U.S. Men’s Hockey Team Defeats Canada In Olympics Finale

In a game for the ages, the U.S. men’s national hockey team defeated Canada in the 2026 Winter Olympics championship on Sunday. The victory came on the 46th anniversary of the infamous 1980 Miracle on Ice, which was the last year the American men’s team won gold.

The Americans’ road to the winner’s circle was by no means an easy feat.

While a first-period goal by forward Matt Boldy gave Team USA an early 1-0 lead, the Canadians came raging back and tied the game in the concluding minutes of the second period to set up a tense final 20 minutes of play. Thanks to a series of incredible saves by American goalie Connor Hellebuyck during the third period, the matchup remained scoreless and went to overtime.

Leaving everything out on the ice — including some of his teeth — Team USA forward Jack Hughes delivered when it mattered most. With a setup from teammates Zach Werenski and Hellebuyck, the 24-year-old Florida native drilled the game-winning goal less than two minutes into overtime and gave America its first gold-medal win (2-1) in more than four decades.

“This is all about our country right now. I love the USA. I love my teammates. It’s unbelievable,” Hughes said during a post-game interview. “The USA hockey brotherhood is so strong, and we had so much support from our players. I’m so proud to be American today.”

Hughes went on to give props to Hellebuyck’s “unbelievable” gameplay and his teammates for the “ballsy, gutsy win.” He once again reaffirmed his adoration for America and touted the win as a major victory for the country.

“We’re USA. We’re so proud to be Americans. Tonight was all for the country,” added Hughes, whose brother Quinn Hughes scored the team’s overtime-winning goal in the quarterfinals against Sweden.

The Americans also gave recognition to a probable teammate who couldn’t be at Sunday’s game.

Leading up to the medal ceremony, several of the Team USA players held up the No. 13 jersey of Johnny Gaudreau, an American player who was killed alongside his brother Matthew by an alleged drunk driver in 2024, a day before their sister’s wedding. Johnny was widely expected to make the 2026 team and served as a source of “inspiration” for Team USA throughout the tournament, according to head coach Mike Sullivan.

The U.S. men’s team’s victory came several days after the U.S. women’s hockey team similarly defeated the Canadian women’s team for the gold. Much like their male counterparts, the American women beat Canada 2-1 in overtime.