Oilers' Connor McDavid Breaks Olympic Record in Canada Comeback

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid set the Olympic points record as Team Canada completed a dramatic comeback to defeat Finland 3-2 in a semifinal matchup at Milano Cortina 2026. The victory sends Canada to the upcoming gold medal game after overcoming a two-goal deficit at Santagiulia Arena.

McDavid, with two assists for the night and pushing his total to 13 points (2G, 11A), surpassed the previous mark of 11 points held by Finnish legends Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu from the 2006 Turin Olympics. The irony of breaking a Finnish record while defeating Finland added another layer to Canada's historic semifinal victory.

Nathan MacKinnon delivered the decisive blow with 35.2 seconds remaining in regulation. The Colorado Avalanche center scored on the power play to complete Canada's rally and end Finland's hopes of defending their 2022 Olympic gold medal.

Comeback Complete

Finland dominated the opening periods and built a 2-0 advantage on goals from Mikko Rantanen and Erik Haula. Rantanen scored on the power play after Sam Bennett took a goalie interference penalty. while Haula added a shorthanded goal just 22 seconds into a Finnish penalty kill.

CANADA IS HEADING TO THE GOLD MEDAL GAME 🇨🇦

Watch Canada in the gold medal game at the #MilanoCortina2026 #WinterOlympics SUNDAY at 8:10a ET on @NBCSports, @peacock, @cbcsports, @cbcgem, & @Sportsnet! pic.twitter.com/IlUGBVdNAF
— NHL (@NHL) February 20, 2026

The deficit silenced Canada supporters at Santagiulia Arena as Finland executed its defensive game plan to perfection. Juuse Saros stood tall in goal for Finland through two periods while his teammates limited Canada's offensive opportunities.

Sam Reinhart sparked Canada's comeback with a power-play goal with 5:40 remaining in the second period. The Florida Panthers forward deflected a Cale Makar shot past Saros to cut Finland's lead in half and restore hope for Canadian fans.

Third Period Rally

Shea Theodore tied the game with 8:42 remaining in regulation after Jon Cooper deployed an aggressive offensive line. The Vegas Golden Knights defenseman blasted a shot past Saros to even the score at 2-2 and swing momentum decisively toward Canada.

MacKinnon's winner came after he absorbed a high stick from Niko Mikkola that gave Canada a crucial power play opportunity. The goal survived a Finland offside challenge as Canadian supporters chanted in anticipation of the official ruling.

Record-Breaking Performance

McDavid, wearing the captain's armband in Sidney Crosby's absence, provided leadership throughout Canada's comeback. The 29-year-old led by example while orchestrating Canada's offense during the critical third period. His Olympic record now stands alone in the modern era of NHL player participation.

MCDAVID MAKES OLYMPIC HISTORY 🚨🇨🇦

His 12th point sets the record for most ever by an NHL player in a single Olympics pic.twitter.com/kfx2z7jVeZ
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) February 20, 2026

Canada advances to face either the United States or Slovakia in the gold medal game. The victory represents Canada's opportunity to capture its first Olympic gold with NHL players since 2014 in Sochi. McDavid and his teammates stand one win away from achieving that goal after their dramatic semifinal triumph.

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