The last game of the tournament is upon us, and both Team USA and Canada are unbeaten. Team USA has dominated the competition thus far, topping Switzerland 4-0 in the quarterfinals and beating Slovakia 7-2 in the semifinals to advance. Similarly, Canada has swept Group B prelim play, shutting out Latvia 4-0 in the quarterfinals and narrowly defeating Sweden 5-4 in the last night’s semifinal contest.
In its 16 appearances in the gold-medal game, Team USA has emerged victorious 11 times. Last year in 2023, they beat Sweden 3-2 in overtime to claim the top spot on the podium. They have won back-to-back gold medals on five previous occasions, with the last time being in 2014 and 2015.
Team USA and Canada have only met twice before in the gold-medal game. The United States won 5-1 in 2005, while Canada answered back with a 3-2 victory in 2013. Their most recent matchup was in the preliminary round in 2022, where Team USA secured an impressive 8-3 win. With both teams at their best and ready for action, this game promises to be a thrilling finale to a highly competitive tournament.
