Team USA Advances to Gold Medal Game With Win Over Slovakia

Team USA has advanced to the 2026 Gold Medal Game against Canada after defeating Slovakia.

Feb 18, 2026; Milan, Italy; Quinn Hughes (43) of the United States celebrates his winning goal in overtime against Sweden in a men's ice hockey quarterfinal during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Team USA, after defeating Sweden with an overtime goal from Quinn Hughes in the quarterfinals, beat Slovakia at Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in the semifinals and now is set to take on Canada in the gold medal game.

Dylan Larkin and Tage Thompson both scored goals in the first period to give Team USA an early 2-0 lead. Jack Hughes and Jack Eichel later scored back-to-back goals within 19 seconds of one another to extend the lead to 4-0, and Hughes found the net once again later in the second period to make it 5-0.

Slovakia snapped Team USA's shutout on a goal from Juraj Slavkovsky early in the third period, but it was too late to stage a comeback as the Americans went on to win 6-2.

After Team USA's women's team won the gold earlier this week, the men's team will look to join them as they stare down a matchup with the Canadians on Feb. 22.

Feb 12, 2026; Milan, Italy; Jack Hughes of United States during the warm up before the match against Latvia in men's ice hockey group C play during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

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