Major debate clouds Canada’s tie goal in semifinal thriller vs Finland

Canada’s dramatic 3-2 victory over Finland in the Olympic semifinal is sending fans into a frenzy, and not just because of the last-second heroics by Nathan MacKinnon. Much of the chatter online focuses on the moment that tied the game: Shea Theodore’s goal that knotted the score at 2-2.

Finland goalie Juuse Saros immediately felt he was interfered with on the play, but the Finnish team opted not to challenge. Social media erupted afterward with “what if” scenarios: What if Finland had challenged? Would Canada’s tying goal have been overturned?

Or would it have been a good call and Finland would have had to serve a delay of game penalty?

The answer, of course, will never be known, but it’s the topic dominating posts, threads, and hockey discussions across both countries.

Finnish forward Joel Armia is however sure that the goal would have been called back, he commented after the loss.

“Five-on-five, they got one goal. That was goalie interference.”

Saros also believes his team would have won the challenge if it had called for it, saying after the game:

"Yeah, obviously. He’s laying on top of me so that’s why I can’t get up, but it is what it is."

It is a fact that the referees assigned to the high-stakes semifinal include Canadians, a detail that quickly sparked chatter among fans and observers.

Even the legendary Teemu Selanne posted about the officiating in this game.

But the challenge to call came down to the Finnish coaching staff...

Fans, analysts, and former players have debated whether Finland missed a golden opportunity to prevent the game from slipping away. While the decision not to challenge remains a coaching call, it only adds to the drama of what was already a high-blood-pressure semifinal.

Canada moves on to the gold-medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics, set for Sunday, with a showdown against the winner of Slovakia vs. Team USA.

But the “what if” surrounding Theodore’s tying goal will linger, especially in the Finnish dressing room and for Saros…