First USA-Canada Olympic Gold Medal Game Since 2010 Features Superstars Auston Matthews, Quinn Hughes, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and Many More
Canada (16) and USA (11) Have Combined for 27 Olympic Men’s Hockey Medals, First and Third All-Time
NBC Olympics’ Kenny Albert, Eddie Olczyk, Brian Boucher, and Kathryn Tappen to Call Gold Medal Game
STAMFORD, Conn. – Feb. 20, 2026 – One of the greatest rivalries in sports will be reignited when the USA and Canada face off in the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics men’s hockey gold medal game this Sunday, Feb. 22, at 8 a.m. ET/5 a.m. PT on NBC and Peacock. The two nations have combined for 27 Olympic medals (Canada 16, USA 11), first and third all time, respectively, and have met two times this century in the gold medal game (2002 and 2010). Sunday’s Milan Cortina Olympic coverage begins at 7 a.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
Team USA, led by captain and five-time NHL All-Star Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs), Norris Trophy winner Quinn Hughes (Vancouver Canucks), four-time NHL All-Star Brady Tkachuk (Ottawa Senators), and two-time NHL All-Star Matthew Tkachuk (Florida Panthers) are undefeated in these Games. After defeating Latvia, Denmark, and Germany in Preliminary Play, USA beat Sweden, 2-1, in the quarterfinal in dramatic fashion thanks to Quinn Hughes’ overtime game-winner. On Friday, the Americans defeated Slovakia 6-2 to advance to their first gold medal game since 2010.
Canada, led by three-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers), six-time NHL All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins), and 2024 NHL No. 1 overall pick Macklin Celebrini (San Jose Sharks), also enter Sunday undefeated. The Canadians beat Czechia, Switzerland, and France in Preliminary Play, and similar to USA, had a dramatic overtime 4-3 win over Czechia in the Quarterfinals. On Friday, Canada overcame a late 2-0 deficit to beat Finland, 3-2, with Nathan MacKinnon scoring the game-winner with less than a minute left in regulation.
Since Canada’s overtime win against the USA at the inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off international tournament in February 2025, the longstanding rivalry between the two countries has only intensified. The rivalry dates to the first-ever Olympic hockey tournament at the 1920 Antwerp Olympics, where the Canadians beat USA, 2-0, in the semifinals en route to the first-ever Olympic hockey gold medal. Since then, Canada has won eight more Olympic men’s hockey gold medals (1924, 1928, 1932, 1948, 1952, 2002, 2010, 2014) and a total of 16 Olympic medals, the most of any country.
The USA men have not been on the podium since the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, in which they earned the silver medal in an overtime final which Canada won, 3-2, thanks to Crosby’s game-winning goal seven minutes and forty seconds into OT. It remains the most-watched hockey game in the U.S. (27.6 million viewers) since the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics. Canada also defeated USA, 5-2, in the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic gold medal game. Team USA defeated Canada in 1960 for its first ever gold medal and won another gold in 1980.
Sunday will see the same matchup as Thursday’s women’s gold medal game, which saw the USA overcome a late 1-0 deficit to win 2-1 and take home its first gold medal since 2018. Captain Hilary Knight scored the game-tying goal with 2:04 left in regulation, with Megan Keller scoring the “Golden Goal” in overtime.
Sunday’s gold medal game will be called by veteran play-by-play commentator Kenny Albert, 1994 Stanley Cup champion and 1984 U.S. Olympian Eddie Olczyk (analyst), NHL veteran goaltender Brian Boucher (“Inside the Glass” reporter) and Kathryn Tappen (reporter).
NBCUniversal owns the U.S. media rights to the Olympic Games through 2036, which are scheduled for Milan Cortina (2026), Los Angeles (2028), French Alps (2030), Brisbane (2032), Utah (2034), and the 2036 Summer Games.
--MILAN CORTINA 2026 OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES--
