Many people are picking Canada to win a gold medal in the 2026 Olympics men's hockey tournament. However, Team USA is clearly a co-favorite and could win to nobody's surprise.
The 2026 Winter Olympics will provide hockey fans with a treat in what is certain to be incredibly fierce best-on-best competition.
From the get-go, the two clear favorites are Canada and the USA, and figuring out which team is better is very challenging.
That's why it's surprising that in TheHockeyNews.com's pre-Olympic writers/editors poll, 20 out of 24 voters voted for Canada as the gold medal favorite, with the other four votes going to the United States. With due respect to Canada, we believe the American squad can match or beat the Canadian team in virtually every department.
But first, let’s give the Canadians their due. They have the two best players of any Olympic team in Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid and Colorado Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon. And they arguably have the best defenseman in the tournament in Avs superstar Cale Makar. Meanwhile, Canada’s depth is terrific at forward and on ‘D’.
However, the American team has a great deal of depth, not just at forward and on defense. The U.S. has the best depth at what can be considered the most important position – goaltending. Having Winnipeg Jets star Connor Hellebuyck, Boston Bruins’ Jeremy Swayman, and Dallas Stars’ Jake Oettinger gives America the type of netminding insurance no other country can claim.
This isn’t to say other countries have sinkholes in net, but Canada could have early issues in net if St. Louis Blues goalie Jordan Binnington can’t get the job done. So America’s strength between the pipes could be the difference between winning and losing gold.
Let’s give credit to Bill Guerin for building an American team that, on paper, doesn’t have many flaws, if any.
At forward, you’ve got genuine needle-movers in Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews, Minnesota Wild winger Matt Boldy, Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel, and Buffalo Sabres’ Tage Thompson.
Meanwhile, America’s defense corps is loaded with talent – including Columbus Blue Jackets star Zach Werenski, Wild blueliners Brock Faber and Quinn Hughes, and Carolina Hurricanes stout lockdown defender Jaccob Slavin – there wasn’t room on the roster for Montreal Canadiens phenom Lane Hutson. That’s impressive depth that, frankly, makes America’s defensemen better on the whole than Canada’s group of D-men.
Altogether, the U.S.’s superior strength in net and on defense is why this writer is picking them as gold medal winners. We’re not saying Canada doesn’t have an excellent team. Rather, it’s to acknowledge how close the rivalry is between the two North American powerhouses.
Remember, at last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off, America was one goal away from championship glory. It’s not at all a stretch to believe that this year, good fortune will come the U.S.’s way at the expense of the Canadians.
Matthew Tkachuk and Brandon Hagel (Eric Bolte-Imagn Images)To be sure, Canada has put together a seriously imposing team. But the same can be said for America. That’s why more people should be giving the States their due.
In the end, the Canadian team may win gold, but don’t be surprised if the U.S. does instead. They’ve got the horses and the talent to do so, and with some luck from the hockey gods and timely performances up and down the lineup, the Americans could prove those of us who picked them for gold were right.
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