USA routs Slovakia, will play Canada for men’s hockey gold

The highly anticipated USA-Canada gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics is happening.

The U.S. men’s hockey team routed Slovakia 6-2 in Friday’s semifinal for its first trip to the Olympic championship game since 2010.

The USA-Canada game will be Sunday, Feb. 22 at 8:10 a.m. ET. Slovakia and Finland will play for bronze on Saturday at 2:40 p.m. ET.

Dylan Larkin scored the opening goal for the second game in a row and Tage Thompson made it 2-0 on the power play.

The Americans poured it on in the second period, getting two goals by Jack Hughes and one by Jack Eichel.

The only concern for the USA  is that Thompson didn’t play in the third period after getting cross-checked. He was held out for precautionary reasons.

Canada had won 3-2 in the earlier semifinal, rallying from a 2-0 deficit to beat Finland. The Canadians played without injured captain Sidney Crosby.

‘It’s best on best. It’s what every American and Canadian grows up watching and grows up hearing about,’ USA forward Matthew Tkachuk said of the upcoming game against Canada. ‘This is the pinnacle of the sport. This is as good as it gets and a rivalry that’s as good as it gets. So there will be not one TV without the game on in the United States and Canada. And that should get you pretty fired up.’

Canada had beaten the USA in last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off final and won their meetings in the 2002 and 2010 gold medal games.

USA TODAY is in Milan and provided live updates for the USA vs. Slovakia men’s hockey semifinal. Here are highlights:

Tage Thompson injury update

Team USA head coach Mike Sullivan gave a postgame update on Tage Thompson’s early exit.

‘We held him out for precautionary reasons more than anything,’ he said. ‘We held him out for a lower body injury. So we’ll see how he recovers, but I would anticipate him being ready for game time.’

Final score: USA 6, Slovakia 2

Jack Hughes scores twice as the USA wins the men’s hockey semifinal. The Americans will play Canada for gold and Slovakia will play Finland for bronze.

USA vs. Slovakia scuffle

The Tkachuk brothers and Erik Cernak have been going at each other all game. Cernak and Brady and Matthew Tkachuk get unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. Brady is also called for roughing.

USA vs Slovakia score

6-2 USA with five minutes left.

Slovakia vs USA score: Pavol Regenda scores

Slovakia cuts the deficit to four goals. It’s the first time that Connor Hellebuyck has given more than one goal. USA 6, Slovakia 2

USA vs. Slovakia score: Brady Tkachuk scores on breakaway

He was stopped on his first breakaway when shooting. He stickhandles this time and scores. USA 6, Slovakia 1

Brady Tkachuk stopped on breakaway

He’s in all alone but Stanislav Skorvanek stops him.

Slovakia vs USA score: Juraj Slafkovsky gets Slovakia on board

Connor Hellebuyck was caught out of position going behind the net and couldn’t get set in time. Slafkovsky, the 2022 Olympics MVP, scores his fourth goal of the tournament. USA 5, Slovakia 1

Tage Thompson injury update

He’s not on the power play and NBC notes that he’s not on the bench either. NBC says he is being held out of the third period for precautionary reasons. He had been cross-checked earlier in the game.

Third period is underway

USA leads 5-0 and is still on a power play. The rest of the penalty is killed.

When is the men’s hockey gold medal game?

If the USA can hold on for the final 20 games, it would advance to the gold medal against Canada. The game will be played on Sunday, starting at 8:10 a.m. ET. The bronze medal game is Saturday at 2:40 p.m. ET.

USA women’s hockey team cheers on USA men

Jack and Quinn Hughes attended Thursday’s gold-medal game between the U.S. women and Canada, where the Americans reigned victorious and clinched their first gold medal since 2018.

The U.S. women’s hockey team returned the favor on Friday.

One day after capturing gold in an overtime thriller, members of the U.S. women’s team returned to Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena to cheer on the U.S. men during their semifinal matchup against Slovakia.

Hannah Bilka wished the men ‘good luck” ahead of Friday’s semifinal. “I think they are such an incredible team and they have the winners in that locker room. I know that they can (win gold),” she told USA TODAY Sports.

The Hughes brother were on hand to support their mother, Ellen Weinberg-Hughes, who serves as the performance consultant for the U.S. women’s hockey team. The siblings also met Tom Brady and caught up with Olympic champion Mike Eruzione at Thursday’s gold-medal game.

USA men’s hockey leads Slovakia 5-0 after two periods

USA took over in the second period, running up an 10-2 edge in shots by halfway through. Matt Boldy kicked in the puck, so no goal there, but Jack Hughes showed off his skill set with a slick move to score at 12:14, and Jack Eichel followed up 19 seconds later. Hughes scored again at 18:24 to give the US a 5-0 lead.

USA goes back on power play

Patrik Koch is called for interference. The power play will extend into the third period.

USA vs. Slovakia score: Jack Hughes gets second goal

Jack Hughes scores right after the power play expires for his second goal of the game. USA 5, Slovakia 0

USA goes on power play

Oliver Okuliar is called for cross-checking. Slovakia kills it but the USA scores right after.

Slovakia makes goalie change

Samuel Hlavaj is out and Stanislav Skorvanek is in. Hlavaj is not happy about being pulled.

USA vs. Slovakia score: Jack Eichel gets goal

That’s two goals in 19 games for the USA. The Tkachuks do the work behind the net to set up Jack Eichel. USA 4, Slovakia 0

USA vs. Slovakia score: Jack Hughes gets goal

Jack Hughes has been making great passes all tournament. This time, he makes a great move around a defender to put himself in position for a wrist shot that beats Samuel Hlavaj. USA 3, Slovakia 0

USA goal waved off

On-ice officials rule that Jake Guentzel kicked in the puck. Still 2-0 USA.

USA goes on power play

Martin Fehervary is making his second trip to the penalty box for the second time, this time for holding. Auston Matthews has some great chances and the USA gets five shots, but no goals.

Slovakia goes on power play

Charlie McAvoy is called for high sticking, his second penalty of the day. No shots and USA kills it off.

USA goes on power play

Martin Fehervary is called for rough Brady Tkachuk. The USA scored on its first power play. But it won’t be this time because Auston Matthews is called for hooking. We’ll have 4-on-4 hockey. And the penalty to Matthews is also killed.

Second period underway

USA leads 2-0.

End of first period: USA 2, Slovakia 0

Dylan Larkin put USA on the board 4:19 into the game, scoring his second goal in two games. Slovakia played hard, but the USA took a 2-0 lead with 40.9 seconds on the clock, with Tage Thompson scoring on a power play. The USA has looked fast and strong, and has an 11-8 edge in shots.

USA vs Slovakia score: Tage Thompson scores on power play

Jack Eichel sets up Tage Thompson for a one-timer and his shot goes in short side. Quinn Hughes gets the second assist. USA 2, Slovakia 0

USA goes on power play

Milos Kelemen is called for tripping.

Chance for USA men’s hockey

Jack Hughes has been making great passes all tournament. He does it again to set up Tage Thompson, but Samuel Hlavaj stops him.

Slovakia goes on power play

Zach Werenski puts the puck over the glass and is called for delay of game. USA kills this one, too, and is 12-for-12 at the Olympics.

Slovakia goes on power play

Charlie McAvoy is called for goalie interference. The USA is perfect so far on the penalty kill and they continue. Dylan Larkin gets the best chance on a short-handed 2-on-1.

Johnny Gaudreau’s family in attendance

The family of the late Johnny Gaudreau is in Milan for the game. Team USA has his jersey in the locker room, just as they did in the 4 Nations Face-Off. Zach Werenski, who played with Gaudreau on the Blue Jackets, set up the opening goal. Gaudreau and brother Matthew died in 2024 when they were bicycling in New Jersey and were hit by a driver.

USA vs. Slovakia score: Dylan Larkin scores for the USA

Dylan Larkin gets the USA’s opening goal for the second game in a row. Beautiful up-ice pass by Zach Werenski to Larkin, who splits the defense and beats Samuel Hlavaj. USA 1, Slovakia 0

Game underway

Connor Hellebuyck and Samuel Hlavaj in net. Jack Eichel line starts for USA. Winners faces Canada for gold.

What time is USA vs. Slovakia men’s hockey semifinal today?

• Date: Friday, Feb. 20
• Time: 3:10 p.m. ET (9:10 p.m. local)
• Location: Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena (Milan)

Puck drop between the USA and Slovakia is set for 3:10 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 20 from Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan.

Where to watch USA vs. Slovakia men’s hockey semifinal

• TV channel: NBC
• Streaming options: NBCOlympics.com | NBC Olympic App | Peacock

NBC will broadcast Friday’s USA vs. Slovakia men’s hockey semifinal at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Watch USA vs. Slovakia on Peacock

Is there a live stream of the Olympic men’s semifinal?

Streaming options for the game include NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Olympic App (with a cable TV or satellite login). You can also stream the game on Peacock, NBC’s subscription streaming service.

Goaltending matchup

Connor Hellebuyck vs. Samuel Hlavaj, who upset Finland in the preliminary round.

Team USA lines vs Slovakia

Canada vs. Finland score: Canada rallies to win

Canada, playing without injured captain Sidney Crosby, is heading to the gold medal game after rallying from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Finland 3-2. Nathan MacKinnon scored a last-minute goal that survived an offsides challenge. Canada will play the USA-Slovakia winner in Sunday’s gold medal game. Finland, the 2022 Olympic champion, will face the loser in Saturday’s bronze-medal game.

Recent USA vs. Slovakia Olympics history

Slovakia beat the USA in 2022 in a shootout. The USA beat Slovakia in 2018 in the preliminary round and the qualification game.

Connor Hellebuyck to start for USA

He has given four goals in four games at these Olympics and has a 0.98 goals against average and .958 save percentage.

USA vs. Slovakia predictions

Mike Brehm, USA TODAY – USA 3, Slovakia 2: Goalie Connor Hellebuyck has been one of the better goalies in the tournament. That alone should be enough to get the USA to the championship game. But the Americans also have been finding enough offense and have overcome any adversity that comes their way.

Jace Evans, USA TODAY – USA 5, Slovakia 2: The talent difference will again be on display in this one. While the USA got a scare in the quarterfinals, it came from a Sweden team that brought an equal number of NHL players to the Games. Slovakia has just seven NHL players in its lineup.

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press – USA 4, Slovakia 2: The Americans faced their first real adversity in the quarterfinals, unable to score on Sweden the way the Americans had done in the round robin. They had to reset after losing a 1-0 lead with 91 seconds to play in regulation, and came out of it looking aces. Slovakia has had a great tournament, but the USA has superior depth.