Team USA Hockey One Victory Away From Ending 46-Year Olympic Gold Drought

The U.S. men's hockey team defeated Slovakia 6-2 in the Olympic semifinals and will face Canada for gold. It's been 46 years since America's legendary 1980 "Miracle on Ice" Olympic championship victory.

MILAN – Team USA’s men’s hockey squad stands just one victory away from capturing their first Olympic gold medal in nearly five decades, following a commanding 6-2 semifinal victory over Slovakia on Friday at the Milano Cortina Olympics.

The Americans will now face off against Canada in the championship match, setting up a classic rivalry showdown as they seek to end a gold medal drought that stretches back to their legendary 1980 triumph – the famous “Miracle on Ice” that captivated the nation.

That historic 1980 victory saw a team of amateur and college players shock the heavily favored Soviet Union 4-3, creating one of sports’ most memorable underdog stories on their way to Olympic gold.

Forward Brock Nelson, who has family ties to U.S. Olympic hockey history with a grandfather on the 1960 gold medal team and an uncle on the celebrated 1980 squad, spoke about the significance of facing Canada.

“The rivalry with Canada is obviously a long battle and a long history,” Nelson explained. “(These are) two countries that want to come out on top, have the bragging rights that they’re the best country in the world.”

By advancing to the final, the U.S. team has already secured their first Olympic hockey medal since the 2010 Vancouver Games, where Canada broke American hearts with a 3-2 overtime victory in the gold medal contest.

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski revealed he prepared for this opportunity by watching the Netflix documentary “Miracle on Ice: The Boys of ’80” before departing for Milan.

“It definitely motivated me a little bit more,” Werenski shared. “And it’s something not a lot of American hockey players have ever done. I think 36 players have ever won a gold medal for the U.S. in the Olympics, so we’re aware of what’s at stake.”

“We’re going to embrace it, we’re going to enjoy it, and this is why you play the game,” he added.

The stakes couldn’t be higher for this American squad, which features NHL stars competing in the Olympics for the first time since 2014. The United States hasn’t defeated Canada in an Olympic men’s hockey final since 1960 at Squaw Valley.

Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin, who found the net in Friday’s semifinal win, described his anticipation for this moment.

“Not even going to go into how much I’ve thought about it as a kid, but that was just a dream up until the Four Nations, it turned into serious thoughts,” Larkin said, referencing last year’s tournament that Canada won.

Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk emphasized that a gold medal victory would transcend this single team’s achievement.

“There’s 1980, there’s the ’96 World Cup — those moments grew the game so much and shaped our entire generation,” Tkachuk noted.

“Now we have a chance to do the same, to push the sport forward and make it even better for the next generation.”