Vinay Kumar
The stage is set for the biggest game of the Winter Olympics. Canada men’s national ice hockey team will face the United States men’s national ice hockey team on Sunday, 22 February, in the men’s final at Milano Cortina 2026. Both teams are unbeaten. Both needed overtime in the quarter finals. Now, only one can take gold in what players have called a “battle for the ages.”Canada are nine time Olympic champion. But they have not won gold since NHL players last played at Sochi 2014. The United States have not won Olympic gold since the “Miracle on Ice” at Lake Placid 1980.“It’s best on best,” said U.S. forward Matthew Tkachuk. “This is the pinnacle of the sport.”“It’s going to be a battle for the ages,” added Dylan Larkin.
Canada vs USA head-to-head record in Olympic men’s ice hockey history
This will be the 20th Olympic meeting between the two rivals. Canada has won 12 of those games. The United States have won four. Their last Olympic final meeting was Vancouver 2010, when Sidney Crosby scored the famous overtime winner in a 3-2 victory for Canada.At Beijing 2022, the U.S. beat Canada 4-2 in the group stage. When NHL players have taken part in the Olympics, Canada leads the head-to-head 4-1.
Canada vs USA key stats and figures before the Milano Cortina 2026 final
Connor McDavid leads the tournament with 13 points and 11 assists. That is the record for most points at a single Winter Olympics when NHL players have played. Nineteen-year-old Macklin Celebrini has 10 points for Canada.For the U.S., Quinn Hughes leads with seven points and is the top-scoring defenseman. Canada has scored 27 goals, compared to 24 for the U.S., and holds the best shooting percentage at 13.43. U.S. goalie Connor Hellebuyck has the best save percentage at 94.74 after allowing just five goals on 95 shots.In the semi-final, Canada came back from 2-0 down to beat Finland 3-2. Nathan MacKinnon scored the winning power-play goal with 36 seconds left.“I feel incredibly grateful to be in the final,” McDavid said.
Canada vs USA projected line-ups and injury updates for Olympic men’s ice hockey final 2026
Canada are expected to stack their forward lines with star names for the gold medal game. The projected top unit features Macklin Celebrini, Connor McDavid and Mitch Marner. Sidney Crosby could center Nathan MacKinnon and Sam Reinhart if cleared. Brad Marchand, Nick Suzuki and Tom Wilson may form the third line.Team USA are likely to keep their balanced combinations from the semi-final. The top line is projected as Brady Tkachuk, Jack Eichel and Matthew Tkachuk. Auston Matthews could center Jake Guentzel and Matt Boldy. Jack Hughes, Dylan Larkin and Tage Thompson add depth, with Clayton Keller available as an extra option.Injury updates remain important before puck drop. Canada defenseman Josh Morrissey is out with an upper-body injury. Sidney Crosby is questionable after a lower-body issue, but has practiced. The United States reported no new major injuries, with earlier concerns around Charlie McAvoy and Connor Hellebuyck already resolved.The final starts at 14:10 CET. In Canada, fans can watch on CBC, Bell Media and Rogers Media. In the United States, coverage is on NBC Olympics and Peacock.
