The USA-Canada gold medal hockey game at the 2026 Winter Olympics is scheduled to start at 8:10 a.m. ET on Sunday, due to the time difference between the US and Milan, Italy. This early start time may require fans to wake up early to catch the championship game.
Team USA and Canada men’s hockey are set to face off for Olympic gold at 8:10 a.m. ET on Sunday, which may come as a surprise to fans who are used to watching hockey games in the evening or at night. However, there are a couple of reasons behind the early start time, with the main one being the six-hour time difference between the eastern United States and Milan Cortina.
The time difference means that the gold-medal match will start at 2:10 p.m. locally before the closing ceremonies that evening. Men’s hockey is typically one of the last events of the Olympic Games, with the championship game often being held on the final day alongside women’s cross-country skiing.
Team USA secured its ticket to the championship game on Friday with a dominant 6-2 win over Slovakia, with center Jack Hughes scoring two goals in the effort. Hughes’ performance comes after Team USA decided to shift the 24-year-old up to the third line, with coach Mike Sullivan saying that the Devils star “could impact the game more.”
Team Canada’s semifinal win on Friday was not as easy, however, as they trailed Finland by two goals for a chunk of the game. Canada then scored three unanswered goals, with Nathan MacKinnon scoring the game-winner with just 35 seconds left in the third period.
2026 Winter Olympics
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