NHL EDGE stats: Canada-United States gold medal game at Olympics

NHL.com's fantasy staff continues to cover the latest trends and storylines in the League through the lens of NHL EDGE puck and player tracker stats. Today, we identify the five most compelling advanced metrics entering the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 gold medal game between Canada and the United States on Sunday (8:10 a.m. ET; Peacock, NBC, ICI Tele, CBC Gem, CBC, SN [JIP], TSN [JIP], RDS2).

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1. Skating speed

Canada forward Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers) leads the entire NHL in max skating speed (24.61 mph), 22-plus mph speed bursts (106) and 20-plus mph speed bursts (494). The Canada-USA gold medal game will feature the NHL’s top three skaters in terms of 20-plus mph speed bursts: McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon (307 for Colorado Avalanche) and Jack Eichel of the U.S. (267 for Vegas Golden Knights).

Jake Sanderson of the U.S. (Ottawa Senators) leads NHL defensemen in max skating speed (24.37 mph) and is third in the entire League in that category this season; Cale Makar of Canada ranks third among NHL defensemen in max skating speed (23.68 for Avalanche). Sanderson also leads NHL defensemen in 22-plus mph speed bursts (28).

In terms of 20-plus mph speed bursts the USA-Canada gold medal game will feature four of the NHL’s 10 fastest defensemen: Sanderson (183; second) and Makar (163; third), followed by other U.S. defensemen in Quinn Hughes (113 for Minnesota Wild; sixth), Zach Werenski (99 for Columbus Blue Jackets; ninth).

2. Shot speed

U.S. forward J.T. Miller (New York Rangers) had the hardest shot attempt of this NHL season (102.58 mph on Jan. 20) among the League’s players participating in the 2026 Olympics. Miller ranks second among NHL forwards in hardest shot and fourth in the entire League; not far behind among forwards are Tage Thompson of the U.S. (Buffalo Sabres), who ranks fifth at the position (97.94 mph), and Macklin Celebrini of Canada (San Jose Sharks), who’s sixth (97.89).

Celebrini, who was not on Canada’s roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off, ranks in the 95th percentile among forwards in average shot speed (62.39 mph). Thompson, who left the semifinal game for precautionary reasons and is uncertain for the gold medal game, leads NHL forwards in 90-plus mph shot attempts (29) this season; Thompson also ranks fifth among forwards in hardest shot (97.94).

3. Goals by location

U.S. forwards Jake Guentzel (Tampa Bay Lightning) and Matt Boldy (Minnesota Wild) are tied for the most high-danger goals this NHL season (20 each) among players participating in the 2026 Olympics; the only NHL player with more high-danger goals this season is Tyler Bertuzzi of the Chicago Blackhawks (22). Not far behind among the NHL’s high-danger goal leaders are Canada forwards McDavid (18; fifth in entire League) and Mark Stone (17 for Golden Knights; tied for sixth). McDavid leads the entire NHL in high-danger shots on goal (94) this season.

Canada has the top 2 players in the entire NHL in terms of both midrange goals (MacKinnon is first with 16; is second with 15) and midrange shots on goal (MacKinnon is first with 110; Celebrini is second with 101) this season. Thompson and Canada’s Bo Horvat (New York Islanders) are tied for third in the NHL in midrange goals (14 each), while Brock Nelson (13 for Avalanche; tied for sixth) and Werenski (12; tied for eighth) of the U.S. are also in the League’s top 10 of that category.

4. Total skating distance

Canada’s McDavid leads the NHL in total skating distance (234.49) this season, and Quinn Hughes is second in that category (215.22; leads defensemen). Brock Faber of the U.S. ranks sixth in the entire NHL in total skating distance (206.76 miles for Wild), while Josh Morrissey of Canada ranks ninth (203.21 for Winnipeg Jets). It’s also worth noting Kyle Connor of the U.S. ranks third among NHL forwards in total skating distance (196.59 miles), while Celebrini ranks fourth at the position in that category (195.55).

Canada, which leads the 2026 Olympics in power-play percentage (43.75), has five of the NHL's top six players in terms of power-play skating distance this season: 1. Sam Reinhart (36.04 miles for Florida Panthers), 3. Celebrini (35.41), 4. McDavid (34.31), 5. Makar (34.02) and 6. MacKinnon (33.93). But the U.S. has a perfect penalty kill so far in the tournament (15-for-15).

Other potential difference-makers for the gold medal game include U.S. forward Brady Tkachuk, who leads the entire NHL in offensive zone time percentage (49.5 for Senators). Canada forward Nick Suzuki, who ranks highly in total skating distance (187.33 miles for Montreal Canadiens; 98th percentile), has taken on an expanded role for his country in the absence of captain Sidney Crosby (lower body; uncertain for gold medal game).

5. High-danger saves

The gold medal game will be a rematch between goalies Jordan Binnington of Canada and Connor Hellebuyck of the U.S. after Binnington and his country won the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off. Hellebuyck led the 4 Nations Face-Off in high-danger save percentage (.931), but Binnington (.906; second) made two more high-danger saves (29) than Hellebuyck (27) in the tournament, helping to keep his team alive in overtime of the championship game.

But Hellebuyck, who stopped 11 of 12 high-danger shots faced in the championship game, has benefited from the U.S. having a deeper defense in the Olympics with not only Werenski but also Quinn Hughes healthy after missing the 4 Nations Face-Off because of injury. Hellebuyck leads the 2026 Olympics in save percentage (.947) and goals-against average (1.23) among goalies who have played multiple games.

Although it has been a difficult NHL season in terms of high-danger save percentage for both Hellebuyck (.806 with Jets) and Binnington (.744 for St. Louis Blues), Hellebuyck ranked fourth in that category last season (.848). Hellebuyck, the reigning Hart Trophy winner and a three-time Vezina Trophy winner, has an elite pedigree that can help him get over the top in the Olympic gold medal game, while Binnington is a past Stanley Cup champion (with Blues in 2019) and continues to elevate his game in the clutch.