Canada defeated Finland 3-2 in a dramatic semifinal match at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan on Friday, securing their place in the gold medal game. The victory, achieved after trailing 2-0 in the second period, marks Canada’s first appearance in the Olympic final since 2014.
Mikka Rantanen and Erik Haula initially put Finland ahead, capitalizing on early opportunities. However, the Canadian team, led by Connor McDavid who wore the captain’s ‘C’ in place of the injured Sidney Crosby, mounted a determined comeback. Sam Reinhart scored to narrow the gap, followed by Shea Theodore’s equalizer. With just 36 seconds remaining in regulation time, Nathan MacKinnon completed the turnaround, scoring the winning goal on a power play.
The game, played before a crowd of 11,155 at the Arena Santa Giulia, saw a total of six penalties assessed – two to Canada and four to Finland. Canada capitalized on one of their power play opportunities, even as Finland failed to convert on theirs. Furlatt and O’Rourke served as the on-ice officials, with Ankerstjerne and Daisy completing the officiating crew.
Canada will now face the winner of Saturday’s semifinal between Slovakia and the United States, scheduled for a 14:10 local time face-off on Sunday. Finland will compete for the bronze medal on Saturday at 20:40.
This win sets the stage for Canada to pursue their tenth Olympic gold medal in men’s hockey. Their previous triumph came at the 2014 Sochi Games, when NHL players last participated in the Winter Olympics.
