Mens Hockey Gold Medal Game Time Set: U.S. Meets Canada Sunday at Santagiulia Arena
The draw is complete and the Mens Hockey Gold Medal Game Time has been scheduled: the United States will face Canada on Sunday at Santagiulia Arena at 8: 10 a. m. ET. The matchup follows Canada’s 3-2 comeback over Finland and the United States’ 6-2 victory over Slovakia, setting up a final that crowns the closing event of the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina.
Mens Hockey Gold Medal Game Time
The gold-medal game is slated for Sunday at Santagiulia Arena at 8: 10 a. m. ET and will be carried by Peacock, NBC, ICE Tele, CBC Gem, CBC, SN [JIP], TSN [JIP] and RDS2. Canada reached the final by rallying to beat Finland 3-2 in the first semifinal, while the United States advanced with a 6-2 win over Slovakia in the second semifinal.
In the Canada–Finland game, Canada overcame a 2-0 deficit. Sam Reinhart and Shea Theodore scored the early Canadian goals, and Nathan MacKinnon converted a power-play tally with 36 seconds remaining in regulation to deliver the winner. Canadian captain Sidney Crosby, who exited Wednesday’s semifinal, did not play in the match against Finland.
In the U. S. –Slovakia game, Dylan Larkin opened the scoring 4: 19 into the contest and Jack Hughes scored twice in the second period as the U. S. built a 5-0 lead on the way to a 6-2 final.
Development details
The United States enters the final as one win away from topping its long-standing rival and standing atop the podium for the first time since the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" team. That 1980 U. S. squad at Lake Placid upset the Soviet Union on Feb. 22, 1980 and then beat Finland to claim gold; that victory occurred exactly 46 years ago Sunday in the timeline provided. Two decades earlier, 17 U. S. players won gold at the 1960 Squaw Valley Olympics.
This current American roster features 25 players wearing the red, white and blue — described as 25 NHL stars — and the prospect of adding a new chapter to U. S. hockey history has been a recurring theme in coach Mike Sullivan’s remarks. Sullivan highlighted the historical significance, noting that 37 American-born hockey players already hold Olympic gold medals and underscoring the opportunity before this group.
Forward Matthew Tkachuk emphasized that the game is larger than the 25 players on the ice, saying the team is playing for the country and for future generations. Defenseman Zach Werenski said the group intends to take its own step and not be burdened by past results.
The two nations had met recently in the 4 Nations Face-Off last February, where the United States beat Canada in the preliminary round but then lost to Canada in overtime in the championship game. Historically, the U. S. has faced Canada in Olympic gold-medal games in 2002 and 2010 and lost both, has played Canada five times in Olympics featuring NHL players, and recorded one win in that span — a round-robin victory in 2010. The U. S. also lost to Canada in the semifinals at Sochi in 2014, the previous Olympics that included NHL players.
Immediate impact
The result guarantees both finalists at least a silver medal and leaves Finland and Slovakia to vie for bronze Saturday. Finland and Slovakia are scheduled to meet on Saturday for the bronze medal. For the U. S. players and staff, a victory would end a multi-decade gold drought; for Canada, a win would extend a run that includes golds in 2010 and 2014 and three of the last four Olympics that featured NHL players.
The semifinals produced multiple individual developments: Jack Hughes scored two second-period goals in the U. S. win; Dylan Larkin’s early strike came at 4: 19; Sam Reinhart and Shea Theodore supplied Canada’s initial goals; and Nathan MacKinnon’s late power-play finish arrived with 36 seconds left. Sidney Crosby’s absence from Canada’s second semifinal was noted after he left Wednesday’s game.
Broader competition and related results
Aside from hockey, men’s freestyle halfpipe concluded with Alex Ferreira winning gold on his final run, earning his third Olympic medal in his third appearance — he had silver in 2018 and bronze in 2022. Ferreira improved to a 93. 75 on his final run; Estonia’s Henry Sildaru had posted a 92. 75 after the second run and finished 0. 75 points behind Ferreira. Brendan Mackay of Canada took bronze, two points behind Sildaru. The U. S. pair Nick Goepper and Birk Irving finished fourth and fifth; Hunter Hess placed tenth amid backlash over comments about having "mixed emotions" representing the United States.
There were perilous moments in halfpipe competition as well: Nick Goepper landed hard on his final jump and his fiancée, Corinn Childs, said by text that he was "good" but would be sore. Nineteen-year-old Finley Melville Ives suffered a crash and was removed from the halfpipe on a sled.
Forward outlook
The immediate milestones are set: the bronze-medal game between Finland and Slovakia on Saturday, followed by the United States and Canada contesting gold Sunday at 8: 10 a. m. ET at Santagiulia Arena. What makes this notable is the convergence of history and high stakes — a 25-player U. S. roster with a chance to claim the nation’s first men’s Olympic hockey gold since 1980 against a Canadian side that has dominated recent tournaments with NHL talent.
Broadcast arrangements for the gold-medal game remain as scheduled on Peacock, NBC, ICE Tele, CBC Gem, CBC, SN [JIP], TSN [JIP] and RDS2, and teams will prepare through the remaining days before the final. Unclear in the provided context: specific lineups and injury statuses for the final beyond the semifinal developments already noted.
