USA Sweeps Olympic Hockey Gold
USA swept both men's and women's Olympic hockey gold medals, with the men beating Canada 2-1 in overtime — the first-ever sweep in Winter Olympics history. The victories sparked massive celebrations but also political fallout, with The Nation calling out the "ugly underbelly" of the aftermath. Chicago Tribune covered the ensuing political tensions following the historic wins.
The men's gold was their first since the "Miracle on Ice" in 1980, ending a 46-year drought. This was also the first time NHL players participated in the Olympics since the 2014 Games in Sochi. The victory for the U.S. women's team was their third Olympic gold in the event's history. Jack Hughes scored the game-winning goal for the men in overtime, assisted by Connor Hellebuyck and Zach Werenski. The golden goal for the women's team was scored by Megan Keller, with an assist from Taylor Heise, also in overtime. Hilary Knight had tied the women's final with just over two minutes remaining in the third period. The men's final was a goaltender duel, with the USA's Connor Hellebuyck making 41 saves. Canada's Jordan Binnington made 26 saves in the loss. Both the men's and women's finals ended with identical 2-1 overtime scores against Canada. This historic sweep for the United States is a rare feat in Olympic hockey; Canada was the last country to accomplish it, having done so in 2002, 2010, and 2014. Both American teams went undefeated throughout the entire tournament. The men's team celebration included a tribute to the late NHL player Johnny Gaudreau, who died in 2024. In the locker room after their win, the team received a speakerphone call from former President Donald Trump and were joined by FBI Director Kash Patel. The subsequent celebrations became entangled in politics. The men's team was invited to the State of the Union address by Trump, who commented he would have to invite the women's team as well or risk being impeached, a remark that drew laughter from some players but was later called "distasteful" by women's captain Hilary Knight. While the men's team largely embraced the political spotlight, the women's team distanced themselves from it. Captain Hilary Knight stated, "whatever political climate is going on, we're just trying to have a positive impact through our play." The team noted they were focused on representing their country through sport. The men's gold medal game was the most-watched sporting event in U.S. history with a start time before 9 a.m. ET, drawing an average of 18.6 million viewers. Viewership peaked at 26 million during the overtime period when Hughes scored the winning goal.
