Men's Hockey Recap: Canada Fall Short of Gold

February 23rd, 2026

Jaden Teja

Well, it didn’t end how we wanted to, but at least we got to watch entertaining hockey. For the first time since 2006, Canada did not come home with the gold in men’s hockey (with NHLers).

Canada finished with the number one seed in the preliminary round after defeating Czechia, Switzerland, and France. But that did come with a price, defenseman Josh Morrissey, who was injured in the first game of the tournament, was sidelined for the rest of it.

Canada kicked off the quarterfinals against Czechia in a rematch of their first game of the tournament, which was a 5–0 Canadian win. However, this game wasn’t as simple for Canada. They were trailing 3–2 late in the third period after Czechia scored with seven players on the ice. In case you didn’t know, you’re allowed to do that now. More on the penalties for too many men later. However, Nick Suzuki scored with 3:27 left in the third to send it to three-on-three overtime. Also, more on that later. That’s where Mitch Marner, who left Toronto in the off-season, seemed to have left his big-game performances there as well, as he came up clutch and scored the overtime winner to send Canada to the semifinals.

However, that win did come at a price, and it was Captain Canada. Sidney Crosby, who took a hit from Radko Gudas, left the game and was out for the remainder of the tournament.

Canada faced Finland in the semifinals, where they were down 2–0 until a pair of B.C. boys stepped up. Sam Reinhart brought Canada within one on the power play in the second period. Then Shea Theodore tied it with 10 minutes left in the third. Finally, Nathan MacKinnon, who had been battling an injury all tournament, potted the winning goal with 35.2 seconds left on the power play to send Canada to the gold medal game, against who else but the U.S.A.

This pains me so much to write, as much as I’m sure it pains you to read. The gold medal game didn’t start out great for Canada, as Matt Boldy opened the scoring just six minutes in after somehow getting past two-time Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar and Devon Toews, who made one of the worst defensive plays I’ve seen, to give the States a 1–0 lead.

In the second period, Canada started to take over. They had chance after chance after chance. I couldn’t believe the puck wasn’t getting behind Connor Hellebuyck. Hellebuyck, who had a reputation for not playing well in big games, decided to show up at the worst time possible. It looked like Canada was about to tie the game when Connor McDavid was sprung on a breakaway, was slashed, and wasn’t able to put the puck past Hellebuyck.

Then Canada received a five-on-three power play, and I know you weren’t just thinking that we were going to tie the game; you definitely thought we were going to take the lead. I don’t blame you, because with how good Canada’s power play had been, even without Crosby, I did too. But we had possibly the worst five-on-three you could have, and it was still 1–0 U.S.A.

Late in the second period, Cale Makar fired a wrist shot from near the boards on the right side past Hellebuyck to tie the game. Then Canucks fans, who had spent the last eight years screaming “Hughes over Makar,” suddenly flipped the switch. Yeah, myself included.

The third period was probably the most aggravating period of hockey I’ve ever watched in my life. It started with Devon Toews putting the exclamation point on the worst game of his life, not being able to bury a chance in front of the net in the opening minute and a half. Macklin Celebrini, the North Vancouver boy who had been taking the world by storm and had been Canada’s best player at times, got a breakaway and, for some reason, shot the puck from the faceoff dot and didn’t score. Then Nathan MacKinnon had this chance;

and somehow didn’t score.

Then this happened.

How many U.S. players do you see? Now, I’m no mathematician, but that seems like more than five, the amount you’re allowed in hockey. So you would assume the referees called such an obvious penalty. Right? Right? Right?

Oh boy. I don’t know about you, but this was where I completely lost my mind. Throw this up with the missed pass interference in the 2018 NFC Championship Game as one of the worst no-calls in sports. It was as blatant as catching a kid with frosting all over their face and asking who ate the last piece of cake.

To make matters worse, moments later Sam Bennett high-sticked Jack Hughes, resulting in a four-minute U.S. power play. I think all of Canada had the same eerie feeling in their stomachs at that point. Canada killed off the double minor and then got a power play themselves, in which they had a plethora of chances but still couldn’t score.

Which meant we were heading to overtime.

It felt like 2010 all over again. We were getting déjà vu from the Four Nations last year, but it was different. Not only because it was the Olympics, but because it was three-on-three. Now, I’m not using it as an excuse at all, but I’ve never been a fan of the three-on-three format to decide big games. Sure, it’s fun in the NHL regular season, but there’s a reason they don’t use it in the playoffs. You want the game to end on a “hockey goal,” not off a broken play in three-on-three. It’s a shame that a game as good as that one had to end in that fashion.

Unfortunately for Canada, the bounces never went their way, as Jack Hughes scored 1:41 into overtime to win it for the U.S.

It was super disappointing to see the tournament end the way it did,especially with the outcome. But I love hockey, and I’m proud as hell to be Canadian. Just like in 2010, 2014, and last year’s Four Nations, I love how much pride our country rallies around hockey and how the beauty of sport brings us all together, even at 5 a.m. on a Sunday.

So I’m definitely going to miss best-on-best hockey, but it sure was special to watch.

Also, to any Americans claiming hockey’s now their sport, I think I speak for all of Canada when I paraphrase legendary Canadian goalie Patrick Roy: “I can’t really hear what the Americans are saying—we have our nine Olympic gold medals covering our ears.”