It’s the matchup everyone’s been waiting for.
Canada and the United States will clash for the gold medal on Sunday, in a rematch from their incredible 4 Nations championship game. Both teams have rolled through the tournament undefeated thus far, with the two countries being separated by just the slimmest of margins. Canada has outscored opponents 27-8, while the Americans come in at 24-8.
You could argue Canada was the more dominant team in the round robin, though they’ve needed late rallies in both the quarters and semifinal to get through to the final. The Canadians delivered third-period comebacks in both contests, as the trio of Connor McDavid, Macklin Celebrini and Nathan MacKinnon have excelled on a loaded up top line. The question now becomes, can Canada continue to ride that unit to a gold medal? Or will they need more balance to topple the U.S.?
The one big difference for the Americans from the 4 Nations is that they have Quinn Hughes this time around. Hughes might be their best and most important player right now, tallying seven points in five games at Milano Cortina 2026. That includes an overtime winner against Sweden in the quarterfinals, when the United States was just a shot away from being eliminated. Is the addition of Hughes enough to swing the result in America’s favour?
Let’s see what NHL analysts are saying about what should be an epic gold medal game Sunday morning.
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Watch the Canada-USA gold-medal game on Sportsnet
Arch-rivals Canada and the United States are set to face off for a gold medal in the first best-on-best Olympic men’s hockey tournament in 12 years. Watch the game on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ Sunday at 8 a.m. ET / 5 a.m. PT.
NHL.com – United States eager for ‘battle of the ages’ against Canada for Olympic gold medal
The United States hasn’t beaten Canada at a best-on-best tournament in 30 years, but the belief they can get it done Sunday could be greater than ever. As Nicholas J. Cotsonika notes, the Canadians should be considered the best until proven otherwise, though they may be more vulnerable than in past tournaments.
“The Canadians have looked human in their past two games. They trailed 2-1 and 3-2 against Team Czechia in the quarterfinals Wednesday before Mitch Marner scored to give them a 4-3 win in overtime. They trailed Team Finland 2-0 in the semifinals Friday before Nathan MacKinnon scored with 35.2 seconds left to give them a 3-2 win…
“Crosby left with a lower-body injury against the Czechs and didn’t play against the Finns.”
Whether or not Crosby plays against the U.S. is going to have a huge impact on this game, but Cotsonika adds the Americans should be confident no matter who is on the ice for Canada.
“The Americans just gave their best performance of the tournament. They were one shot away from defeating Canada a year ago and brought back 21 players from 4 Nations – plus defenceman Quinn Hughes, who was supposed to play but couldn’t due to an oblique injury. He leads Team USA with seven points (one goal, six assists) in five games.”
Hughes and Zach Werenski are making a massive impact for the US at this tournament, controlling the pace of play and breaking out of the zone with ease. The Americans no doubt have the advantage on the backend with their blue line depth and if Crosby can’t go, it’s going to put even more pressure on McDavid, Celebrini and MacKinnon to breakthrough once again.
ESPN – Why Emily Kaplan calls it a ‘personal redemption tournament’ for Team USA
Everyone knows that the expectation for Canada at any best-on-best competition is always a gold medal, but the US is also at the point where that feels like the only acceptable option as well. There was a bitter taste left in their month after falling just short at the 4 Nations and Emily Kaplan says the US is ready to back up their championship expectations in Milan by trying to close the deal Sunday.
“U.S. players have not been shy about their expectations for this tournament. They have been saying gold or bust for the last few months. The U.S. men have not beaten Canada in a best-on-best competition since before most of these guys were born and they’re eager to showcase how far hockey has come in the United States”
Going into any Olympic games there is always pressure on a number of players to come through. That couldn’t be truer for Team USA, where a number of players may feel like they have something to prove. Whether it’s someone like Auston Matthews who is trying to deliver in a big game or Matthew Tkachuk getting another crack at Canada after being injured in the 4 Nations Final, Kaplan adds there are a number of players who could be using this tournament as redemption.
“This is going to be a personal redemption tournament for so many guys. Quinn Hughes was not at 4 Nations, he was injured. He’s arguably been the U.S.’s best player. Jack Hughes didn’t have a great 4 Nations, he’s been one of their most electric forwards. Connor Hellebuyck wants to show he can be a big-game goalie after getting pulled three times in last year’s playoffs. This is legacy defining stuff.”
The Americans have checked all the boxes, but Canada will be an entirely different challenge. They may need all of those aforementioned players to step up and deliver on Sunday if they hope to head home with a gold medal.
The Athletic – As Canada and USA battle for gold on Olympic stage, the whole world will be watching
There’s a lot more on the line than just a gold medal Sunday. The number of eyes on this game are going to be astronomical and the outcome is going to have a major impact in a number of ways in both Canada and the United States.
It’s going to be a great showcase for the sport and Pierre LeBrun outlined what a victory would mean for each nation.
“A Team USA victory would be its most important since the 1996 World Cup of Hockey win over Canada and its first Olympic gold since the Miracle on Ice team. A win Sunday could have that same impact for years to come.”
It’s undeniable what that 1980 win did for American hockey, as countless kids likely picked up a stick for the first time in the aftermath. When it comes to Canada, LeBrun feels it’s about national pride.
“A Team Canada victory keeps the world’s most hockey-obsessed nation on top of the hockey summit at a time when their rivals south of the border have never looked more threatening as far as hockey world supremacy.”
Who knows how long it’s going to take before we see another game as important as this one to the sport. If the Four Nations final was any indication, we should be in for another classic on Sunday, with even bigger stakes.
