Hockey
Will Sunday present a stamp-worthy moment? Maybe, maybe not ... but either way, the Canadian and Swedish men’s hockey teams will face off in a gold-medal game. Coverage begins at 6:30 a.m. ET:
Men’s gold-medal game, Canada-Sweden, 6:30 a.m. ET -- CLICK HERE TO WATCH LIVE
Both nations are coming off big wins against significant rivals, as Canada shut out the U.S. 1-0 while Sweden edged Finland 2-1.
The two nations haven’t met in a men’s gold medal game in a while, with the last one coming almost exactly 20 years ago. Sweden won on the strength of Peter Forsberg’s iconic goal.
There’s plenty of talent on the ice, including in net, as rising star Carey Price backstops Canada while Sweden features 2006 gold medalist Henrik Lundqvist as their goalie. Beyond some elite forwards, the two teams really stand out from the pack with outstanding defensive talent, ranging stylistically from Canada’s Shea Weber to Sweden’s Erik Karlsson.
Sweden aims for its third consecutive gold on the larger Olympic ice surface while Canada is going for a rare top finish outside of the comfort zone of North American ice. They are also going for the first repeat gold since the Soviet Union/Unified Team won three in a row from 1984 to 1988 to 1992.
This is a rematch of one of the most memorable Olympic hockey finals ever, the epic 1994 shootout game in Lillehammer, Norway. The game 20 years ago was the final Olympic men’s hockey tilt before NHL players arrived in 1998. Could this year’s affair be the last of the NHL era?
Sweden is going for its third straight Olympic title on European ice. Canada is going for its first gold outside North America since 1952 in Oslo. And to be the first nation to repeat as Olympic champion since the Soviet Union/Unified Team won three straight golds from 1984 through 1992.