USA vs. Canada men's hockey history: Complete Olympic results, head-to-head record, more from rivalry

The rivalry between the United States and Canada sometimes goes beyond hockey, but the ice is where it's at its best.

There's no doubt Canada has historically had the upper hand over the U.S. when it comes to hockey, at least on the men's side. The United States men haven't won Olympic gold since 1980, while Canada has routinely competed for gold on the Olympic stage when it's been best-on-best.

Over the course of history, though, both the USA and Canada have had moments of glory against one another.

Here's what you need to know about the history of the rivalry between the United States and Canada and their head-to-head results against one another.

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USA vs. Canada men's hockey history

Canada is historically more successful than the United States in international tournaments, but the two have been frequent opponents of one another on the world stage since hockey made its Olympic debut in 1920.

Canada and the USA haven't totally controlled the top of the sport on the international stage like they have on the women's side, as Russia dominated a long stretch of the sport's history during the Soviet Union era and a handful of other European nations have been successful, but these two neighboring nations have each won multiple Olympic gold medals and are now facing each other for gold for the third time in the 21st century.

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Why do USA and Canada men's hockey hate each other?

The simple answer, of course, is that the United States and Canada are neighbors, and a friendly rivalry between nations can quickly become a heated one on the ice, the field, the court or any other sports setting.

Looking a bit deeper, the United States has historically been more successful in many Olympic sports, but hockey is one that Canada owns. Ice hockey was first played in Canada, and success on the international stage is a major source of pride for the nation; it's one area in which there has historically been a clear advantage over the United States.

For that reason, Canada is consistently looking to fend off the United States, which has gradually developed its talent pool to rank among the best in the world. The rivalry took on new meaning when the legendary Wayne Gretzky was injured by a hit from the USA's Gary Suter during the Canada Cup. Canada and the U.S. then faced off in the Olympic gold medal game in both 2002 and 2010, creating even more animosity between the two sides.

More recently, tensions between the two countries have ratcheted up the intensity on the ice. Threats of annexation from U.S. President Donald Trump, as well as tariffs he placed on Canada, served as the backdrop for the 4 Nations Face-Off in 2025, during which Canadian fans booed the U.S. national anthem. Canada went on to win the tournament with a narrow victory over the United States.

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Are USA and Canada each other's biggest rival?

The United States might not historically be Canada's clear-cut toughest competition on the world stage, but it's hard to say there is a more intense rivalry involving either of the two nations.

The dynamic between the USA and Russia has changed since America's "Miracle on Ice" upset of the Soviet Union in 1980, while Canada has faced challenges from European nations but hasn't necessarily seen the development of the kind of bad blood that comes from facing a neighboring country. The progression of the USA-Canada women's hockey rivalry has also added a new element to the men's rivalry.

As the United States and Canada face off for Olympic gold again, it's clear they are each other's biggest rival right now.

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How many times has the USA played Canada in hockey?

The exact number of matchups between the United States and Canada is unclear because their history goes back more than a century, but the two have faced off 19 times at the Olympics, 14 times in the World Cup of Hockey (formerly known as the Canada Cup) and twice in the 4 Nations Face-Off in 2025.

The USA and Canada have also routinely faced off in the IIHF World Championship, which first became an annual tournament in 1930.

The United States and Canada have faced off in a best-on-best game 19 times, including two matchups at the 4 Nations Face-Off in 2025.

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USA vs. Canada men's hockey Olympics head-to-head record

Canada has faced the United States 19 times in Olympic men's hockey and holds a 12-4-3 head-to-head record. Here's a look at every game, from 1920 to 2022:

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USA vs. Canada men's hockey Olympic gold medal history

The Olympic men's hockey tournament used a simple round-robin format for much of its history, so the United States and Canada have faced off in an actual gold medal game only twice before 2026, doing so in 2002 and 2010.

Canada is 2-0 head-to-head in Olympic gold medal matches, winning 5-2 in Salt Lake City in 2002 and winning in overtime on a goal from Sidney Crosby in Vancouver in 2010.

USA vs. Canada men's hockey all-time head-to-head record

Excluding the long history of the IIHF World Championship, Canada is 23-8-4 against the United States between the Olympics, World Cup of Hockey and 4 Nations Face-Off.

Best-on-best

Canada is 14-4-1 in 19 best-on-best matchups with the United States.

USA vs. Canada men's hockey all-time gold medal history

Here's a look at the gold medal and championship breakdown between the United States and Canada, by even:

The U.S. is 0-2 in Olympic gold medal matchups against Canada and lost a championship matchup to Canada 8n the 4 Nations Face-Off in 2025.