‘It is the game everybody wanted’: USA, Canada players ready for biggest Olympic game ever
“You wanted the best, you got the best.”
That’s the booming sound fans would hear moments before the legendary rock band KISS would take the stage.
Well, on Sunday in Milan, fans will arguably get the best matchup in hockey history.
366 days ago, fans saw what they believed to be one of the most exciting hockey games ever played – Canada coming back to beat the United States in the championship game at the 4 Nations Face-Off. It was the perfect precursor to the NHL’s return to the Winter Olympics, with many hoping for a rubber match between the North American rivals on sport’s biggest stage, with a gold medal on the line.
“It is the game everybody wanted and hoped for,” Canada forward Connor McDavid said after practice on Saturday. “It now comes down to one game between two teams. It is a hockey game, and we are excited about that.”
McDavid leads Canada, the top seed heading into the knockout stage. The team won Group A with relative ease, but has needed some heroics to beat Czechia and Finland en route to the final. McDavid himself has 13 points in five games, breaking the record for most points in a single tournament in the NHL era of men’s hockey at the Winter Games.
No. 97 admits this team has put itself in a spot to etch its name in history, as Canada seeks its first gold in the tournament since the 2014 Sochi Olympics, the last time NHLers participated.
“As Canadians, we take a lot of pride in this sport and guys who have come before us have done a great job representing this country. We have played great hockey to put us in this position.”
It goes without saying that most of the country will be watching the game, regardless of what hour of the morning it airs in Canada. Forward Tom Wilson acknowledges what that moment means for him, and citizens across the country.
“We know there are 40 million people at home on the edge of their seat, waiting for this to happen,” Wilson said. “I remember being one and seeing the watch parties at the local rink. That is why we are here for our country, to make them proud.”
Forward Macklin Celebrini might be the youngest player on the Canadian roster, but having played for his country in other tournaments, he understands the magnitude of the task at hand.
“Whenever you represent Canada,” Celebrini explained. “It means a bit more and there is more pressure on you to execute. We will go into that game doing everything we can to win. That rich history and what it means to our country – we want to make them proud.”
On the other side, you have Team USA, also undefeated and hungry to erase the memory of last year’s loss in Boston. The country hasn’t won men’s hockey gold since the Miracle on Ice, which will have taken place 46 years ago to the day when the puck drops on Sunday.
Forward Matthew Tkachuk, the polarizing figure who is one of the core players in this era of American hockey, knew there was a good chance the team would have to go through Canada to win gold.
“If you are going to get to your goal,” Tkachuk told the media on Saturday. “You probably have to go through them at some point. They have had success at pretty much all the Olympics since NHLers have been going to. It is two great teams, and we are just so excited. Both of us are probably ready for it. … It is two of the best teams probably ever, and it will be one hell of a game.”
Tkachuk recognizes the talent on both teams, which should make for a thrilling conclusion to the Milano-Cortina Olympics.
“There is just some outrageous star power on both sides…One good thing for our teams is that we played one year ago with very similar rosters. We won one and they won one. It is the tightest hockey you will find, probably ever.”
Defenseman Zach Werenski admitted that he’s trying not to think of Sunday’s game as anything more than that – a game.
“I try not to be too worked up about it today,” Werenski said. “I know tomorrow I will be more excited. I have done everything I can to prepare for it.”
The buildup to Sunday’s game can be traced back to when the NHL first announced that it would allow its players to compete in the 2026 Winter Games, giving many of today’s superstars their first opportunity to play on the Olympic stage. The two explosive games between the Americans and Canadians at the 4 Nations only heightened emotions among players and fans, teeing up what some believe will be the biggest hockey game ever.
Canada and the U.S. have met twice for gold in men’s hockey at the Olympics. The Canadians came away with wins in Salt Lake City in 2002 and famously in Vancouver eight years later. Canada also beat the Americans in the semifinals in 2014 on their way to a record ninth gold medal.