MILAN — On the eve of the Olympic gold medal game, Brady Tkachuk didn’t downplay the magnitude of what awaits Team USA. To reach its ultimate goal, the United States must defeat Canada — the rival it both admires and resents.
“There’s hatred there,” Tkachuk said ahead of the final. “They’ve been the top dog for years. For us, we want to be in that position. This is the biggest game a lot of guys will ever play.”
The U.S. men haven’t beaten Canada in a true best-on-best tournament since the 1996 World Cup of Hockey — a roster that included Brady’s father, Keith Tkachuk. Since NHL players began participating in the Olympics in 1998, the Americans have repeatedly fallen short against their northern rivals.
The tension between the two programs flared again last year at the 4 Nations tournament in Montreal, when Brady and his brother Matthew ignited three fights in the opening seconds of a round-robin clash at Bell Centre. Although the United States won that meeting, Canada captured the championship with a 2-1 overtime victory — a loss that lingered.
“We were one shot away last year,” Tkachuk said. “You go through that adversity, that sadness. I don’t want to feel like that ever again.”
Gold or Bust
Team USA has openly adopted a “gold or bust” mentality throughout the tournament. The Americans haven’t won Olympic gold since the 1980 Miracle on Ice, a moment etched into hockey history. For many players, the opportunity to change that narrative carries emotional weight.
“It’s been 46 years,” Tkachuk said. “So many players paved the way for us without getting that chance. We don’t take this lightly.”
In May, the United States claimed its first men’s world championship in more than 90 years — a breakthrough that fueled belief within the program. Several players from that roster, including Clayton Keller, Tage Thompson and Jeremy Swayman, carried that momentum into the Olympics.
Meanwhile, the U.S. women’s team added inspiration by capturing its third Olympic gold medal earlier this week, increasing the stakes for the men.
“If we can beat Canada,” Vincent Trocheck said, “it’s a clean sweep. That’s what everyone’s here for.”
A Heavyweight Clash
Canada enters the final with formidable firepower. Its power play has been dominant, converting six of 17 opportunities. Even without Sidney Crosby — who is dealing with a lower-body injury and remains a game-time decision — Canada’s top unit features elite talent, including Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid, Macklin Celebrini, Sam Reinhart and Cale Makar.
The Americans, however, have excelled defensively. Trocheck highlighted the team’s perfect penalty kill through the tournament as a sign of its discipline and commitment.
“It’s going to be tight checking,” Trocheck said. “Hard fought. Best-on-best hockey on the world stage.”
The final will take place on Feb. 22 — the anniversary of the 1980 win over the Soviet Union — adding a layer of symbolism to an already charged matchup.
For Tkachuk and his teammates, the emotions are clear. Respect. Rivalry. And, as he put it plainly, hatred.
On Sunday, only one team will leave Milan with gold — and, perhaps more importantly, bragging rights in hockey’s fiercest rivalry.
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