The ice hockey final at the Milan – Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics has been described as the “battle of the centuries“, as Canada and the USA face each other in a dispute for the gold on Sunday at 15:10, writes Sportal.bg.
Team Canada is the record holder with nine Olympic titles, but has not won gold since the Games last included NHL players – in Sochi 2014. Team USA, on the other hand, has not won the men's title since its legendary triumph “Miracle on Ice” at Lake Placid 1980, which was only their second Olympic gold.
“This is the best against the best“, said U.S. forward Matthew Tkachuk. “This is the game that every American and Canadian grows up watching and loving. This is the pinnacle of the sport. It's the best there is to see and a top-class rivalry, so there won't be a single television set without this game in the United States and Canada.“
His teammate Dylan Larkin added: “This will be a battle for the ages.“
The final of the men's ice hockey tournament at the Milan Olympics – Cortina offers a real clash of the titans, as the teams of Canada and the USA will face each other.
Up until the Olympics in Italy and Canada, both the USA are undefeated and have five wins from five games. The “Maple Leafs“ were uncompromising in the group stage, but then they needed extra time to deal with the Czech Republic and Finland in the direct elimination phase.
The “Yankees“ also did not encounter any particular difficulties in their group, but they also started the eliminations with a difficult match against Sweden, which ended in added time. In the semi-final, however, the Americans prevailed 6-2 against Slovakia to secure a meeting with the Canadians in the battle for gold.
This will be a repeat of that famous final from Vancouver 2010, when the hosts from Canada won with a goal from Sidney Crosby in added time, after just 25 seconds before the end of regulation time, Zach Parisi scored for the USA to send the game into overtime. Today it is unclear whether the “Maple Leafs“ will be able to count on their captain and hero of the final 16 years ago, as he was injured during the quarter-final against the Czech Republic, but has already resumed training yesterday.
The hockey tournament in Milan – Cortina marks the return of the stars of the National Hockey League of the United States and Canada (NHL) to the Olympic stage, after they missed the last two Olympics in Pyeongchang and Beijing. The Canadian and US squads are full of star names who will surely do everything in their power to win the gold medal today.
For Canada, this would be their tenth Olympic gold medal in men's hockey and their fourth in the 21st century after successes in Salt Lake City 2002, Vancouver 2010 and Sochi 2014. The US, on the other hand, is chasing only their third Olympic gold medal in men's hockey and their first since the legendary success of the “Yankees” in Lake Placid 1980. Their previous triumph came back home in Squall Valley 1960.
The final of the men's hockey tournament, which will also determine the last champion of the Games in Milan - Cortina, starts today at 15:10 Bulgarian time.