U.S. Men's Hockey Reaches Olympic Semi-Finals

- The United States will face rival Canada in the gold medal game after defeating Slovakia 6-2 in the semi-finals. The U.S. women's team also recently beat Canada to win gold. - This marks the first time since the 2014 Sochi Games that NHL players are competing in the Olympics, with 23 players on the 25-man U.S. roster making their Olympic debut. - The last time the U.S. men's team won an Olympic medal was in 2010 in Vancouver, where they took home silver after losing to Canada in the final on a famous overtime "golden goal" by Sidney Crosby. - The U.S. is seeking its first Olympic gold medal in men's hockey since the iconic "Miracle on Ice" victory at the 1980 Lake Placid Games. - To reach the semi-finals, the U.S. secured a dramatic 2-1 overtime victory against Sweden. The game-winning goal was scored by defenseman Quinn Hughes, and the win was the first for the U.S. over Sweden in the Olympics in 66 years. - The roster includes two sets of brothers: Jack and Quinn Hughes, and Brady and Matthew Tkachuk. Other key players include team captain Auston Matthews and goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. - In their 19 previous Olympic matchups, Canada holds a 12-4-3 record against the United States and has won all three gold medal games they have played against each other.