If there was an Olympic medal for problem solving, this group would own the podium. We got tickets for the Canada semi-final game. I didn’t have tickets to the Canada semi-finals game, but you had American tickets. Got on Facebook real quick and worked the socials to try to get some swaps going. Both sides agreed to. It this far at noon. All right, break here we go for the great Olympic ticket swap. I’m gonna hit transfer as trade agreements between the US and Canada go. This is about the most simple one ever. This is *** straight ticket exchange. We have like the hospitality ticket too, so I’ll send you info and you get *** gift. We were going to split it 4 ways, but we’d rather you just have it. No money, no other gimmicks, just ticket for ticket. It doesn’t matter where you’re sitting, trading tickets over their phones to hockey, sealing the deal with *** drink. The international language of having *** beer together, you know, it doesn’t get any better than that. I think it’s *** really once in *** lifetime experience to be at the Olympics. As well as get to do something as pure and together as *** ticket exchange like this, it would appear U.S.Canadian relations are back on track. At least until the gold medal round. No friends in the gold medal round. We’re here to win it. Go to Canada. say.
US and Canadian hockey fans hold trade talks in effort to attend Olympic semifinals
Updated: 10:40 AM EST Feb 20, 2026
Die-hard hockey fans from the United States and Canada found themselves in a sticky situation once they got to Milan for the 2026 Winter Olympics. About a year ago, they had to purchase tickets to the semifinal matches before anyone knew which teams would make the cut. Merritt Hopper, an American fan, said, “We got tickets for the Canada … semifinal game.”Jeremy Barry, a Canadian fan, said, “I didn’t have tickets to the Canada semifinals game. (But I had) American tickets.”The U.S. and Canadian fans took to social media in hopes that a solution would find them. ” got on Facebook real quick and worked the socials to try to get some swaps going,” explained Sean Hackman, another Canadian fan.That hard work paid off. Both sides agreed to meet at a bar for what they called the “Great Olympic Ticket Swap.” The exchange was straightforward. “No money, no other gimmicks, just ticket for ticket. Doesn’t matter where you’re sitting,” said Barry.The fans sealed the deal by trading tickets using their phones and celebrating with a drink. Mike Fricke, an American fan, said, “The international language of having a beer together, you know? It doesn’t get any better than that.””It’s a really once-in-a-lifetime experience to be at the Olympics, as well as get to do something as pure and, you know, together as a ticket exchange like this,” said Danielle Eldridge, a Canadian fan.It appears U.S.-Canadian relations are back on track, at least until the gold-medal round.Barry concluded, “No friends in the gold-medal round. Go Canada!”The Americans who participated in the swap are part of a club called Journey to the Games, which attends the Olympics together. Fifty of them are currently in Milan for the Winter Games.PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiPiFmdW5jdGlvbigpeyJ1c2Ugc3RyaWN0Ijt3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lcigibWVzc2FnZSIsKGZ1bmN0aW9uKGUpe2lmKHZvaWQgMCE9PWUuZGF0YVsiZGF0YXdyYXBwZXItaGVpZ2h0Il0pe3ZhciB0PWRvY3VtZW50LnF1ZXJ5U2VsZWN0b3JBbGwoImlmcmFtZSIpO2Zvcih2YXIgYSBpbiBlLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdKWZvcih2YXIgcj0wO3I8dC5sZW5ndGg7cisrKXtpZih0W3JdLmNvbnRlbnRXaW5kb3c9PT1lLnNvdXJjZSl0W3JdLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodD1lLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdW2FdKyJweCJ9fX0pKX0oKTs8L3NjcmlwdD4=
MILAN, Lombardy —
Die-hard hockey fans from the United States and Canada found themselves in a sticky situation once they got to Milan for the 2026 Winter Olympics. About a year ago, they had to purchase tickets to the semifinal matches before anyone knew which teams would make the cut.
Merritt Hopper, an American fan, said, “We got tickets for the Canada … semifinal game.”
Jeremy Barry, a Canadian fan, said, “I didn’t have tickets to the Canada semifinals game. (But I had) American tickets.”
The U.S. and Canadian fans took to social media in hopes that a solution would find them. “[I] got on Facebook real quick and worked the socials to try to get some swaps going,” explained Sean Hackman, another Canadian fan.
That hard work paid off. Both sides agreed to meet at a bar for what they called the “Great Olympic Ticket Swap.” The exchange was straightforward. “No money, no other gimmicks, just ticket for ticket. Doesn’t matter where you’re sitting,” said Barry.
The fans sealed the deal by trading tickets using their phones and celebrating with a drink. Mike Fricke, an American fan, said, “The international language of having a beer together, you know? It doesn’t get any better than that.”
“It’s a really once-in-a-lifetime experience to be at the Olympics, as well as get to do something as pure and, you know, together as a ticket exchange like this,” said Danielle Eldridge, a Canadian fan.
It appears U.S.-Canadian relations are back on track, at least until the gold-medal round.
Barry concluded, “No friends in the gold-medal round. Go Canada!”
The Americans who participated in the swap are part of a club called Journey to the Games, which attends the Olympics together. Fifty of them are currently in Milan for the Winter Games.