Canada and the United States are set to play men’s hockey in the quarterfinals in the first match since the dramatic Olympic final

A new chapter in the hockey rivalry between Canada and the United States will be written Thursday in Switzerland during the World Hockey Championship.

The two hockey powerhouses will face off in the quarterfinals at the BCF Arena in Fribourg at the Men’s Hockey World Championship, their first matchup since the Americans captured the Olympic gold medal in a memorable overtime final at Milano Cortina 2026 in February.

You can watch the game LIVE Thursday morning at 10am ET/7am PT on TSN4 and stream it on TSN.ca or the TSN app.

It seems to matter a little more when these two countries collide on the ice – even if both lineups look significantly different from the star-studded squads that played against each other at the Olympics.

Matthew Tkachuk of the Florida Panthers is the only returning Olympic player on the United States world championship roster, while Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks are the two Canadian players who played in both tournaments this season.

Team Canada head coach Misha Donskov understands the significance of Thursday’s game.

“We will enjoy this victory [over Czechia on Tuesday] and come back to it right away tomorrow, but it’s a huge opportunity for our guys against the Americans,” Donskov said. “We know what’s at stake, and what happened recently at the Olympics. Everyone in our room remembers what happened there, and we’re very proud of our play as Canadians, so we’ll be ready.”

Olympic gold isn’t on the line in Switzerland and Canada can’t erase the heartbreak that still lingers in Milan, but rest assured: Thursday’s quarterfinal is one that both sides (or their fans) can’t afford to miss when it comes to pride and bragging rights.

How have Canada and the US done so far?

Canada won all seven games in round-robin play to finish first in Group B after coming back to beat the Czech Republic 3-2 on Tuesday.

Celebrini, the 19-year-old superstar who captains Canada, leads his team in scoring with five goals and six assists in seven games. He scored two goals against the Czech Republic.

Crosby, 38, is second on the team with nine points, all assists, while Nashville Predators forward Ryan O’Reilly has five goals.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward John Tavares and defenseman Morgan Rielly, Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele, Ottawa Senators forward Dylan Cozens and Edmonton Oilers defensemen Darnell Nurse and Evan Bouchard are other notable players on Team Canada’s roster, which on paper appears to be more talented than Team United States.

The United States was not nearly as dominant, needing a win over Austria in their round-robin final to clinch a playoff spot and make it four wins in seven games.

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Tommy Novak leads the way with eight points (one goal, seven assists). Tkachuk is trailing with seven points, including four goals.

Jet Greaves has been getting the bulk of the work for Team Canada as the 25-year-old goaltender for the Columbus Blue Jackets has posted a 1.60 goals-against average and .930 save percentage through five games.

Cam Talbot, the 38-year-old veteran of the Detroit Red Wings, has played two games, recording a shutout in one and allowing five goals in the other.

On the other hand, Devin Cooley of the Calgary Flames has a 1.70 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage over five games, while Joseph Woll of the Maple Leafs has struggled, allowing 11 goals on 46 shots in three games.

When was the last time Canada and the US played each other in the World Hockey Championship?

It’s been a long time since Canada and the United States played each other in the Men’s Hockey World Cup.

You have to go all the way back to 2021 when the Canadians defeated the Americans 4-2 in the semifinals from Riga, Latvia.

Andrew Mangiapane scored twice for Team Canada in the victory as Canada would defeat Finland 3-2 in overtime in the gold medal match for their 27th world title.

The United States, which settled for the bronze medal, went 6-0 in round-robin play that year, including a 5-1 blowout against Canada.

The Olympic champion Americans are looking to defend their victory at last year’s world championships, the third time they have won the annual tournament.

Canada, which was upset by Denmark in last year’s quarter-final, has not won since 2023 and sits atop the all-time rankings with 28 gold medals.

The winner of the match between Canada and the United States will face the winner between host country Switzerland and Sweden on Saturday.

Finland will face the Czech Republic and Norway will face Latvia in the remaining quarter-finals.

The gold medal final will take place on Sunday at the Swiss Life Arena in Zurich.