Canada Vs Usa Hockey: canada vs usa hockey showdown in Milan

Team USA and Canada meet in the gold medal game of the men's hockey tournament at the 2026 Winter Olympics today, a high-stakes canada vs usa hockey final. Sidney Crosby will not play after the injury he suffered in Wednesday's quarterfinal against Czech Republic, and Brady Tkachuk has warned that "There's hatred there, " framing the rivalry ahead of the match.

Canada Vs Usa Hockey in Milan

The game is taking place as Milano Santagiulia is starting to fill up and the crowd is described as very pro-Canada: "Lots of red, only a few smatterings of blue. " Observers noted that the Americans "have shown up for this tournament in a big way, " but that "Canada just bought tickets for the medal round, " with confidence tied to a top line featuring Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and Macklin Celebrini.

Crosby ruled out after injury

Sidney Crosby will not play today because of the injury he suffered in Wednesday's quarterfinal against Czech Republic. Commentators highlighted Crosby's selflessness in sitting out the gold medal final rather than trying to force his way into the game while injured, saying "Crosby put his teammates, team and country first. " The coverage recalled a precedent in which Crosby was injured in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final in Detroit in 2009 and "only took one shift the remainder of the game, " noting "He's not one to play if the thinks his compromised health could hurt his team. " One writer added: "I have to think that's the case today. Because you know it's torture for him to miss this game. "

A rivalry with history

Sunday's gold medal match is described as a rivalry clash "12 years in the making since the last time NHL players participated in the Games, " and it is a rematch of the 2002 and 2010 Olympic finals, both of which were won by Canada. Today's gold medal game marks the third time in Olympic history that Team USA and Canada are facing off in the final of the men's tournament and the first men's Olympic final between the two teams played outside of North America. All-time, the meeting is the 20th between the U. S. and Canada at the Olympics, with Canada holding a 12-4-3 (W-L-T) advantage.

Past finals and defining moments

Salt Lake City in 2002: Team USA took an early 1-0 lead through Tony Amonte, but Canada stormed back to win 5-2. Jarome Iginla and Joe Sakic each scored a pair of goals, and that victory marked Canada's first gold medal in men's hockey since 1952. Vancouver in 2010: Canada opened 2-0 with goals from Jonathan Toews and Corey Perry; Team USA fought back with goals from Ryan Kesler and Zach Parise, the latter coming with just 25 seconds left to force overtime. Sidney Crosby ultimately won the gold for Canada in overtime with what became known as the "Golden Goal. "

U. S. momentum, roster and recent results

Players and staff have repeatedly used the mantra "gold or bust" in the lead-up to the match. Brady Tkachuk said on the eve of the gold medal game, "There's hatred there. I mean, they've been the top dog. They've been the best for the last bunch of years, and for us, we want to be in that position, be the best. So it's going to be a game where I think a lot of guys could say, this is the biggest game that they've ever played in. " He added that "we were one shot away last year" and described how adversity can make success feel better. The U. S. men have not defeated Canada in a best-on-best competition since the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, which featured Keith Tkachuk. That result predates the births of many current U. S. players, including both Tkachuk brothers.

Last year Team USA defeated Canada in the 4 Nations round-robin stage in Montreal at the Bell Centre in a memorable game where Brady Tkachuk and his brother Matthew staged three fights in nine seconds after the opening whistle; Canada later won the final 2-1 in overtime. In May, the United States won the men's world championship for the first time in more than 90 years, and several players from that roster earned Olympic roster spots, including Clayton Keller, Tage Thompson and Jeremy Swayman.

Brady Tkachuk also reflected on the broader history: "It's been 46 years. So many players that have paved the way for us that haven't had a chance to win gold for us, that for our dream to be right there, " calling an Olympic title a childhood dream. The U. S. men have not won Olympic gold since the 1980 Miracle on Ice. NHL players began participating in the Olympics in 1998 but missed out on the 2018 and 2022 Games; coverage has said hockey has grown immensely in the United States in that span.

Physicality, penalties and power plays

Officials and players expect a physical, intense game. Fighting in international hockey carries an automatic ejection. Vincent Trocheck, a defensive-minded forward who has helped the Americans go a perfect 15-for-15 on the penalty kill in the tournament, said, "I mean, we saw the girls win" in reference to the United States women — who have won the world championships 11 times since 2005 and captured their third Olympic gold medal on Thursday — and "if we can beat Canada on Sunday, it's just a clean sweep. " Trocheck added, "It's going to be a hard-fought battle, " and compared the matchup to last year's 4 Nations game: "Very tight checking. Obviously they have a lot of the best players in the world, so it should be the best. "

Canada's power play is listed at 6-for-17, and its top unit, noted in the absence of Sidney Crosby against Finland, featured Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid, Macklin Celebrini, Sam Reinhart and Cale M.

Connor McDavid on the final

Connor McDavid spoke yesterday about the rivalry and the gold medal game: "It is the game everybody wanted and hoped for, and it will be a great game. It now comes down to one game between two teams. It is a hockey game, and we are excited about that. As Canadians, we take a lot of pride in this sport and guys who have come before us have done a great job representing this country. We have played great hockey to put us in this position. (The Americans) look very strong. They have a very good back e" — unclear in the provided context.

Sunday's final — referenced in advance as the gold medal match — is shaped by history, recent momentum and the absence of Sidney Crosby, leaving both teams to settle the score on the ice today in Milan.