Darcy Kuemper, Doughty and Armia Set to Square Off in Olympics Semifinal After Three Overtime Thrillers

darcy kuemper is among three team members from the Kings who have advanced to the 2026 Winter Olympics medal round after a slate of quarterfinal overtime games produced dramatic outcomes and set up a Canada vs. Finland semifinal. The advancement guarantees each remaining Kings player two more games and places the club’s representatives squarely in medal contention.

Darcy Kuemper’s role heading into the semifinal

Team Canada’s roster for the medal round includes goaltender Darcy Kuemper, though he did not start in the 4-3 overtime victory over Team Czechia; another goaltender was the starter that day. The expectation is that the starting roles for goaltenders will largely continue into the medal round. Kuemper’s presence on the roster adds depth as Canada prepares for the semifinal against Finland.

Doughty, Armia and the path to the medal round

Defenseman Drew Doughty skated 14: 18 in the win over Czechia, the fourth-highest total among Canadian blueliners in that game, and was on the ice for his team’s opening goal. Forward Joel Armia helped Team Finland reach the semifinals by logging 14: 05 — the eighth-highest total among Finland forwards — and was on the ice for a third-period goal that sparked his team’s comeback. Armia did not record a point in the quarterfinal win but took on an elevated role as Finland erased a two-goal deficit to win in overtime.

Three overtime thrillers reshape the bracket

Quarterfinal play produced three overtime games, each altering momentum and determining which teams remained. Canada escaped with a 4-3 overtime win over Czechia; Finland rallied from 0-2 down to beat Switzerland in overtime; and another late game went to extra time to decide advancement. These results tightened the competition at the medal stage and guaranteed additional high-stakes games for the remaining teams.

Semifinal stakes and schedule

With four teams left, the semifinal matchups will determine who plays for gold and who drops into the bronze-medal game. The schedule for the final rounds, as listed for the tournament, is as follows (all times shown in Pacific):

• Canada (Doughty, Kuemper) vs. Finland (Armia) – Friday, 2/20 at 7: 40 AM Pacific
• Bronze Medal Game – Saturday, 2/21 at 11: 40 AM Pacific
• Gold Medal Game – Sunday, 2/22 at 5: 10 AM Pacific

Each Kings player remaining is guaranteed two additional games. Teams that lose in the semifinals will play back-to-back days, meeting in the bronze-medal contest on the following day, while semifinal winners receive an extra day to prepare for the championship game.

What’s next for players returning to their club

One player whose tournament concluded will likely rejoin club activities shortly. That forward finished his Olympic appearance with two goals and two assists across five games and is expected to return to the team early next week, possibly on Monday or Tuesday, before the club resumes play later in the week. Meanwhile, Kings staff representation extends behind the bench and in goaltending roles across other national teams that also advanced to the medal round.

These developments set up a compact, decisive finish to the Olympic hockey tournament: national pride, medal opportunities and club-level implications converge as Canada and Finland prepare to meet in the semifinal. Recent results indicate momentum swings and extra-time resilience will be key variables as the tournament moves into its final phase; details may evolve as lineups and roles are finalized ahead of the games.