of the period for precautionary reasons.
A quick look at the schedule for the medal games in men's hockey.
All events have concluded. See full medal count.
The probabilities for the medal games, according to our projections model.
Team USA and Canada could hardly be any tighter.
Juraj Slafkovský on the opportunity for Slovakia to win a bronze medal: "We’re going to get a good sleep, we’re going to wake up with a smile on our faces tomorrow and we’re going to go do it.”
The loss bothered him, but the opportunity seemed more exciting than the disappointment.
Dylan Larkin on the USA-Canada gold-medal game: "It just feels right."
There was apparently some scuffling in the tunnel after the game involving Matthew and Brady Tkachuk and Erik Černák.
Slovak defenseman Martin Fehérváry speaking about if afterwards: "Obviously big emotions in this game by both sides. Everyone knows what the Tkachuks are doing, right? It’s not something that would surprise someone. It’s just the emotions got high, you know?"
If Sunday’s gold medal game is like the previous two between Canada and USA, we are in for a real treat at Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena.
In 2002 at the Salt Lake City Games, Tony Amonte opened the scoring in front of the home crowd, in what American fans thought was going to be a coronation day for their men’s hockey team. Instead, Canada began to pull ahead. Joe Sakic and Jerome Iginla each scored a pair of goals en route to Canada’s 5-2 win. It was Canada’s first Olympic gold in men’s hockey since 1952.
In Vancouver 2010, Canada was trying to win the Olympic gold in men’s hockey on home soil for the first time. With Canada leading 2-1, Zach Parise scored the game-tying goal with 25 seconds left. In overtime, Sidney Crosby scored the game winner, deemed now as the “Golden Goal!” It is the only Olympic gold medal game with NHLers participating to go to overtime.
Jack Hughes' shimmy move in the high slot on his first goal looked eerily like his brother, Quinn.
After the game, Quinn spoke about the move: "He's probably better at all that stuff than I am. He's pretty silky."
Jack, when told of his brother's comment: "I don’t know about that. You guys have been seeing him do that for like 25 minutes a night here. So he’s the best in the world, probably, at shimmying like that up top."
Jack Hughes speaking after the win: "I think I’ve been playing well (this season). I know everyone doesn’t watch the Devils every single night, but I love where I’m at and I’ve always believed in myself. I know the player I am."
Reader John L. makes a very interesting point on our discussion page, regarding the rough seasons the two gold medal game starters have been enduring in the NHL.
💬 So it looks like we’ll have an NHL all star game final. The starting goalies regular season stats are:
Binnington – 3.65 GAA, .864 save percentage
Hellebuyck – 2.79 GAA, .900 save percentage
Should be interesting to see how both play.
David C.: Happy there were no shocking upsets. The two best teams deserving to play for gold!
Michael M.: See you Sunday morning. I'll have the eggs, bacon, coffee and bourbon on.
Jim C.: Jack Hughes. What a tournament run so far.
Tommy K.: I can't believe Bill Guerin put this disaster of a team together … LOL
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