The gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics will feature a long-anticipated battle of North America, and a Tampa Bay Lightning player is guaranteed to return home atop the hockey world.
Team USA and Lightning forward Jake Guentzel can earn the country's first gold medal in men’s hockey since 1980 on Sunday, but they’ll have to go through Lightning coach Jon Cooper and forward Brandon Hagel as well as the rest of Team Canada to do so.
Canada advanced to the gold medal game with a last-minute goal to beat Finland in their semifinal game on Friday, while Team USA beat Slovakia 6-2 in the later semifinal.
Bolts defenseman Erik Cernak and Slovakia still have a chance at a bronze medal, which they can earn with a win over Finland on Saturday.
CANADA 3, FINLAND 2
Not even a two-goal deficit could keep Team Canada from reaching the gold medal game, as Nathan MacKinnon scored with 35.2 seconds remaining to complete the comeback and grab a 3-2 semifinal win over Finland.
Finland took advantage of a Sam Bennett penalty to grab the game’s first goal, as Mikko Rantanen fired home a top-shelf shot mere seconds into the ensuing power play from the left circle for a 1-0 lead late in the first period.
Erik Haula extended the lead with a backhand finish on a shorthanded breakaway in the second period, but a Sam Reinhart tip on a Team Canada power play restored the one-goal game.
Defenseman Shea Theodore then tied the game midway through the third period on a blast from the point. MacKinnon’s game-winner came on a one-timer in the final minute to complete the comeback.
Connor McDavid led Canada with two assists. Hagel played 7:28 time on ice and fired one shot on net.
Scoring Summary
First period
FIN 1, CAN 0
16:55 Mikko Rantanen (2) - Sebastian Aho - PP
Shots on goal: FIN 8, CAN 8
Second period
FIN 2, CAN 0
3:26 Erik Haula (1) - Joel Armia - SH
FIN 2, CAN 1
14:20 Sam Reinhart (1) - Cale Makar, Connor McDavid - PP
Shots on goal: CAN 14, FIN 3
Third period
FIN 2, CAN 2
10:34 Shea Theodore (1) - Travis Sanheim, Tom Wilson
CAN 3, FIN 2
19:24 Nathan MacKinnon (4) - McDavid, Macklin Celebrini - PP
Total shots: CAN 39, FIN 17
TBL Player Summary
- Brandon Hagel (CAN): 7:28 TOI, 1 SOG.
USA 6, SLOVAKIA 2
The offense was high-flying for Team USA in their semifinal matchup with Slovakia, and the final result showed it in a 6-2 win.
Team USA led before the game’s five-minute mark thanks to a Dylan Larkin shot from the top of the left circle, and Tage Thompson then doubled the advantage in the final minute of the period with a one-timer at the left dot.
The Americans scored twice in 19 seconds to extend their lead in the second period–Jack Hughes danced to the left circle before scoring on his shot 12:14 into the middle frame, and Jack Eichel deked to the backhand to score in tight 19 seconds later. Hughes got his second goal of the period just as a power play expired with 90 seconds remaining.
Juraj Slafkovsky got Slovakia on the board in the third period, and Brady Tkachuk traded goals with Pavol Regenda to make it 6-2.
Zach Werenski led the Americans with three points, all assists. Guentzel played nearly 15 minutes and fired three shots on goal in the game. Cernak played 17:01 for Slovakia.
Scoring Summary
First period
USA 1, SVK 0
4:19 Dylan Larkin (2) - Zach Werenski, Tage Thompson
USA 2, SVK 0
19:19 Thompson (3) - Jack Eichel, Quinn Hughes - PP
Shots on goal: USA 11, SVK 8
Second period
USA 3, SVK 0
12:14 Jack Hughes (2) - Werenski
USA 4, SVK 0
12:33 Eichel (2) - Brady Tkachuk, Matthew Tkachuk
USA 5, SVK 0
18:24 J. Hughes (3) - Werenski, Matt Boldy
Shots on goal: USA 15, SVK 5
Third period
USA 5, SVK 1
4:55 Juraj Slafkovsky (4) - Adam Ruzicka, Martin Fehervary
USA 6, SVK 1
10:52 B. Tkachuk (3) - Vincent Trocheck, Noah Hanifin
USA 6, SVK 2
13:17 Pavol Regenda (3) - Milos Kelemen, Fehervary
Total shots: USA 39, SVK 24
TBL Player Summary
- Jake Guentzel (USA): 14:45 TOI, 3 SOG, +1.
- Erik Cernak (SVK): 17:01 TOI, 10 PIM.
What’s Next?
We have reached the pinnacle of the 2026 Winter Olympics, as medals are officially up for grabs this weekend.
Cernak and Slovakia face Finland for the bronze medal at 2:40 p.m. on Saturday before the tournament closes with the grand finale gold medal game at 8:10 a.m. on Sunday between Canada and Team USA.
