By 7:30 a.m., a line was already forming outside La Cage at the Bell Centre in downtown Montreal, as bundled-up fans braved the cold for a chance to watch Team Canada take on the United States in the Olympic men’s hockey gold medal game.

Montrealers brave the cold and line up outside La Cage downtown ahead of the Canada-U.S. Olympic gold medal men’s hockey game on Feb. 22, 2026. (Lola Kalder, CityNews)

The U.S. is currently in the lead after Matt Boldy scored in the first period assisted by teammates Auston Matthews, Quinn Hughes and beating Canadian goaltender Jordan Binnington.

The puck dropped at 8:10 a.m., but that didn’t stop Montreal supporters from arriving well before sunrise, many draped in red-and-white jerseys as they waited for doors to open. Inside, big screens and breakfast plates were ready, and so were the chants of “Go Canada Go.”

Montreal fans fill La Cage downtown to watch Team Canada face the U.S. in the Olympic men’s gold medal hockey game on Feb. 22, 2026 (Lola Kalder, CityNews)

The highly anticipated final follows Canada’s dramatic semifinal win over Finland on Friday, when the team stormed back from a 2–0 deficit with three unanswered goals to punch their ticket to the gold medal game.

Canada’s Sam Reinhart (13) celebrates with Nathan MacKinnon (29) and Macklin Celebrini (17) after Reinhart scored a goal against Finland during the second period of a men’s ice hockey semifinal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

There is a major change to the lineup this morning. Canadian captain Sidney Crosby will not dress for the showdown as he continues to recover from a lower-body injury suffered earlier in the tournament.

Crosby skated at practice on Saturday and was considered a game-time decision, but will sit out the final.

Instead, superstar forward Connor McDavid will wear the captain’s ‘C’ for the second straight game, leading a roster that has shown resilience throughout the tournament.

With Olympic gold on the line against the U.S., Montreal is wide awake and ready.