Mens Hockey Gold Medal Game Time Set After U.S. Rout of Slovakia and Canada’s Late Win
The United States and Canada will meet Sunday for the Olympic men’s hockey title, with the Mens Hockey Gold Medal Game Time now set as the final event of the Winter Games. Friday’s semifinals produced a lopsided U. S. victory and a dramatic Canadian comeback, shifting the spotlight to a long‑anticipated rematch.
Mens Hockey Gold Medal Game Time: U. S. -Canada Final on Sunday
The championship match will close the Winter Olympics on Sunday, offering a rematch that had been widely anticipated since meetings in the 4 Nations last year. The final is the capstone of a tournament that has already seen an unusual run of tense finishes: five consecutive games — three men’s quarterfinals earlier in the week and both women’s medal‑round games on Thursday — went to overtime before Friday’s semis concluded.
United States 6-2 Victory Over Slovakia
The United States advanced with a 6-2 semifinal victory over Slovakia that was decided early. Dylan Larkin opened the scoring just 4: 19 into the game, and Jack Hughes scored twice in the second period as the Americans built a 5-0 lead. That margin allowed the U. S. to cruise to a four‑goal victory and into the final.
What makes this notable is that the U. S. men’s team has not won Olympic hockey gold since 1980, a historical gap that adds weight to Sunday’s opportunity.
Canada 3-2 Win Over Finland and Nathan MacKinnon’s Late Goal
In the earlier semifinal, Canada rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Finland 3-2, turning the game with two goals from Sam Reinhart and Shea Theodore before Nathan MacKinnon delivered a power‑play winner with 36 seconds remaining in regulation. The victory followed five games that had required overtime earlier in the week, and observers noted Finland appeared to shift into a posture of protecting a lead rather than extending it.
Canadian captain Sidney Crosby, who left Wednesday’s semifinal, did not dress for Friday’s game.
Alex Ferreira’s Halfpipe Gold and Scoring Details
Also on Friday, Alex Ferreira won the men’s freestyle skiing halfpipe to add to the U. S. medal tally. Ferreira, in his third Olympic appearance, earned his third medal after taking silver in 2018 and bronze in 2022. He was second to Estonia’s Henry Sildaru after two runs, with a best mark of 90. 50 to Sildaru’s 92. 75.
Ferreira improved on his final run to a 93. 75, and Sildaru followed with an improved score that left him 0. 75 points short. Brendan Mackay of Canada captured bronze, finishing 2 points behind Sildaru. For the United States, Nick Goepper placed fourth, Birk Irving was fifth, and Hunter Hess finished 10th after earlier remarks about having “mixed emotions” representing the U. S. drew backlash.
Injuries and Crashes: Nick Goepper and Finley Melville Ives
The halfpipe competition included two violent crashes. Nick Goepper landed hard on the deck during his final jump on his final run; his fiancée, Corinn Childs, texted that “He’s good. He’ll be sore but he’s a trooper. ” New Zealand’s Finley Melville Ives, 19, suffered a crash that required him to be taken out of the halfpipe on a sled.
What the Semifinal Results Mean for the Podium
With the United States and Canada set for the gold‑medal game on Sunday, Finland and Slovakia will meet Saturday for the bronze. Canada arrives as the nation that has won the last two Olympic men’s hockey golds in 2010 and 2014, and three of the last four gold medals when NHL players were featured; the U. S. will chase its first Olympic men’s hockey title since the 1980 team’s victory. The semifinals’ outcomes — a decisive 6-2 U. S. win and a 3-2 Canadian comeback sealed in the final minute — crystallize a final that pairs a dominant offensive performance with a late, high‑pressure rally.
