Three members of the Montreal Canadiens will have a chance to medal at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina, Italy.
Gold Medal Game, Team Canada vs. Team USA, Sunday, Feb. 22, 8:10 a.m. ET/5:10 p.m. PT
Nick Suzuki and Team Canada will face the Americans in the gold medal game, a repeat of the final in the 4-Nation Faceoff Tournament. Canada somehow failed to make it through the elimination games, requiring the heroics of Suzuki and Mitch Marner to defeat Czechia in the quarter-finals.
In the semi-finals, it looked like Finland, a team that always performs well in international games, was going to ruin Canada's gold medal aspirations, but a late-game push resulting in goals by Nathan MacKinnon, Shea Theodore and Sam Reinhart was enough to ensure the victory for the Canadians.
As for the Americans, they suffered a major setback in the semifinals, however, as superstar Quinn Hughes scored in a 2–1 overtime win against Sweden. This led to a relatively easy semi-final match, in which the Americans easily defeated Team Slovakia.
Bronze Medal Game, Team Slovakia vs. Team Finland, Saturday, February 21, 2:20 PM ET/ 11:20 AM PT
While most predicted Canada and the USA to meet in the final, few expected Slovakia to challenge for another Olympic medal. Yes, they won a bronze medal at the last Olympic Games, but that tournament did not include NHL players.
This time, Slovakia is impressing against the world's best players, and Montreal Canadiens star forward Juraj Slafkowski is leading the way.
Like most Slovaks, Slafkovsky faced a tough time in the semi-finals against the Americans, a team loaded with NHL superstars. But in the grand scheme of things, Slafkovsky has clearly emerged as one of the most impressive players at the Olympics, with three goals and four assists to his name.
It remains to be seen whether Oliver Kapanen will be in uniform for the Finns, and if so, whether he will actually be given a shift. As one of the youngest players at the Olympics, Kapanen has spent more time watching hockey than playing hockey, and although he dressed in the semi-finals against Canada, Antti Pennanen stuck him to the bench.
Either way, it's certainly been a unique experience for Montreal's second-line centre.
