US Olympic Hockey Team Honored
The US Olympic men's hockey team was celebrated for their gold medal victory over Canada, with goalie Connor Hellebuyck awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Trump. Trump also hosted the team at the White House to commemorate their Olympic triumph.
The victory marked the first Olympic gold for the U.S. men's hockey team in 46 years, with the last win being the "Miracle on Ice" in 1980. This was the third gold medal overall for the U.S. men's team, with the first won in 1960. The tournament in Milan was the first to feature NHL players since the 2014 Sochi Games. The gold medal game against Canada was a tight contest, ending in a 2-1 overtime victory for the United States. Matt Boldy of the Minnesota Wild scored the first goal for the U.S. in the first period, with Cale Makar tying it for Canada in the second. New Jersey Devils' forward Jack Hughes scored the game-winning goal 1 minute and 41 seconds into the 3-on-3 overtime. The play was set up by Zach Werenski and started with a rare goaltender assist from Connor Hellebuyck. Goalie Connor Hellebuyck was a cornerstone of the U.S. victory, making a record 41 saves in the final. Canada outshot the U.S. 42-28, with Hellebuyck stopping breakaways from top Canadian scorers Connor McDavid and Macklin Celebrini. The historic game drew a massive audience, becoming the most-watched sporting event in U.S. history with a start time before 9 a.m. ET. The broadcast on NBC and Peacock averaged 18.6 million viewers, peaking at 26 million during the overtime period.
