US aims for historic clean sweep in Olympic and Paralympic ice hockey | National Sports

MILAN (AP) — The United States is looking to do something no nation has ever done: Clean sweep the ice hockey tournaments at the Olympics and Paralympics.

Standing in the way? Canada again.

kAmyFDE =:<6 😕 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^FD2\42?252\D4@C6\@=J>A:4D\`bchd2f55_5352h5ee_cfhaab5begh2gQmE96 >6?’Dk^2m 2?5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^FD\42?252\H@>6?D\9@4<6J\@=J>A:4\7:?2=\`c`3dh_cbdaefbefeede436a2`4adb6dQmH@>6?’D E@FC?2>6?EDk^2m 2E E96 ~=J>A:4D[ $F?52J’D 8@=5 >652= >2E49 😕 !2C2 :46 9@4<6J H:== 36 36EH66? E96 &]$] 2?5 r2?252]k^Am

kAm“(6 8@E E@ 5@ @FC A2CE[ C:89En $@ E96J 8@E E96 EH@ 5@?6[ D@ ?@H :E’D @FC ;@3 2?5 H6 ;FDE 8@E E@ 3C:?8 :E 9@>6 7@C E96>[” &]$] 7@CH2C5 z6G:? |4z66 E@=5 %96 pDD@4:2E65 !C6DD]k^Am

kAm}2EFC2==J[ r2?252 H2?ED 3C288:?8 C:89ED 😕 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^FD\42?252\C:G2=CJ\:46\9@4<6J\A2C2=J>A:4D\2hh4d2ahc77hgfd`g5ac566ba5b65c7dQmE96 C:G2=CJk^2m 2?5 E@ 3C62< p>6C:42? !2C2 962CED]k^Am

kAm“xE 😀 2 D@FC46 @7 AC:56 7@C FD ;FDE E@ H:?[ =:<6 H6 36=:6G6 r2?252 😀 %wt 9@4<6J 4@F?ECJ 2?5 H6 H2?E E@ AC@G6 E92E[” r2?252 7@CH2C5 p52> s:I@? D2:5]k^Am

kAmq@E9 E62>D 5@>:?2E65 E96 8C@FA DE286 2E E96 !2C2=J>A:4D[ 6249 H:??:?8 2== E9C66 @7 E96:C >2E496D] %96 &]$] E96? 362E E96 rK649 #6AF3=:4 e\` 😕 uC:52J’D D6>:7:?2=D[ H96? r2?252 DECF88=65 2E E:>6D 367@C6 @G6C4@>:?8 r9:?2 c\a]k^Am

kAmr2?252 !2C2 :46 9@4<6J 42AE2:? %J=6C |4vC68@C D2:5 E96 EH@ ~=J>A:4 =@DD6D H6C6 ?@E A=2J:?8 @? 9:D E62>>2E6D’ >:?5D]k^Am

kAm“}@] *@F @H H92E[ H6’C6 8@:?8 E@ HC:E6 @FC @H? DE@CJ[” 96 D2:5] “(6 H2E4965 3@E9 @FC >6?’D 2?5 H@>6?’D E62> 4@>A6E6 96C6 2 76H H666?2=]k^Am

kAm“%9@D6 H6C6 EH@ @7 E96 36DE 9@4<6J 82>6D x’G6 6G6C D66?[ 3FE E9:D 😀 @FC DE@CJ 2E E96 !2C2=J>A:4D 2?5 H6 92G6 2 492?46 E@ 3C:?8 9@>6 2 8@=5 >652= 7@C r2?252] p?5 H92E 2? 9@?@C E92E H@F=5 36]”k^Am

kAm#2E96C E92? 2G6?86 E96 ~=J>A:4 56762ED[ r2?252 😀 5C:G6? >@C6 E@ 2G6?86 =@DD6D E@ E96 &]$] 😕 E96 A2DE EH@ 8@=5\>652= >2E496D 2E E96 !2C2=J>A:4D] xE 92D 2=D@ =@DE E@ E96 &]$] 😕 7@FC @7 E96 A2DE 7:G6 H@C=5 492>A:@?D9:A 7:?2=D]k^Am

kAm“%92E <:?5 @7 7F6=D FD[” 7@CH2C5 {:2> w:4<6J D2:5] Q(6’G6 =62C?65 7C@> E9@D6] %96J’C6 2 8C62E E62> 2?5 H6’G6 925 2 8C62E C:G2=CJ 7@C 2D =@?8 2D E9:D DA@CE’D 366? 2C@F?5] $@ 7@C FD :E’D 2?@E96C <:?5 @7 492?46 7@C C656>AE:@? 2?5 H6’C6 6I4:E65 7@C :E]”k^Am

k9am&$ 5@>:?2E:@?k^9am

kAmx7 E96 &]$] 249:6G6D E96 EC63=6[ :E H@F=5 36 E96 D64@?5 DEC2:89E J62C :E 92D DH6AE E96 >2;@C E@FC?2>6?ED[ 92G:?8 H@? E96 >6?’D 2?5 H@>6?’D H@C=5 492>A:@?D9:AD 2?5 H@C=5 !2C2 :46 9@4<6J 492>A:@?D9:A 😕 a_ad]k^Am

kAm%96C6 😀 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^H@>6?\:46\9@4<6J\A2C2=J>A:4D\>4<66\2efb24h4h55ea`fa4_3a56ahea_efc24Qm?@ H@>6?’D 5:G:D:@?k^2m 2E E96 !2C2=J>A:4D 2D :ED 4=2DD:7:65 2D 2? @A6?\86?56C DA@CE]k^Am

kAm&]$] 5676?56C y24< (2==246 D2:5 E96 8C@FA 92D 366? E2=<:?8 23@FE E96 DH66A D:?46 H2E49:?8 E96 H@>6?’D ~=J>A:4 7:?2= E@86E96C 5FC:?8 2 EC2:?:?8 42>A] %96J H6C6 2=D@ >6DD28:?8 6249 @E96C 5FC:?8 E96 >6?’D 7:?2=]k^Am

kAmr@249 s2G:5 w@77 H@F=5 AC676C 9:D A=2J6CD 3FCJ 2== E9@F89ED @7 2 DH66A 367@C6 $F?52J’D 7:?2=]k^Am

kAm“%96C6’D 2 =@E @7 E2=< 23@FE :E[” w@77 25>:EE65] “x E9:?< 7@C FD :E’D C62==J ;FDE AFEE:?8 E96 3=:?56CD @? 2?5 C62==J 7@4FD:?8 @? H92E H6 92G6 E@ 5@] s@?’E =6E E92E @FED:56 DEF77 4=@F5 J@FC AC6A2C2E:@? @C 3@E96C J@F] $@>6E:>6D E92E’D 92C5 E@ 5@ 3FE x E9:?< @FC 8FJD 92G6 C62==J 5@?6 2 8@@5 ;@3]”k^Am

kAm(9:=6 E96 ~=J>A:4D D2H E96 &]$] >6?’D E62> H:? 8@=5 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 D:?46 E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^`hg_\>:C24=6\@?\:46\9@4<6J\4ec26e437d4c3c`7f`5h2fgfgac_hfg_Qm“|:C24=6 @? x46”k^2m 😕 `hg_[ :E’D 2 5:776C6?E DE@CJ 2E E96 !2C2=J>A:4D]k^Am

kAm%96 &]$] 92D EC:F>A965 2E 7:G6 @7 E96 A2DE D:I !2C2=J>A:4D 2?5 D6G6C2= A=2J6CD 2C6 E2C86E:?8 2 7@FCE9 DEC2:89E 8@=5 >652=] r2AE2:? y@D9 !2F=D 😀 :?4C65:3=J 2:>:?8 7@C 2 7:7E9]k^Am

kAm“*@F’G6 8@E E@ 6?;@J E96 8FJD J@F’C6 A=2J:?8 H:E9[” !2F=D D2:5 H96? 2D<65 23@FE E96 E62>’D D64C6E E@ DF446DD] “(6 92G6 DF49 2 3C@E96C9@@5[ H6 ;FDE 6?;@J A=2J:?8 E96 82>6[ H6 6?;@J 4@>A6E:?8[ H6 6?;@J 86EE:?8 36EE6C[ 3FE 2=D@ 96=A:?8 E96 @E96C 8FJ 24C@DD 7C@> FD 86E 36EE6C]k^Am

kAm“p?5 x >62?[ x 2> ;FDE D@ 8=25 E@ A=2J 2?@E96C E62> @E96C E92? @FC 8FJD[ 3642FD6 >2?[ @FC 8FJD 2C6 C62==J E@F89 E@ A=2J]”k^Am

k9C ^m

kAmp! (:?E6C !2C2=J>A:4Di k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^A2C2=J>A:4\82>6DQm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^A2C2=J>A:4\82>6Dk^2mk^Am

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.