Late goal lifts Canadian men past Finland at Olympics
Canada's Nick Suzuki, left, challenges Finland's Mikael Granlund during a men's hockey semifinal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, on Friday. (AP photo)
MILAN (AP) — Canada advanced to the gold medal game at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics after Nathan MacKinnon scored the go-ahead goal with 35.2 seconds in a 3-2 win over Finland on Friday.
The tournament favorite had trailed 2-0 before Sam Reinhart cut the deficit in the second period and Shea Theodore tied it midway through the third period.
Canada was awaiting the result of Friday’s later
semifinal: United States vs. Slovakia.
The final is Sunday afternoon in Milan, hours before the Olympics closing ceremony.
Sidney Crosby did not play for Canada because of an injury. It was not immediately clear if the 38-year-old Pittsburgh Penguins star would be available Sunday.
Crosby appeared to injure his right knee in the second period of the quarterfinals against Czechia on Wednesday night.
Finland will play in the bronze medal game on Saturday night.
Dutch gold on skates
Antoinette Rijpma-de Jong of the Netherlands won her first Olympic gold, and sixth career medal overall, by finishing first in speedskating’s 1,500 meters.
Rijpma-de Jong finished in 1 minute, 54.9 seconds, as thousands of Dutch fans roared in the stands. She was 0.06 faster than silver medalist Ragne Wiklund of Norway. Canada’s Valerie Maltais took bronze.
Earlier at these Games, Dutch women also took gold at shorter distances — Femke Kok in the 500 and Jutta Leerdam in the 1,000.
Japanese star Miho Takagi, who won consecutive silver medals in the 1,500 meters at the past two Olympics, finished sixth.
Canadians stunned
Sweden beat top-ranked Canada 6-3 to advance to the gold medal game in women’s curling. The Swedes, ranked No. 12, will face Switzerland in Sunday’s final.
Sweden has won the women’s competition three times since curling returned to the Olympic program in 1998.
Switzerland beat the United States 7-4 in Friday’s other semifinal and will be aiming for its first women’s gold at the Olympics.
Canada will play the U.S. for bronze on Saturday.
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AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics





