Who will Canada play next in hockey? Explaining 2026 Olympic bracket opponent for gold medal game

Canada has played with fire at the 2026 Winter Olympics, but it hasn't burned them yet.

After a come-from-behind win over Czechia in the quarterfinals, Canada survived a 2-0 deficit against Finland on Friday to advance to the gold medal game and keep their dreams alive.

A loss before the gold medal game would have been a massive disappointment. With a ridiculous collection of talent and a dominant showing in the preliminary round, a trip to the gold medal game was the expectation for Canada. On Sunday, Canada can climb back to the top. 

Here's what you need to know about Canada's next opponent in the Olympics.

MORE 2026 OLYMPICS: Live medal tracker | Viewer's guide | Day-by-day schedule

Olympic hockey bracket 2026

Only four teams remained on Friday, with Canada vs. Finland the first of two semifinal games on the Olympic schedule.

Semifinals

• No. 3 Slovakia vs. No. 2 USA
• No. 1 Canada 3, No. 4 Finland 2

Bronze Medal Game

• No. 4 Finland vs. TBD

Gold Medal Game

• No. 1 Canada vs. TBD

LIVE: Follow updates from USA vs. Slovakia in semifinals

Who will Canada play next in hockey?

Canada only has one game remaining at the Olympics, and it's for gold. Canada will face either the United States or Slovakia in Sunday's gold medal game, while the loser of the USA vs. Slovakia semifinal game heads to the bronze medal game against Finland.

Canada had to wait to find out its opponent for the semifinals, but with the bracket down to only a handful of teams, this one is more straightforward: a United States win sets up yet another crucial battle between the two North American neighbors, while a Slovakian upset gives Canada a bit of a David vs. Goliath matchup for gold.

MORE: Why Sidney Crosby didn't play vs. Finland

How does the Olympic hockey bracket work?

The 2026 Olympic men's hockey tournament consists of 12 countries divided into three groups of four for the initial round-robin stage.

The winners of each group, along with the highest-ranked second-place team, automatically advance to the quarterfinals. The other eight teams are ranked 5th through 12th and compete in a single-elimination playoff, with the winners advancing to join the top seeds in the quarterfinals.

To facilitate the most competitive matchups in the later stages, the IIHF reseeds the four semifinalists according to their preliminary-round rankings. This reseeding pairs the highest remaining seed against the lowest to determine who will compete in the gold medal game.

Olympic hockey schedule 2026

Feb. 20: Men's Semifinals

Feb. 21: Men's Bronze Medal Game

Feb. 22: Men's Gold Medal Game