Updated February 22, 2026 at 11:16 AM EST
MILAN — The U.S. men's hockey team won the Olympic gold medal, its first in 46 long years, after a thrilling final against its rival Canada that went to overtime.
In the end, the Americans won 2-1 on an overtime goal by forward Jack Hughes, after a heroic performance by goaltender Connor Hellebuyck in regulation kept the Americans' dreams alive. Hellebuyck ended the game with 41 saves compared to only 28 total shots on goal by his teammates.
The U.S. had been waiting nearly half a century for this chance at an Olympic men's ice hockey gold medal, this chance to proclaim that the Americans are just as much a hockey powerhouse as any country.
The return of NHL players to the Olympics had raised hopes for the first U.S. gold in men's ice hockey since 1980, when an underdog American squad toppled the Soviet Union for the gold in the "Miracle on Ice."
Sunday's gold medal is only the third all-time for the U.S. Canada leaves with the silver medal, its fifth all-time.
The Americans found the net first, when a flying Matt Boldy chipped the puck to himself as he fought through two Canadian defenders, then slipped the puck past Canada's goaltender Jordan Binnington to take the 1-0 lead.
That was all the offense the U.S. could muster in regulation. Meanwhile, the pressure from Canada, especially its top line, was relentless. The star-studded trio — hockey's best player, Connor McDavid; the NHL's leading goalscorer, Nathan MacKinnon; and the electric 19-year-old phenom Macklin Celebrini — delivered scare after scare for the white-knuckled American fans in the stands, leaving the U.S. players exhausted and unable to energetically mount their own charge.
Late in the second period, Canada's top defensemen — Cale Makar, with the assist by Devon Toews — were the only ones to find an opening in Hellebuyck's wall to tie the game 1-1.
Every play in a highlight reel's worth of heroic moments by goaltender Connor Hellebuyck was needed to secure the U.S. gold.
There was the save on a second-period breakaway chance by McDavid, then the penalty kill after 92 seconds of 5-on-3 play as two Americans sat in the penalty box. A jaw-dropping behind-the-back stick save on a wide open tap-in shot by Toews was followed by another foiled breakaway chance, this one by Celebrini.
Copyright 2026 NPR
