Team Canada entered the men's hockey semifinal against Finland on February 20, 2026, at Santagiulia Arena in Milan as heavy favorites, but the game quickly turned into another test of nerves. Without captain Sidney Crosby sidelined by a lower-body injury, the Canadians faced a disciplined Finnish side that struck first in the opening period.

Mikko Rantanen opened the scoring for Finland, capitalizing on their structured play and opportunistic chances. The second period brought more trouble when Erik Haula potted a shorthanded goal on a breakaway, making it 2-0 after a Canadian turnover. Goaltender Jordan Binnington faced pressure, and Finland's netminder Juuse Saros stood tall early with key saves.

At that point, Canada trailed by two, a deficit they had not faced earlier in the tournament. The Finnish system frustrated the red-and-white, controlling play and limiting high-danger opportunities. Yet, the maple leaf never wavered; the bench stayed composed, and the third period would tell a different story. One vastly different from the aspirations of the Finnish.

That game against Finland was tough. We were down 2-0. No Crosby. The Finns played hard, checked tight, and Saros stood on his head. Rantanen scored on the power play in the first. Haula got one shorthanded in the second. It was 2-0 and things looked bad.

But our boys didn't fold. They went to work. Reinhart got us on the board with a power-play goal in the second. Theodore tied it in the third with a slap shot from the point. Then, late in the game, we got the power play. MacKinnon drew the high stick. McDavid fed him cross-ice. MacKinnon one-timed it past Saros with 35.2 seconds left. 3-2 Canada.

They challenged for offside. It held up. We killed the rest of the clock. Game over. We move on to the gold-medal game Sunday against the Americans.

This is what Canadian hockey looks like. We battle. We stick up for each other. We find a way when it counts. The team stepped up, McDavid made the pass, and MacKinnon finished it. The rest bought in and did the dirty work.

Finland is a good team. They defended well and made us earn every inch. We respect that — but we beat them. That's what matters.

I'm proud of these boys. Proud to be Canadian. Hockey is our game. We play it the right way: hard, honest, and for the country and the leaf.

Sunday is a big game against the States. We know what's at stake, and our boys in red are ready. They've shown heart all tournament.

Let's bring home the gold!