Canada staged a thrilling comeback to defeat Finland 3-2 in the men's ice hockey semifinal at the 2026 Winter Olympics, advancing to the gold medal game. Nathan MacKinnon's power-play goal with 35 seconds left sealed the victory after an offside challenge was upheld. The win sets up a highly anticipated final against the United States, who beat Slovakia 6-2 in the other semifinal.
In a tense semifinal at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, Italy, on February 20, 2026, Canada overcame a 2-0 deficit to beat defending champions Finland 3-2. Finland struck first late in the opening period when Mikko Rantanen scored on the power play just three seconds after Sam Bennett's penalty for goalie interference. Early in the second period, Erik Haula added a shorthanded goal on a breakaway, putting Finland ahead 2-0.
Canada responded late in the second with Sam Reinhart tipping in Cale Makar's power-play shot to make it 2-1. The third period saw Shea Theodore tie the game at 2-2 with a slapshot from the point at 50:34, despite protests from Finland over possible goalie interference involving Brad Marchand and Juuse Saros; the Finns did not challenge the call.
With 2:35 left, Niko Mikkola was penalized for high-sticking MacKinnon, leading to a power play. Connor McDavid assisted MacKinnon's one-timer with 35 seconds remaining, giving Canada the lead. Finland challenged for offside on Macklin Celebrini, but video review confirmed it was onside by a slim margin. Canada outshot Finland 39-17 and held on after Finland pulled Saros.
Captain Sidney Crosby missed the game due to a lower-body injury from the quarterfinal against Czechia, with McDavid wearing the 'C' and setting an Olympic record with 13 points (2 goals, 11 assists). Coach Jon Cooper expressed optimism about Crosby's availability for the final. Finland's Artturi Lehkonen called the loss 'tough to swallow,' while Celebrini described the wait during the review as 'nerve-wracking but tight.'
The victory marks Canada's fourth straight semifinal win in NHL-era Olympics, positioning them for a rematch with the U.S. in the gold medal game on February 22. Finland will face Slovakia for bronze on February 21.
