The United States men's hockey team defeated Slovakia 6-2 in the semifinal of the 2026 Winter Olympics, advancing to the gold medal game against Canada. Jack Hughes scored twice for the Americans, who controlled the puck throughout the match at Santagiulia arena in Milan. The win marks the first U.S. appearance in an Olympic hockey final since 2010.
In the men's hockey semifinal at the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on February 20, the United States secured a 6-2 victory over Slovakia, earning a spot in Sunday's gold medal matchup against Canada. The game, played at Santagiulia arena, saw the Americans take control early, with Dylan Larkin opening the scoring just over four minutes into the first period on a wrist shot assisted by Zach Werenski. Tage Thompson extended the lead to 2-0 late in the first on a power-play one-timer.
The second period proved decisive, as Jack Hughes and Jack Eichel scored 19 seconds apart midway through, making it 4-0 and prompting Slovakia to pull goaltender Samuel Hlavaj for Stanislav Škorvánek. Hughes added his second goal shortly after, pushing the score to 5-0. Brady Tkachuk sealed the U.S. tally in the third on a breakaway. Slovakia responded with third-period goals from Juraj Slafkovský and Pavol Regenda, but it was too late. Connor Hellebuyck made 22 saves for the U.S., while the Americans outshot Slovakia 39-24.
Tage Thompson exited after the second period with a lower-body injury but was held out for precautionary reasons, with coach Mike Sullivan expecting him to be ready for the final. "We believe this is the best group in the whole tournament," Jack Hughes said post-game. The U.S. seeks its first gold since the 1980 'Miracle on Ice,' having lost the 2010 final to Canada on Sidney Crosby's overtime goal. Canada advanced earlier with a 3-2 comeback win over Finland. This marks the first Olympics with NHL players since 2014. A post-game scuffle in the tunnel involved Brady and Matthew Tkachuk and Erik Černák, with Slovak defenseman Martin Fehérváry noting, "Everyone knows what the Tkachuks are doing."
The gold medal game is set for February 22 at 8:10 a.m. ET, reigniting a storied rivalry. Jack Eichel reflected, "We’re going to find out who the best team is." Slovakia now plays Finland for bronze, aiming to defend their 2022 third-place finish.
