Feb. 22 is a day that lives in the hearts of every underdog, dreamer and hockey lover across the United States.

On that day, 46 years ago, the United States men's Olympic hockey team pulled off what everyone in the world thought was impossible. The Americans beat the five-time Olympic champion Soviet Union squad 4-3 in the semifinal of the Lake Placid Games. Team USA then sailed past Czechia in the final, to win the second-ever gold in men's hockey.

The "Miracle on Ice" Olympics inspired generations of hockey players, including many who suit up and wear suits for the Stars and Stripes today.

U.S. forward Brock Nelson was not only inspired by the 1980 team, but he's also directly related to it. Nelson's uncle, Dave Christian, won gold as a member of the U.S. squad. And as an added familial bonus, his grandfather, Bill Christian, and great uncle, Roger Christian, also won gold together for the U.S. at the 1960 Games. He's hoping his time is now.

"The U.S. has never won a gold medal without a member of my family, this is probably going to be my only shot," Nelson told Peter Alexander of NBC News.

57-year-old U.S. head coach Mike Sullivan has also been dreaming about this moment since childhood.

“As a kid playing hockey in the Boston area and certainly playing street hockey in front of the house, or playing hockey on the ponds, we were always pretending that we were those guys, and hopefully someday we got the opportunity ourselves,” Sullivan told NBC Sports in August.

Now, Sullivan's squad has a shot to bring home the first gold medal in men's hockey since the 1980 Games, on the same exact date that the world collectively learned to believe in miracles.

Feb. 22, 2026, the U.S men's hockey team will face arch-rival Canada in the Olympic gold medal final in Milan, and whether or not you're a believer in destiny, there's something special about the synchronicity of it all.

Though, it's worth pointing out that this United States team is far from the ragtag group of young college players that came together to shock the world in 1980. Team USA is playing with a full roster of NHL players, as is Canada. Between the two powerhouse squads, they have 25 Stanley Cup wins and 53 individual NHL awards, the final is truly a matchup of the two best teams in the world.

"It is the tightest hockey you will find, probably ever, Matthew Tkachuk said. "It will be a great game. It is two of the best teams probably ever, and it will be one hell of a game."

This will only be the third time that the U.S. and Canada have met in an Olympic gold medal game in which NHL players participated, and the Canadians won both previous instances in 2002 and 2010. The rivalry between the two North American countries appears more intense than ever, with both declaring a "Gold or bust" mentality ahead of the Games.

"The rivalry with Canada is obviously a long battle and a long history," Nelson said. "(These are) two countries that want to come out on top, have the bragging rights that they're the best country in the world."

The last time the rivals met on the ice was at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off, when Canada topped the U.S. in the championship game, thanks to a dagger in overtime by Connor McDavid. The loss is still raw for Team USA, who believes this is the best team they've ever put forth, expect them to come out swinging and clawing for every possession.

“We’re one shot away (from gold), but the line between winning and losing is so fine in tournaments like this," Jack Eichel said.

The U.S squad is led in points by playmaker Quinn Hughes (7), six of which are assists. Captain Auston Matthews is tied with Jack Hughes, Eichel and Matthew Tkachuk with six points. Brady Tkachuk, Tage Thompson, Matthews and Jack Hughes have each chipped in three goals during the tournament. The variety of scorers for the United States showcases the depth of talent this team has.

Aside from the 11 points the Tkachuks have brought to the Olympics, they also bring the ultimate x-factor. The brothers possess the ability to simultaneously get under their opponent's skin and ignite a fire under their teammates. Brady and Matthew sent a message in the first matchup with Canada at 4 Nations, and both ended up in the penalty box for instigating separate fights within the first three seconds of the game.

“They make things interesting,” Their father and four-time Olympian Keith Tkachuck said in September. “You never know what you're going to get from them. They both made it to the NHL on their skill and their character, but they bring other intangibles that you need to a team when things aren't going well.”

The U.S. team is backed up by three-time Vezina Trophy winner (awarded to the best goalie) and Hart Trophy winner (NHL MVP) Connor Hellebuyck. The Winnipeg Jets goalie has only allowed five goals in the tournament and leads all goalies with a 94.74 save percentage.

"I got so much trust for the guys around me," Hellebuyck said after defeating Sweden. "I can really focus on one guy and then lock on the pucks, and they let me see everything, if I can see it, I can stop it, so they make my job so easy."

Canada is led by captain and two-time Olympic gold medalist Sidney Crosby, but he's also the biggest unknown going into the gold medal game. Crosby was injured in Wednesday's quarterfinal game against Czechia and has not played in competition since. Though, he did suit up in practice on Saturday, his status for the final remains unknown.

"He won’t put himself in harm’s way, and he will not put the team in harm’s way," Canada's head coach Jon Cooper said.

Whether Crosby is ready to go at full strength or not on Sunday, the Canadians have a plethora of scoring options they can lean on.

Connor McDavid wore the "C" in the semifinal matchup against Finland and filled the captain's shoes well. He leads the tournament in points with 13 and is now the record holder for points in a single Olympic tournament. 

Then there's the fire power from 19-year-old sensation, Macklin Celebrini. The San Jose Sharks center follows McDavid with 10 points, an even split between goals and assists. Celebrini said he's excited to represent his country on the biggest stage.

"Whenever you represent Canada, it means a bit more and there is more pressure on you to execute," Celebrini said. "We will go into that game doing everything we can to win."

Nathan MacKinnon is next with seven points and came up huge in Canada's semifinal win over Finland. He scored with 35.2 seconds left to send the Canadians to the gold medal game.

"It’s everything. It’s the gold medal at an Olympic Games," MacKinnon said. "We are very lucky to be here and it’s a great opportunity. We have got to be ready."

Jordan Binnington has been the go-to guy in goal for Canada, he's only allowed seven goals in the team's Olympic run and carries a 91.26 save percentage.

The men's hockey gold medal game precedes the Olympic closing ceremony, a fitting end to an incredible tournament packed with NHL stars, many who are excited about the opportunity to make their mark. 

"There's 1980, there's the '96 World Cup — those moments grew the game so much and shaped our entire generation," Brady Tkachuk said. "Now we have a chance to do the same, to push the sport forward and make it even better for the next generation."

Stream the Olympic men's hockey final live Feb. 21 at 8:10 a.m. ET on NBCOlympics.com and Peacock.

Reuters contributed to this report.