USA Wins Olympic Hockey Gold
Team USA defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime to capture men's ice hockey gold at the Milan 2026 Winter Olympics, ending a 46-year drought since the 1980 "Miracle on Ice." Jack Hughes scored the dramatic golden goal in the overtime finale against the favored Canadian squad. This completes a remarkable double for USA Hockey, as the women's team also claimed gold earlier in the Games.
- The 2026 victory marks the third-ever Olympic gold for the U.S. men's ice hockey team, with the other two occurring in 1960 and 1980. This was the first time Team USA has won the gold medal on foreign soil. - The famed 1980 "Miracle on Ice" team, composed of amateur and collegiate players, secured gold after a 4-3 upset of the heavily favored Soviet Union and a subsequent 4-2 victory over Finland in the final medal-round game. - This is the first time in history that the U.S. has won gold in both men's and women's ice hockey at the same Olympic Games. The women's team also defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime to win their gold. - Golden goal scorer Jack Hughes finished the tournament with seven points (four goals, three assists) in six games. He is the second player to score an overtime winner in a gold medal game featuring NHL players, following Canada's Sidney Crosby in 2010. - The 2026 tournament was the first to feature NHL players since the 2014 Sochi Olympics. The 1980 U.S. team consisted of college players, whereas 20 of the 25 players on the 2026 roster were current NHL players with NCAA experience. - The U.S. team went undefeated (6-0) throughout the Milan tournament, outscoring opponents 26-9. Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made 41 saves in the final game against Canada. - This was the third time the U.S. and Canada faced off for the men's Olympic gold medal, with Canada having won the previous two matchups in 2002 and 2010. - Following the victory, players paid tribute to the late Johnny Gaudreau, the NHL star who was killed in a car accident in 2024, by carrying his No. 13 jersey on the ice.
