Hear me out. I understand we usually don’t show anything on the Jumbotron during THON that isn’t THON-related, but one of the most heated rivalries will be played at 8:10 a.m. on Sunday, February 22.

USA vs. Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in men’s hockey for the gold medal. It doesn’t get any better than that.

The USA and Canada rivalry is one of the best rivalries in not just men’s hockey, but in all sports. According to NBC, the two teams have faced each other 19 times at the Olympics, including twice in the gold medal match. Canada defeated the USA both times in the gold medal match in 2002 and 2010, and has won 12 of those 19 matches.

Last year, the neighboring countries faced off against the USA twice in the Four Nations Face-Off in the group stage and final. In the group stage, there were three fights between the two teams in the first nine seconds of the game. After the USA won the first game, Canada got revenge when it mattered most in the final.

The USA has a chance to do something that hasn’t been done since 1980: win the gold medal at the Winter Olympics. The United States produced one of the most iconic moments in not just sports history, but American history.

The red, white, and blue upset the four-time defending champion Soviet Union with a team that was composed of amateur players. This year the United States has an incredible chance to make history on Sunday morning, and everyone here at THON should get the opportunity to watch the game.

By the time this game starts, we will have already been 38 hours into THON with eight hours left to go. According to an article by Health and Me, those 38 hours will start to have a huge impact as our brains will start to have short mini comas lasting only seconds but occurring without notice, called microsleeps.

The reason we do events at THON, like the national performance and Pep Rally, is to give a huge boost of energy to everyone at THON, and what better way to do it on Sunday morning, as we cheer on our country to win a gold medal at one of the most historic sporting events, before we get to Final Four at THON.

I understand you might have concerns about it due to the ritual line dance every hour and other scheduled events you might have planned out before Final Four. For that reason, I have come up with solutions to address your concerns.

For the Line Dance, do it before the game starts, after a period ends, and after the game, which should be enough to keep the tradition alive. This gold medal game means so much, even if you aren’t a fan of hockey, and everyone here at THON will be completely energized watching the game as we show our patriotism and pride for our country, no matter the outcome.

I’m only asking this one time because the Winter Olympics only happen every four years, and who knows when we will get that historic USA vs. Canada gold medal match again, and it’s going to give everyone a boost of energy that will help everyone survive the last hours of THON.