USA Advances to Gold Medal Game, Defeats Slovakia 6-2 in Olympic Semifinal

MILAN, Italy – The United States men’s hockey team is heading to the gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics after a dominant 6-2 victory over Slovakia in the semifinal on Friday, February 20th. The win sets up a highly anticipated clash with Canada on Sunday, February 22nd, at 8:10 a.m. ET.

Game Highlights

Dylan Larkin scored the opening goal for the second consecutive game, giving the U.S. An early lead. Tage Thompson followed up with a power-play goal to extend the advantage to 2-0 in the first period.

The Americans exploded in the second period, with Jack Hughes scoring twice and Jack Eichel adding another goal. Brady Tkachuk also found the back of the net, pushing the score to 6-0 before the end of the second.

Slovakia managed to score two goals in the third period, with Pavol Regenda and Slafkovský finding the net, but the U.S. Lead was insurmountable. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 21 of 23 shots for the U.S., continuing his strong performance throughout the tournament.

Key Performances

• Jack Hughes (USA): Two goals
• Dylan Larkin (USA): One goal, opening goal for the second straight game
• Tage Thompson (USA): One goal
• Jack Eichel (USA): One goal
• Brady Tkachuk (USA): One goal
• Connor Hellebuyck (USA): 21 saves on 23 shots

Looking Ahead

The United States will now face Canada in the gold medal game, seeking their first Olympic gold in men’s hockey since 1980. Canada defeated Finland 3-2 in the other semifinal. Slovakia will compete for the bronze medal against Finland on Saturday, February 21st, at 2:40 p.m. ET.

USA vs. Slovakia – Final Score

USA: 6

Slovakia: 2

Source: NBC Olympics, Sporting News, USA Today, Detroit Free Press