01/20/26 12:24:00
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01/20 12:22 CST Rivals US and Canada could put North American dominance on
display at the Olympics in Milan
Rivals US and Canada could put North American dominance on display at the
Olympics in Milan
By STEPHEN WHYNO
AP Hockey Writer
One more goal. That's how close the U.S. was to beating Canada in the final at
the 2010 Vancouver Olympics before losing in overtime.
One more goal. That's how close the U.S. was from tying Canada in the
semifinals at the 2014 Sochi Olympics before losing 1-0.
One more goal. That's how close the U.S. was to beating Canada in the final at
the 4 Nations Face-Off a year ago before losing in overtime.
"Canada won, right?" U.S. center Jack Eichel said. "So, they're obviously on
top."
Canada has won every major international men's hockey tournament featuring a
the NHL's best players over the past 16 years, a run that includes the 2016
World Cup of Hockey. With Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and
Cale Makar joining forces for the first time on the same sheet of ice, the
nation known as the cradle of the sport goes into the Milan Cortina Olympics
next month as the gold medal favorite.
"It's always been Canada," longtime U.S. star Patrick Kane said.
The U.S. has been closing ground for decades, and the fight-filled 4 Nations
put the border rivalry in the spotlight while ramping up expectations that the
Games will be another showcase of North American dominance.
"The men haven't been able to get over that hump and defeat Canada and win a
gold medal, and I think this is their best chance to do it," said retired U.S.
winger T.J. Oshie, whose shootout heroics against host Russia in Sochi is one
of the most memorable Olympic moments in history. "This is the best U.S.A. team
that I've seen. And if they can come together like they did in the 4 Nations, I
think that for the first time, I'd say it's a pretty fair fight going into it."
European powerhouses Sweden and Finland, the latter being the defending Olympic
champion, will be in the mix, as could the Czechs or Germans. But in a
tournament without the Russians, the U.S. and Canada look like the teams to
beat. BetMGM Sportsbook set Canada as a 5-4 favorite, ahead of the U.S. at just
over 2-1.
Canada won the 4 Nations on McDavid's goal in Boston last February and has the
deepest, most talented forward group of any of the 12 countries involved. That
includes 19-year-old Macklin Celebrini, who was on the couch cheering last
February while in awe of the quality of play on display.
"That was the best hockey I've ever watched," Celebrini said. "Just the pace,
the amount of skill, physicality --- all of it combined is the best."
It could be even faster in Milan, and not only because the rinks are more than
3 feet shorter than NHL-regulation length.
"That'll probably make the game a lot tighter, too," Makar said. "The Olympics
will be a completely different kind of thing, almost even more amplified."
The U.S. has hopes for its first men's hockey gold medal at the Olympics since
the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" team. That's not a pipe dream, as the U.S. National
Team Development Program and grassroots growth of the sport has closed the gap
on Canada.
"The talent pool and the level of the players of the Americans now I think is
as high as it's ever been," Kane said. "That's kind of how we felt in 2010,
2014, (and it) keeps getting better."
The teams split at the 4 Nations, games that U.S. center Jack Hughes described
as crazy and just a taste of what he and other players are in for in Milan.
"Once you see the level of competition at the 4 Nations, you're so hungry to
get back to that and you want to be in the Olympics so bad just because the
level of hockey was so high," said Hughes, who is set to play with older
brother Quinn at the Games.
Oshie grew up in Warroad, Minnesota, a 20-minute drive from the Canadian
border. He described the simmering rivalry as hatred: "For a long time, they
were just almost too good to get past."
Maybe not anymore, particularly given Canada's seeming vulnerability in goal
and the U.S. strength at hockey's most important position. But there is no
guarantee these teams face off in single-elimination play at the Olympics, so
USA Hockey general manager Bill Guerin insists he and his staff did not
construct a roster just to beat Canada.
"We built the best team possible," Guerin said. "We did that with us in mind.
We're worried about us, not anybody else."
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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
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