Charles Barkley, the NBA Hall of Famer, delivered a message of support for United States men’s national ice hockey team just hours before its gold medal showdown against Canada men’s national ice hockey team at the 2026 Winter Olympics. With what promises to be an electrifying matchup, the former basketball star made it clear he believes it’s time for Team USA to reclaim Olympic gold.
“I gotta get up at 8 o’clock in the morning! We’re going to put an end to this gold medal drought! … GUARANTEED tomorrow morning!,” Barkley said in a message shared by Yahoo Sports and other outlets. He’s not the only high-profile sports figure to weigh in ahead of the highly anticipated game.
The drought Barkley referenced dates back 46 years. Team USA has not won Olympic gold in men’s hockey since 1980. Meanwhile, the U.S. women’s national team recently captured gold against Canada in what many described as a near-flawless performance.
When was the last time Team USA won an Olympic medal?
The last time the United States men’s national ice hockey team captured an Olympic medal was at the 2010 Winter Olympics. The Americans fell 3-2 to Canada in a hard-fought gold medal game that went to overtime. Team USA had reached the final after routing Finland 6-1, while Canada advanced with a narrow 3-2 win over Slovakia.
Overall, Team USA owns two Olympic gold medals in men’s hockey, along with eight silver medals and one bronze. The program has had more success at the IIHF World Championship, winning three gold medals there, most recently in 2025, although that tournament is not part of the Olympic Games.
At the 2022 Winter Olympics, Team USA came up empty-handed. The Americans reached the quarterfinals and ultimately finished fifth in the tournament after losing to Slovakia. Still, that result marked an improvement over 2018, when they had to settle for a seventh-place finish.