It all comes down to this: the gold medal for men’s hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics is between Canada and the USA.
Team Canada will be in for the toughest game of their tournament so far.
What time is the gold medal game? Is Sidney Crosby playing the gold medal game? Here are the answers to all those questions and more.
Is Sidney Crosby Playing in the Gold Medal Game?
Prior to the start of the gold medal game, Elliotte Friedman reported that Crosby would not play.
Julie Stewart-Binks added her own report regarding the situation. According to Team Canada’s GM Doug Wilson, the decision for Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins not to play was not a simple one.
“Met with coach and doctors for about 45 minutes… end of the day he felt it was best for the team that he should give that opportunity to someone else,” Stewart-Binks posted on social media. “Obviously a very gut wrenching decision for him, but it shows the character he has of stepping aside because he didn’t think he could be at his best, to give us an opportunity.”
With Crosby out of the lineup, these are the line combinations for Team Canada in the Gold Medal Game
Team Canada Line Combinations For Gold Medal Game
Macklin Celebrini – Connor McDavid – Nathan MacKinnon
Mitch Marner – Nick Suzuki – Mark Stone
Brad Marchand – Sam Bennett – Tom Wilson
Brandon Hagel – Bo Horvat – Seth Jarvis
Sam Reinhart
Canada Defense Pairings
Devon Toews – Cale Makar
Thomas Harley – Colton Parayko
Travis Sanheim – Drew Doughty
Shea Theodore
Canada Starting Goalie
Jordan Binnington
Logan Thompson (Backup)
NHL Teams represented by Canada: San Jose Sharks, Edmonton Oilers, Colorado Avalanche, Vegas Golden Knights, Montreal Canadiens, Florida Panthers, Washington Capitals, New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars, St. Louis Blues, Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, Tampa Bay Lightning.
Team USA Line Combinations
Here are the line combinations for Team USA in the gold medal game against Canada.
Forward Lines
- Brady Tkachuk – Jack Eichel – Matthew Tkachuk
- Jake Guentzel –Auston Matthews – Matt Boldy
- Clayton Keller – Dylan Larkin – Tage Thompson
- Jack Hughes – Brock Nelson – J.T. Miller
- Vincent Trocheck
Defense Lines
- Quinn Hughes – Charlie McAvoy
- Jaccob Slavin – Brock Faber
- Jake Sanderson – Zach Werenski
- Noah Hanifin
Connor Hellebuyck will be the USA’s starting goalie.
NHL Teams represented by Team USA: Ottawa Senators, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres, Winnipeg Jets, Toronto Maple Leafs, Minnesota Wild, Boston Bruins, Columbus Blue Jackets
Where to Watch the Gold Medal Game
The gold medal game is scheduled to start at 6:00 AM Mountain Time. The game is broadcast on CBC, RDS, and ICI Télé. Fans can stream the game on CBC Gem and ICI TOU.TV.
Canada vs USA Line Combinations & Starting Goalies For Gold Medal Game Revealed