At the conclusion of the quarterfinal round of men's ice hockey at the 2026 Olympics in Milan, Italy, there is only one question on the minds of many Hurricanes fans... well, maybe two. Which Hurricanes will make it to the Gold Medal Game, and will a Hurricane will bring home the gold? Based on the tournament thus far and the games to come, it's anyone's guess.
With Seth Jarvis and Team Canada securing a 4-3 overtime victory against Czechia, Sebastian Aho scoring his team's first goal of the game to propel Finland to a 3-2 comeback win in overtime against Switzerland, and Jaccob Slavin and Team USA defeating Sweden with a 2-1 overtime triumph, it is guaranteed that one of them will walk away with a medal this Olympics.
Both semifinal games will be played on February 20. Slovakia is the only remaining squad with no Hurricane on board to help them advance. They will battle Jaccob Slavin and Team USA. Slovakia has a ton of momentum on its side heading into this big clash, especially after their 6-2 victory over Germany in the quarterfinals, and a shot at gold may be just what they need to shock the world.
With how the reigning Bronze medalists have played, a win for the U.S. isn't guaranteed. If the Slovakian team can neutralize the firepower of the US forwards, keep their defense at bay, and find a solid strategy to beat the goaltending of either Jeremy Swayman or Connor Hellebuyck, they have a solid chance to knock one of the favorites into the Bronze Medal Game instead.
In the other semifinal, Jarvis and Aho will go head-to-head. Canada and Finland may have the most evenly-matched game of the tournament ahead of them. Both squads have enough starpower to hold an All-Star clinic, but the deciding factor will come down to goaltending. Both teams won their quarterfinal games in overtime, signifying that their defense and goalies put up tough enough walls and forced their opponents to fight for the overtime push.
Looking towards the Gold Medal Game, the big one that the whole world is waiting for is the United States versus Canada. Unfortunately, both teams have their opponents easily leveling the playing field. Putting all four teams side by side, they are all very well matched in just about every facet of the game.
Both games in the semis will be some of the best hockey we've seen throughout the tournament. One can easily bet that, depending on who wins this round, the Gold Medal Game will be one for the ages. No matter how it all ends, especially with Jarvis and Aho meeting, one of them is guaranteed to return to Raleigh with a medal. Then again, they could go for the clean sweep and earn one of each color.