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The U.S. men’s hockey team beat Canada 2-1 in a thrilling and nail-biting Olympic final game exactly 46 years after Team USA beat the Soviet Union on the road to its last gold medal.
Jack Hughes scored 1:41 into 3-on-3 OT off a pass from Zach Werenski, sending players into a wild celebration as Canada’s entire team watched from the bench.
“I can’t even believe this,” Hughes said. “I mean, it’s such an unbelievable game, USA-Canada. Such a good game. There’s so many great players. We’re a great team. That’s exactly how we wanted it to go. We’re underdogs to Canada, (but we) beat them. It could have gone either way.”
Unlike that ragtag group of college kids that pulled off one of the biggest upsets in sports history at the Lake Placid Games in 1980, the Americans in Milan were a machine that rode goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and a stacked roster full of NHL players through the tournament unbeaten.
“This is all about our country right now,” Hughes said. “I love the U.S.A. I love my teammates. It’s unbelievable. The USA Hockey brotherhood is so strong.”
Werenski and Matthew Tkachuk carried a Johnny Gaudreau No. 13 around the ice as a tribute to the player who was killed along with his brother in 2024. Gaudreau’s parents, Guy and Jay, his widow, Meredith, and their oldest children were in attendance. It was John Jr.’s second birthday.
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“Congratulations to our great U.S.A. Ice Hockey team. THEY WON THE GOLD. WOW!” President Trump said in a post on Truth Social, adding: “WHAT A GAME!”
The U.S got ahead early in the game with a goal from Matt Boldy exactly 6 minutes into the game. He got the puck from Auston Matthews, batted it to himself off his stick blade to maneuver between Canadian defensemen Devon Toews and Cale Makar. He then slid a backhand past goalie Jordan Binnington.
It took Canada until nearly the end of the second period to tie up the game with a goal from Makar, with an assist from Toews.
There were plenty of chances for each team to win the final. The U.S. had more than three minutes of power play time past the midway point of the third after Sam Bennett high-sticked Hughes, who then high-sticked Nick Suzuki to give Canada the same advantage.
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Hellebuyck was by far the best player on the ice, stopping 41 of the 42 shots. He made the save of the tournament by getting his stick on the puck on a shot from Toews in the third period, then minutes later denied Macklin Celebrini on a breakaway.
“Unbelievable game by Hellebuyck,” Hughes said. “He was our best player by a mile.”
This was the third gold medal game between the U.S. and Canada.
In attendance was former U.S. captain Mike Eruzione, who scored the go-ahead goal for the “Miracle on Ice” team to stun the Soviet Union on its way to the gold medal at the Lake Placid Winter Games in 1980.
