The intense hockey rivalry between Canada and the U.S. has produced numerous unforgettable moments, often decided by razor-thin margins.
Since women's hockey debuted in 1998, Canada and the U.S. are the only nations to secure Olympic gold. As the men's tournament continues, a potential Sunday gold medal game between the two rivals is on the horizon.
In 2025, the 4 Nations Face-Off, featuring NHL players after a 12-year Olympic absence, drew 16.1 million viewers in North America. The final, won by Canada in overtime with a Connor McDavid goal, was the second-most-watched hockey game in a decade. The matchup was marked by significant political rhetoric, with then-U.S. President Donald Trump expressing a desire for Canada to become the 51st state.
At the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Canada's women's team defeated the U.S. 3-2 for their fifth Olympic gold. Captain Marie-Philip Poulin scored twice, and goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens made 38 saves. The game set a single-tournament record for Canada with 57 goals and was the most-watched Olympic event of the year, drawing 2.7 million Canadians and 3.54 million Americans. This victory helped catalyze the formation of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) in August 2023.
In 2018, the U.S. women's team ended Canada's streak of four straight golds with a 3-2 shootout victory. The championship game, decided in a shootout for the first time in Olympic history, garnered 2.9 million viewers despite a late start time.
The iconic "Golden Goal" occurred on February 28, 2010, when Sidney Crosby scored in overtime to give the Canadian men's team a 3-2 victory over the U.S. in Vancouver. This game remains the most-watched televised event in Canadian history, with 26.5 million viewers tuning in. Three days prior, the Canadian women's team had secured gold against the U.S. with a 2-0 shutout victory, featuring two goals from Marie-Philip Poulin.
