Brady Tkachuk admitted intense hatred fuels the U.S.-Canada hockey rivalry ahead of their Olympic gold medal showdown. The American forward acknowledged Canada's dominance while revealing his team's desire to dethrone them. This sentiment stems from the U.S. not beating Canada in best-on-best competition since 1996, before many current players were born.

The U.S. enters Sunday's game with a "gold or bust" mentality, having lost to Canada in last year's 4 Nations final after defeating them in the round robin. Team captain Tkachuk expressed how close they came last year and his determination never to feel that disappointment again. The U.S. hasn't claimed Olympic gold since the 1980 Miracle on Ice.

With American women capturing gold Thursday, the men's team aims for a historic sweep. Vincent Trocheck emphasized the opportunity to complete this achievement while acknowledging the physical battle ahead. Canada features a formidable power play unit led by stars like Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid, though Sidney Crosby's status remains uncertain with a lower-body injury.