Did you get up at 5 a.m. to watch the gold medal hockey game? Did you also feel horrible for the rest of the day? The game was one that will haunt Canadians for a while, at least until their next win, but it will haunt nobody more than the players (especially MacKinnon with missing that open net shot)! The Canada versus USA game was one to remember!
History of Hockey at the Olympics
Since the beginning of the Olympics in 776 BC, the major athletic event has attracted considerable attention. Men’s hockey was first introduced in the Antwerp games of 1920. Women’s ice hockey made its debut at the Nagano 1998 Winter Olympic Games.
Canada and the US have always had a rivalry when it comes to hockey. In women’s hockey, the gold medal has always been in North American hands since the games in 1998, with the rivalry between the two teams seeming to get more intense as the years go on. From not sharing elevators to harsh trash talking, the rivalry will not fade out anytime soon. It’s hard to say if the men’s or women’s rivalry is more intense than the other; Canada and the US will always be head-to-head. In 2002, famously, the Assistant Captain Haley Wickenheiser’s quote “the Americans had our flag on their floor in the dressing room. And now I want to know if they want us to sign it”, led to an international incident. This rivalry gets even hotter in 2013, a fight broke out between the two teams. Over the years, the rivalry has fueled both teams into playing the best they can against each other, making for very entertaining television.
The men’s teams also share a heated rivalry. On the men’s side, Canada has had the upper hand. From games dating before the Antwerp Olympics, Canada and the US team have always had it out for each other. Especially now, in this political climate, the rivalry is even more extreme. The 4 Nations tournament was the last international tournament to happen before the Milan Olympics, where it took 9 seconds for three fights to ensue in the final game.
Review of the 2026 Olympic Men’s Hockey Games
Men’s hockey started on Feb. 11, the eighth day of the Olympics, and the event featured 12 teams playing three preliminary rounds in their respective groups of A, B, and C. Then, moving into the single-elimination playoff round and finally, the gold medal game. Slovakia, Finland, Sweden, Italy, Switzerland, France, Czechia, Canada, Latvia, the United States, Germany, and Denmark are the 12 teams, and from these teams, Slovakia, Germany, Canada, Czechia, Finland, Switzerland, the US, and Sweden moved onto the quarterfinals. Next, in the semifinals, Canada beat Finland 3-2, and the United States beat Slovakia 6-2. Finland and Slovakia played for Bronze on Feb. 21, resulting in Finland winning and taking home third place. On Feb. 22, the main entertainment was on with Canada facing off against the United States in the Gold medal game. Look at the full schedule here.
Star Players of the Canadian Team
This was the first time NHL hockey players were allowed to play in the Olympic Games since the 2014 Sochi Games. The captain of the team was Sidney Crosby, with Connor McDavid as the assistant captain, who stepped in as captain when Crosby was injured in the game against Czechia. Macklin Celebrini, Seth Jarvis, Nathan MacKinnon, Brad Marchand, Mitch Marner, Sam Reinhart, Nick Suzuki, Drew Doughty, Thomas Harley, Cale Makar, Shea Theodore, Devon Toews, and Jordan Binnington are among the all-stars on the Canadian team.
Review of the Men’s Olympic Gold Medal Game
The Olympic Gold Medal game resulted in a Team USA win in a 3-on-3 overtime with a final score of 2-1. The USA scored first with Matt Boldy scoring within the first six minutes of the game. Canada tied it up with a goal from Cale Makar. USA’s Jack Hughes scored 1:41 into the 20-minute overtime, winning the Olympic gold.
Some notable highlights of the game were, obviously, Jack Hughes’s game-winning goal, but another notable moment of his was when Jack Hugheth lotht hith teeth. Sorry if you didn’t understand that: Jack Hughes lost his teeth. He received a high stick to his mouth that resulted in the shattering of his two front teeth. Another moment that came from the game was Nathan MacKinnon’s miss at the net. He shot the puck at the open net, but completely missed, which will “haunt Canada FOREVER.” The USA goalie, Connor Hellebuyck, made 41 saves in the game, making his performance a standout. He had an incredible stick save in net, helping to keep the game tied.
Review of the Women’s Olympic Gold Medal Game
The Women’s USA and Canada teams faced off on Feb. 19th, resulting in the USA winning Gold and Canada winning Silver. This game also went to overtime, ending with a score of 2-1. Marie-Philip Poulin, Canada’s captain, played remarkably, and the whole team fought to the end. The Canadian team had the upper hand with a score of 1-0 until the Americans scored with less than two minutes left in the game, bringing them to overtime.
Johnny Gaudreau Legacy
In 2024, Johnny Gaudreau and his brother died in a car-bike crash on the day of their sister’s wedding. Gaudreau’s death shook the hockey world and has empowered his legacy to continue. Gaudreau left behind his wife and three young kids. In Team USA’s celebrations, they held up a number 13 Gaudreau jersey to honour him and his family, who were watching in the stands. While the team was taking their photo on the ice, they brought out Gaudreau’s kids for the photo, ensuring that his legacy is remembered and lives on.
The Gold Medal games were ones to remember, but if you’re missing hockey on your television, the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) continue after the Olympic break. Hopefully, in the next Olympics, Canada will redeem itself, and we can get more iconic moments from the games.