Five things to watch at the Milan Cortina Games on Saturday, Feb. 21

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This article was published 20/02/2026 (214 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MILAN – From the bronze medal game in men’s hockey to Canada going for gold and bronze respectively in the men’s and women’s curling tournament, here are five things to watch Saturday at the Milan Cortina Olympics.

BACK TO 2014?

Brad Jacobs’ Calgary-based rink will try to return Canada to Olympic gold in men’s curling for the first time since Sochi 2014. Jacobs was the skip when Canada last topped the podium and will face Scotland’s Bruce Mouat and Great Britain in the final. Canada beat Great Britain 9-5 earlier in round-robin play. On the women’s side, Rachel Homan’s Ottawa-based rink will play for bronze Saturday against the United States’ Tabitha Peterson. Canada has not medalled in women’s curling since winning gold in Sochi.

NHLERS’ CONSOLATION PRIZE

The Olympic men’s hockey tournament will play its second-last game in Italy on Saturday with the bronze-medal matchup between Finland and Slovakia. Finland, the defending champions, will play for bronze in Milan after surrendering a 2-0 lead early and falling 3-2 to Canada in Friday’s semifinal. Slovakia, meanwhile, is in the bronze-medal game for a second straight Games after winning the third-place game at Beijing 2022. Milan-Cortina is the first Olympic tournament featuring NHL players since Sochi 2014. Finland won bronze in both 2014 and 2010 when the NHL participated.

ADD MORE TO THE PILE

Fresh off her bronze medal in the women’s 1,500 metres speedskating event, Valérie Maltais chases another podium in the women’s mass start final. She will be joined by fellow Canadian Ivanie Blondin, the defending silver medallist from Beijing 2022. Maltais has won three long-track medals at Milan Cortina, adding bronze in the 3,000 metres and gold alongside Blondin and Isabelle Weidemann in the team pursuit.

SKI CROSS REDEMPTION?

Chilliwack, B.C.’s Reece Howden is among four Canadians vying for the podium in men’s ski cross on Saturday on the penultimate day of the Milan Cortina Games. Howden, a three-time Crystal Globe winner (2021, 2023, 2025), is taking part in his second Games after finishing ninth at Beijing 2022. He will join Toronto’s Kevin Drury, Ottawa’s Jared Schmidt and Prince George, B.C.’s Gavin Rowell in the bid to add to the Canadian medal count in Italy.

BACK ON THE HALFPIPE

Canadian freestyle skiers are gunning for medals in women’s halfpipe, although the status of their top podium hopeful is uncertain. Comox, B.C.’s Cassie Sharpe, who won gold in Pyeongchang in 2018 and silver at Beijing 2022, had to be stretchered off the course Thursday during qualifying after suffering a hard fall. Sharpe qualified before the fall and sits third heading into Saturday’s final. Amy Fraser and Rachael Karker will also compete.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 20, 2026.