Team Canada is headed back to the Olympic gold medal game after storming back from a two-goal deficit to defeat Finland 3-2 at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games.
Canada trailed 2-0 early but refused to fold, scoring three unanswered goals to punch its ticket to Sunday’s final.
Finland opened the scoring late in the first period when Mikko Rantanen converted on the power play. Erik Haula doubled the lead early in the second, finishing a shorthanded breakaway to put the Canadians on their heels.
Sam Reinhart cut the deficit in half midway through the second period, tipping a point shot from Cale Makar past Finnish goaltender Juuse Saros on the power play.
Finland carried a 2-1 lead into the third period before Shea Theodore blasted a shot from the point through traffic to tie the game. Canada continued to press and completed the comeback with the go-ahead goal later in the frame to secure the 3-2 victory.
Canada finished 1-for-2 on the power play and outshot Finland heavily through the final 40 minutes as momentum shifted in the semifinal.
The Canadians were without captain Sidney Crosby, who missed the game with a lower-body injury. Connor McDavid served as captain in his absence.
With the win, Canada advances to the Olympic gold medal game for the fourth time since NHL players were permitted to participate beginning in 1998.
The team entered the knockout stage as the top-ranked squad after posting a perfect 3-0-0 record in round-robin play. Canada reached the semifinal with a dramatic 4-3 overtime win over Czechia in the quarter-final.
Finland, the defending Olympic gold medalists from the 2022 Games in Beijing, had advanced to the semifinal after a 3-2 overtime victory over Switzerland.
Canada will learn its opponent later today when the United States takes on Slovakia at 12:10 p.m. PST.
The gold medal game is scheduled for 5:10 a.m. PST on Sunday.
