The two sides are both undefeated heading into the last game of the tournament. Team USA swept preliminary round play, topped Switzerland (4-0) in the quarterfinals and beat Slovakia (7-2) yesterday in semifinal action to advance. After sweeping Group B prelim play, Canada shut out Latvia, 4-0, in quarterfinals before hanging on to beat Sweden, 5-4, in last night’s second semifinal contest.
The U.S. has won 11 of its 16 appearances all-time in the gold-medal game, including last year in 2023, when it beat Sweden, 3-2 in overtime, to clinch the top spot on the podium. The U.S. has won back-to-back gold medals on five previous occasions, including a run of four consecutive golds from 2009-2012. The last time Team USA won back-to-back golds was in 2014 and 2015.
Team USA and Canada have met just twice previously in the gold-medal game. The United States earned a 5-1 victory in 2005 before the Canadians answered in 2013, winning 3-2. The latest overall matchup between the two sides was in the preliminary round in 2022, an 8-3 win for the red, white and blue.