United States beats Slovakia 6-2 in Olympics men's hockey semifinals, will play for gold medal game against Canada
— The American men made good on what hockey fans across North America have wanted since the 2026 Winter Olympics began: USA vs. Canada for the gold medal.
USA delivered on its end by routing Slovakia, 6-2, on Feb. 20, hours after Canada defeated Finland, 3-2 in the first semifinal of the day at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, As they Set-Up A long-awaited Canada-USA men’s ice hockey final
at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026
USA and Canada will meet Sunday, Feb. 22 to settle who gets gold and who gets silver. The match falls three days after the women's hockey finale, in which the USA women defeated Canada to claim gold.
Now the men are down to the medal games.
Jack Hughes led the USA with two goals, while Connor Hellbuyck made 22 saves in net. Dylan Larkin, Tage Thompson, Jack Eichel, and Brady Tkachuk also scored in the win.
Juraj Slafkovsky and Pavol Regenda scored goals for Slovakia.
United States last won gold in men’s hockey in 1980 at Lake Placid. They last won an Olympic medal in 2010, when they won silver at Vancouver.
While Canada didn't score until past the midpoint of its game, USA got on the scoreboard at 4:19 when Dylan Larkin caught a pass from Zach Werenski, skated up the left flank and unleashed a shot from the left circle that flew by Samuel Hlavaj. The Slovaks — with seven NHLers on their roster to 25 for the Americans — worked hard to get an equalizer, registering eight shots on Connor Hellebyck, but USA took a 2-0 lead in the final minute when Tage Thompson converted during a power play, angling the puck from the bottom of the left circle short-side at 19:19.
Thompson did not finish the game after blocking a shot with his foot in the second period. With USA up by five goals after two periods, there was leeway to have him come off early.
Quinn Hughes, who scored the overtime goal that sent USA to the semis, assisted on Thompson's to extend his point streak to five games.
Juraj Slafkovksy ruined Hellebyuck's shutout bid five minutes into the third period. That was the 21-year-old forward's fourth goal and eighth point in five Olympic games.
Brady Tkachuk added a goal midway through the third period, and Pavol Regenda countered for Slovakia at 13:17.
Several USA players had multi-point games including Brady and Matthew Tkachuk, Zach Werenski, Eichel Hughes and Thompson.
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