One game remains on the Winter Olympics hockey schedule for Connor McDavid and Team Canada, as they’ll face the United States in a heated rivalry for gold at Milano Cortina, Italy.
Canada reached the gold medal game thrillingly, achieving a 3-2 comeback win against Finland. That came after they defeated Czechia in overtime in the quarterfinals, a game in which Canada lost their leader, Sidney Crosby, to an injury.
The Edmonton Oilers captain, McDavid, took over as Canada’s captain, but is hoping to have Crosby back for their intense gold-medal matchup. That may or may not bode well for Canada, which is a small favorite heading into the matchup against Auston Matthews and Team USA.
Read more: Michelle Kwan Sends Powerful Message to Madison Chock on Olympics Win
Canada’s men’s team failed to medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, but the women claimed gold, while the United States won silver. At these 2026 Olympics, the USA women have already won gold, setting the stage for both American teams to potentially win, but McDavid seems ready for the occasion.
On Saturday, the Oilers star took to his official Instagram to share a powerful message from Milan. He shared a carousel of photos from the ice, the first of which featured him seeing fired up on the ice, presumably after a goal or win.
In other images, the NHL superstar is celebrating with his Canadian teammates or with fans as they pass them by while walking across the ice.
“Love representing Canada with this squad. Excited for what tomorrow holds and let’s go 🇨🇦,” McDavid wrote in his caption.
Fans reacted to seeing McDavid’s strong message ahead of Sunday’s massive matchup on the ice.
“I love how the Canadian players have engaged with the fans. The best support system,” one commenter wrote.
“My alarm is already set Connor let’s do this,” another fan wrote.
“You’re my hero, Connor. Bring home the Gold,” someone wrote in the comments.
Canada has typically set the bar high for hockey worldwide, with many Canadians becoming household names and major stars in the NHL. McDavid is certainly among them, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2024, which goes to the most valuable player in the league.
In reaching the NHL Stanley Cup Finals last season, McDavid and the Oilers failed to claim the Cup, losing 4-2 to the Florida Panthers. However, McDavid has a chance to claim a gold medal while representing his country, something many athletes aspire to achieve.
It’ll be a tough task against a United States team featuring Matthews, Brady Tkachuk, Jack Eichel, Jack Hughes, and other NHL stars, whom McDavid is quite familiar with. McDavid has his share of star power on Team Canada, and it appears the former Conn Smythe winner is excited for the challenge ahead of defeating the USA for gold.
Read more: Eileen Gu Revealed Issue Qualifying for Olympics Freeski Halfpipe Final
For more about the Winter Olympics, visit Newsweek Sports.
