Despite Bennett serving a double minor punishment and Team USA having a man-up advantage for four minutes, the gold medal game went to overtime. The showdown continued in the brutally fast-paced, 3-on-3 sudden death scenario. The next goal wins. The winner takes it all.
A pair of missing teeth didn’t bother Hughes one bit. “I looked on the ice and saw my teeth like, ‘Here we go again,’” the forward said. Playing with a bleeding mouth almost felt routine.
Hughes laughed it off and skated into overtime. With less than two minutes left, Canada made a mistake and set up a 3-on-1 situation for the US. After a couple of crisp passes, Hughes was wide open right in front of the net. Cold-blooded. Goal.
The hockey arena in Milan erupted. Team USA had just won the Olympic gold medal, reaching the ultimate pinnacle. Canada, the tournament favorite, was stunned. Hughes was the hero. Hockey had a new king.
Jack scored the golden goal just a few days after his older brother, Quinn, hit a game-winner in the quarter-finals against Sweden. “That’s a massive goal, massive moment,” Jack said after the game. “One of our best players taking over and winning that game for us.”
Little did he know he was about to outshine his brother in the biggest game of their lives. He had dreamed about it, though.
The two brothers shared a room in the Olympic village. On the eve of the Gold Medal Game, they went to bed around 11:30 pm, but excitement and nerves made sleep elusive. Two hours later, Quinn heard Jack tossing and turning.
“You up? What are you thinking about?” Quinn asked.
“Yeah… I keep replaying my OT winner,” Jack replied.
“Oh, same, man...” Quinn said.
Quinn was rerunning the goal he had already scored. Jack was dreaming about a deciding shot that would forever become part of history. Hours later, he did it - with his brother right there and the entire country watching.
Before the Olympic tournament began, Team Canada had the best odds to take home gold. Led by the incredible Connor McDavid, anything short of the title would have been a disappointment. Hockey is worshipped in The Great White North - it’s not just a sport, it’s a lifestyle.
For decades, Canada held the edge over the US in crucial games. At the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, Canada won 5-2. Eight years later, they outlasted Team USA again in Vancouver in overtime. Their latest success came a year ago when Canada beat the US 3-2 in the 4 Nations Face-Off championship game.
“It’s time for us to take our own step for this group,” defenseman Zach Werenski said. “Last year, the 4 Nations, we were one goal short, and now it’s time for us to finally go to the finish line. It’s just embracing the challenge ahead of us and making our own memories and our own history.”
The US team was hungry. Had a chip on their shoulder. Most importantly, the players were ready to finally end Canada’s reign. Whatever it takes.
The finals offered everything the hockey world hoped for: a thrilling matchup between two rivals, an ice rink filled with superstars, and an epic neck-and-neck battle. It would be unfair to say Team USA dominated the entire game.
Canada had a 27-16 edge in shots going into the last period. The silver medalists created numerous quality opportunities, but only one shot found its way past goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.
Canadians know Hellebuyck well. For the past 11 years, the goalie has guarded the net for the Winnipeg Jets. He was sensational. The Michigan native is the reigning NHL MVP after boasting a .925 save percentage.
This season, his numbers had dipped, and there were doubts about his consistency. He saved his best performance for when it mattered most.
“He’s a stud. And he knows that. We all know that. And I just kept telling him, ‘You’re the best in the world,’” his teammate Brock Faber said.
Hellebuyck denied 41 of the 42 shots he faced from Canada. He stopped Connor McDavid’s uncontested breakaway. He turned into a stonewall during Canada’s 93-second 5-on-3 power play.
“He was unbelievable. He had so many saves, time and time again. There were times in this game for sure when we were on our heels. It’s hockey. You need good goaltending, and we got it. He’s the best player in the league, and we have him on our side,” said his teammate, Charlie McAvoy.
Team USA displayed outstanding resilience and grit. McAvoy knows how it feels to overcome adversity. At the 4 Nations Face-Off, he sustained a separated shoulder injury that sidelined him for the remainder of last season.
In November 2025, he caught a puck in his face and suffered a broken jaw. He lost over 20 pounds just three months before the Olympics. A week before the tournament, the Boston Bruins star took an elbow hit to his face that caused excessive swelling. But nothing could stop him from fighting for his country.
Every struggle was worth it when the Olympic gold medal was finally theirs. “There is no better feeling in the world,” said McAvoy, wrapped in an American flag. “It was just euphoria, man. I can’t even explain what I was feeling. Just pure joy.”
The US hockey team claimed its first Olympic title since the famous 1980 victory in Lake Placid, exactly 46 years earlier. Back then, American amateurs shocked the world by beating the Soviet Union in what became known as Miracle on Ice.
Nearly five decades later, this triumph wasn’t a miracle - it was the result of preparation, confidence, teamwork, and toughness. Team USA operated like a well-oiled machine. The brotherhood prevailed.
“I love the USA; I love my teammates … the USA hockey brotherhood is so strong. I’m so proud to be American tonight,” Jack Hughes said.
February 22, 2026, was a special date - not just because the US won gold, or because it was exactly 46 years after their iconic win in New York - but also because it was Johnny Gaudreau Jr.’s second birthday. Team USA gave him the ultimate celebration on the ice.
Gaudreau had tragically died after being hit by a drunk driver while riding his bike. The team honoured him by circling the rink with his jersey before heading to the locker room and including his three children in the medal ceremony.
“He’s with us here in spirit for the whole tournament,” captain Auston Matthews said. “To have his jersey out there in the team photo and have his kids come out and be with us, we’re obviously thinking of him.”
This wasn’t just about a gold medal. It was about family - the ones on the ice and the ones missing from it.
“It’s been a long time,” US centre Jack Eichel said. “I know what the 1980 team did and what that meant for the generations that came after. We wrote our own story here. It’s a really proud moment for every guy in that room.”
The American hockey team cemented its place in the sport. Now there is a sharp, resilient contender that doesn’t rely on miracles. The rivalry - so heated it could melt the ice - continues, with two equally formidable teams.
