Jeremy Swayman Set to Return to Anchorage an Olympic Medalist After U.S.-Canada Gold Game
Anchorage’s jeremy swayman will become an Olympic medalist overnight, with the United States facing Canada in the men’s hockey gold-medal game. The matchup, one of the rare Olympic finals between the two nations, will determine whether he earns gold or silver.
Development details — Jeremy Swayman
The gold-medal face-off is scheduled for 4: 10 a. m. Alaska time, marking the first time since 2010 that the United States and Canada meet with Olympic gold at stake. Swayman, listed as a backup goaltender for the United States, started one tournament game — a 6-3 preliminary victory over Denmark — served as the backup in another game and was a healthy scratch in three others. Because he is on the U. S. roster for the final, he will receive an Olympic medal when the game concludes; the color of that medal depends on the outcome of the U. S. -Canada match.
Context and escalation
The U. S. reached the championship game after winning its semifinal match, setting up a high-profile rematch with Canada, a nation with a deep Olympic hockey history. Canada has claimed nine Olympic gold medals and holds a 12-8 all-time record against the United States in Olympic play. Their most recent gold had come in 2014, and their 2010 victory over the United States ended 3-2 in overtime on a decisive goal that remains part of Olympic lore.
Anchorage connections run through both teams. Defenseman Colton Parayko, who spent three seasons with UAF and finished his college career with nine goals and 32 assists in 69 games, is on the Canadian roster and has skated in five Olympic games in the tournament without scoring. Tage Thompson, who spent part of his youth hockey years in Anchorage while his father coached locally, has been a key contributor for the United States, tallying three goals and one assist across five games and serving on the top U. S. power-play unit. In the 6-2 semifinal win over Slovakia, Thompson recorded a power-play goal and an assist in the first two periods but missed the third period with a lower-body injury.
Immediate impact
The immediate consequence for jeremy swayman is straightforward: as a member of the U. S. roster for the final, he will leave the tournament with an Olympic medal. For Anchorage and Alaska hockey communities, the result compounds local pride — at least three players with Alaska ties will return with hardware, spanning both national teams. The game itself will determine whether Swayman’s medal is gold or silver; team placement in the championship directly causes that outcome.
On the ice, personnel developments have had measurable effects. Swayman’s lone start came in a decisive 6-3 win, while Thompson’s contributions in the semifinal—two points in two periods—helped secure the U. S. spot in the final despite his leaving that game early with an injury. Parayko’s steady presence on the Canadian blueline, although scoreless in five games, has contributed to Canada’s path to the final as well.
Forward outlook
The decisive match will conclude the men’s tournament and finalize medal assignments. With face-off set for the early-morning Alaska time slot, the tournament’s final milestone will be the awarding of gold and silver to the competing national teams and their full rosters. What makes this notable is the concentration of Alaska-linked players on the ice at the highest stage: multiple athletes who developed in or played for Anchorage-area programs will return home with Olympic medals, underscoring the region’s ongoing contributions to international hockey.
After the final whistle, the confirmed next steps are routine: medals will be distributed to team members and the teams will begin post-tournament travel and preparations to return to their respective clubs and communities. For Swayman and his teammates, the outcome of the 4: 10 a. m. face-off will be the single decisive event that determines whether they will be Olympic champions or runners-up.
