John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Wayne Gretzky Makes Clear Choice Between USA, Canada

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio Losada | Last updated Feb 21, 2026 9:31 AM ET

The Olympic men’s ice hockey final is set, as both Canada and the United States advanced to the gold-medal game with victories on Saturday.

Team Canada and Team USA will face each other on Sunday at 8:10 a.m. ET in Milan after the former clinched their place with an overtime win, while the latter destroyed their opponent.

Canada defeated Finland 3–2, rallying late after trailing 2–0 and scoring the winning goal in a bonus frame. The United States, meanwhile, advanced with a 6–2 win over Slovakia that left no doubt about who deserved a spot on Sunday's final.

During CBC’s broadcast of Canada’s semifinal against Finland, Wayne Gretzky joined the panel and revealed his pick for the gold-medal game.

Tom Wilson of Canada, and Jack Hughes alongside Zach Werenski of the United States at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games.Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

“First of all, let’s worry about the game, right? That’s most important,” Gretzky said. “I’m a hockey player, I’m a Canadian, I’m a true Canadian. I want Canada to win a gold medal. I’ve never wavered from that.”

After urging viewers to focus on the sport itself, Gretzky acknowledged that the tensions between the neighboring countries have spilled into international competition.

“At the end of the day, Canada and the U.S. are like brothers and sisters,” Gretzky said. “They’re gonna fight and argue, but eventually you come together, right? And that’s the way I see it.”

"I want Canada to win a gold medal. I’ve never wavered from that. I’ve been friends with presidents, prime ministers. Somehow there’s been a little bit more tension than normal." - Wayne Gretzkypic.twitter.com/3nA87VnqbY
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 20, 2026

Gretzky, born in Brantford, Ontario, is widely regarded as the greatest hockey player in history. He remains the NHL’s all-time leader in assists with 1,963 and points with 2,857. He represented Canada at the 1998 Nagano Olympics, where Canada finished fourth.

Now 65, Gretzky is attending the 2026 Winter Games as a fan and television analyst, a role he's been working at for years, covering the NHL for TNT.

Canada will seek its first Olympic gold in men’s hockey since 2014, the last year NHL players were allowed to compete. The United States, meanwhile, has not won gold since 1980 and last reached the final in 2010, losing to Canada in overtime.

Canada enters as a narrow betting favorite, with the nation -125 on DraftKings, -118 on BetMGM and -113 on FanDuel.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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