Four nations remain but only one gold medal is available to chase. As the puck drops in Milan today for the semifinals, these elite athletes continue to make their nations proud. Keep your eyes on the ice; today, legends are made, and only two will survive to play for the top of the podium.
Canada
The shadow of the Golden Goal back in Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics still looms large, serving as the gold standard for international success. Coming off from winning the championship in the 4 Nations Face-Off one year ago, that expectation has only intensified.
After a tough and nerve-wrecking quarterfinals match against Czechia yesterday, overtime finished well for Canada as they score the winning goal and advance to today's semifinals against Finland.
Canada continues to dominate the tournament, carrying a clean record of 4-0 and leading in scoring efficiency, power play percentage, and shorthanded goals. Furthermore, they boast the highest spectator engagement, with a total attendance count of 45,443 fans watching them live in Milan.
Macklin Celebrini (San Jose Sharks)
As the first overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, the North Vancouver kid is the youngest player to represent and score a goal for Team Canada in the NHL era of the Olympics.
Celebrini became the youngest player to win the Hobey Baker award, and the youngest in San Jose Sharks history to record a three-point game, breaking the record held by Patrick Marleau since 1998 (18 years, 171 days). This performance helped earn him a nomination as a finalist for the Calder Trophy.
Macklin Celebrini has scored 5 goals so far in the Men's Ice Hockey tournament: (CAN vs CZE - 19:54), (CAN vs SUI - 24:14), (CAN vs FRA - 37:16, 51:47) & (CAN vs CZE - 03:05). The 19-year-old is currently leading the goal scoring leaders list, surpassing experienced players, and trails behind McDavid for scoring leaders with a record of 5 goals, 4 assists and 9 points.
Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins)
Despite being the oldest in the tournament, he's still looked up to by many and is considered a legend, and a leader on the ice. The Captain of Team Canada has made a name for himself and his home country, bringing home gold in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.
On November 23, 2024, Sidney Crosby became the 21st player in NHL history to reach 600 career goals, scoring on a second-period power play in a 6-1 loss to the Utah Hockey Club. He joined Mario Lemieux as the only players to score 600 goals for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
A year later, on December 21, 2025, Crosby (1,724) surpassed Lemieux (1,723) to become the all-time points leader in Penguins' franchise history, recording a goal and an assist in a 4-3 shootout win over the Montreal Canadiens. In a game against the Buffalo Sabres, Crosby broke Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record by securing his 20th season averaging at least a point per game.
Fans are hoping Sidney Crosby can pull off a comeback similar to Team Canada captain Marie-Philip Poulin’s, after he exited the quarterfinal match against Czechia following a hit from Radko Gudas.
3-time Stanley Cup Winner (2008-09, 2015-16, 2016-17), Captain Sidney Crosby has scored 2 goals so far in the Men's Ice Hockey tournament: (CAN vs SUI - 47:28) & (CAN vs FRA - 37:35). He stands at 13 for scoring leaders in the tournament with 2 goals, 4 assists and 6 points, 14th with most goals scored, and 8th in most assists achieved with 4.
FINLAND
As the reigning gold medalists from Beijing 2022, Finland arrives in Milan with one goal: a historic repeat. Known for their "Sisu"—a unique brand of grit and bravery—the Lions play a disciplined, defensive game that is notoriously difficult to break down.
With a veteran roster that knows exactly how to win on the world stage, they are once again skating toward the podium. All eyes are on the defending champs to see if their golden streak can continue through the semifinals. Their most successful olympic game was against Italy last Feb. 14, ending the game with a landslide of 11-0.
Artturi Lehkonen (Colorado Avalanche)
The man from Piikkio has cemented his reputation as one of hockey’s ultimate "clutch" performers. By scoring the overtime winner for the Colorado Avalanche in the 2022 Western Conference Final, he became the first player in 83 years to send two different teams to the Stanley Cup Final with an OT goal. Joining legendary Hall of Famer Gordie Drillon as the only other player to achieve this feat, Lehkonen’s knack for delivering in the biggest moments remains a cornerstone of his career.
Lehkonen erased Team Finland's fear of losing in the quarterfinals match against Switzerland, but he saves the day, as he scores and secures Finland's spot to advance to the semifinals. Lehkonen is currently the highest Finnish player in the leaderboard for scores with 2 goals (FIN vs ITA - 41:34) & (FIN vs SUI - 63:23), 3 assists, and 5 points.
Sebastian Aho (Carolina Hurricanes)
Coming from Rauma to Raleigh, Sebastian Aho has emerged as one of the most statistically dominant players in NHL history. A consistent offensive leader for the Hurricanes, Aho holds the franchise record for playoff goals and recently joined legends Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux as the only players to lead their team in scoring in each of their first six postseasons.
Aho stands as the highest Finnish for goal scoring leaders with 3 (FIN vs ITA - 06:49, 43:43) & (FIN vs SUI - 53:54), and stands at 24th for scoring leaders.
SLOVAKIA
In the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Slovakia made history by winning its first-ever Olympic medal in men's ice hockey. The run was fueled by a then 17-year-oldJuraj Slafkovský, who scored seven goals in the tournament, earned the MVP title, and led his nation to the podium.
Despite losing 5-3 to Sweden on Feb. 14, Slovakia became the first nation to officially clinch a quarterfinal spot, and the first to also secure the semifinals spot after dominating the qualifying round against Germany.
Slovakia currently holds a 3-1 record and stands at 2nd place for teams' scoring efficiency, and a total audience of 35,875 watching the team live from Milan.
Dalibor Dvorský (St. Louis Blues)
Despite losing to Sweden with 5-3 last Feb. 14, Zvolen native Dalibor Dvorský described it as the "Greatest loss of my life," as Slovakia clinched the first Quarterfinal spot with that loss.
Drafted 10th overall in the 2023 NHL Draft, Dalibor Dvorský is the second highest ranked player from Slovakia this Winter Olympics, behind teammate Juraj Slafkovský.
Dalibor Dvorský has scored 3 goals so far in the Men's Ice Hockey tournament: (SVK vs FIN: 47:20), (SVK vs SWE - 59:21) & (SVK vs GER - 30:21). Dvorský stands at 9th place in scoring leaders with a record of 3 goals, 3 assists and 6 points alongside MacKinnon (Canada), and Matthews (USA), and sits at 4th in goal scoring leaders beside teammate Slafkovský.
Juraj Slafkovský (Montréal Canadiens)
Košice born and first overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft by the Montréal Canadiens, Juraj Slafkovský scored the first goal overall for the Men's Ice Hockey tournament at 07:45 in the first period.
Four years after winning MVP honors and leading Slovakia to their first-ever bronze in the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, the 21-year-old power left winger continues to dominate for his country in Milano Cortina, kicking off the 2026 tournament by scoring two goals in his first Olympic game against Finland last Wednesday.
Slafkovský has scored 3 goals so far in the Men's Ice Hockey tournament: (SVK vs FIN - 07:45, 50:50) & (SVK vs SWE - 08:59), the highest ranked player in scoring leaders for Team Slovakia at 5th in scoring leaders with 3 goals, 4 assists and 7 points.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Finding their way back to gold after losing in overtime against Canada in last year's 4 nations face-off, they are now more motivated to run to gold, and to make their home country proud.
USA leads the teams leaderboard in penalty killing with a 100 percentage, goalkeeping with a 93.48 save percentage, and second for the most spectators in Milan with 45,362.
Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Coming from San Ramon, California, first overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, Auston Matthews is not new to the Captain role, whether it's in his NHL team: Toronto Maple Leafs, or representing and leading Team USA in international tournaments.
Famously known as the rookie back in 2016 who scored 4 goals in his first NHL Career game, Matthews swept the rookie leaderboards in goals (40), points (69), and shots (279) to win the Calder Trophy. His successful first season in the league also propelled the Toronto Maple Leafs to their second playoff appearance in 13 years.
Captain Auston Matthews has scored 3 goals so far in the Men's Ice Hockey tournament: (USA vs LAT - 42:35), (USA vs GER - 23:25, 46:46), and stands at 9th for scoring leaders, currently the highest American in the leaderboard.
Quinn Hughes (Minnesota Wild)
After narrowly escaping elimination from the quarterfinals round against Team Sweden, Quinn Hughes saves the day and helps Team USA to go further into the tournament with scoring an overtime goal.
On March 4, 2023, Quinn Hughes became the fastest defenseman in NHL history to reach 200 assists, hitting the milestone in just 263 games. He surpassed Brian Leetch’s long-standing record by a single game during a 4-1 Vancouver Canucks victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Quinn Hughes became the highest-scoring defenseman in Vancouver Canucks history by reaching 410 career points (59 goals, 351 assists). Remarkably, he shattered Alexander Edler’s previous record of 409 points in fewer than half the games—reaching the milestone in just 435 games compared to Edler’s 925.
Quinn Hughes made headlines two months ago when he was traded from the Vancouver Canucks to the MInnesota Wild, for a fresh— and more successful start. The Florida-born player leads the board in the scoring leaders for defenders with a record of 1 goal, 5 assists and 6 points.
The semifinals schedule for Feb. 20 is shown below:
MATCH | TIME |
|---|---|
Canada vs Finland | 10:40 AM EST |
United States vs Slovakia | 2:10 PM EST |
The outcome of these two games determines who plays for which medal: the two winners advance to the Gold Medal Game to compete for first and second place, while the two losers face off in the Bronze Medal Game to determine the third-place finisher.
Starting today, these teams will be more relentless and motivated as they step up. They have the gold medal in their sights, even if they aren't there just yet. Whether they come home with a medal or none, it's a guarantee that their nations are proud of how far they've come in the tournament.