MILAN — It is the matchup that many have been hoping for all along — the U.S. versus Canada in the Olympic men's hockey gold medal match.
Canada has won nine all-time gold medals in men's hockey, the most of any country. The U.S. has won only two — the last a long 46 years ago, when an underdog American squad upset the Soviet Union in 1980's "Miracle on Ice."
Today, the Americans aren't such underdogs anymore. But this generation of American stars — including team captain Auston Matthews, star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, and the Tkachuk brothers Matthew and Brady — still lack a signature win to prove they belong with the best.
"The line between winning and losing is so fine in tournaments like this and when you play a team like [Canada]," said U.S. forward Jack Eichel. "It's going to be a competitive game. It's going to be back and forth. We know it's not going to be easy, but we're ready for a hard and demanding game, and we're going to give everything we have."
Last year, Canada bested the Americans with a 3-2 overtime win in the final of the 4 Nations Face-Off, a tournament staged by the NHL in lieu of an All-Star Game. It was the first best-on-best event in international men's hockey in nearly nine years.
Sunday's final is the first matchup between Canada and the U.S. men's hockey teams on the Olympic gold medal stage since 2010, when a young Sidney Crosby electrified the home-country crowd with a golden goal in overtime at the Vancouver Winter Games.
With NHL players participating in the Olympics for the first time since 2014, the U.S. squad is more talented than ever. The roster includes five NHL team captains and two winners of the Hart Memorial Trophy, the NHL's most valuable player award, the Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews and the Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.
But the Canadian team is fearsome. Its top line includes the best player in hockey, Connor McDavid, along with the league's current leading scorer, Nathan MacKinnon, and its brightest young talent, Macklin Celebrini. Those three players alone have combined for 11 goals and 19 assists through five games.
Crosby, now 38 years old, was the captain of this Canadian team coming into the Olympics. But he was hurt after a pair of hits in the quarterfinal against Czechia, and he was unable to play in the semifinal.
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