Feb. 22, 2026 — Milan, Italy — The U.S. men’s ice hockey team defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime Sunday at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena to win their first Olympic gold medal since the 1980 “Miracle on Ice,” with Jack Hughes scoring the game-winning goal 1:41 into the extra frame.
Matt Boldy opened the scoring for the U.S. at 6:00 of the first period, assisted by Quinn Hughes and Auston Matthews, before Cale Makar tied it for Canada at 18:16 of the second. Hughes’ winner came off a pass from Zach Werenski during 3-on-3 overtime, sliding the puck through goalie Jordan Binnington’s five-hole, as detailed in the official Olympics recap and NHL game summary.
U.S. goalie Connor Hellebuyck delivered a standout performance, making 41 saves—including all 14 shots in the third period and a crucial stick save on Devon Toews’ empty-net attempt—to secure the victory over Binnington’s 26 saves. Canada outshot the U.S. 19-8 in the second period but couldn’t capitalize on chances from stars like Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon.
“Unbelievable game by Hellebuyck. He was our best player tonight by a mile. That’s just a gutsy win. That’s American hockey right there,” Hughes said post-game.
“It’s not the first stick save of my career, but it is the biggest stick save of my career,” Hellebuyck added.
The win sparked massive celebrations, with players tossing equipment and chanting “USA!” as “Free Bird” played. Canada coach Jon Cooper praised the rivalry:
“In the big picture, the real winner of this tournament was ice hockey. That’s what we should all take from this.”
Sidney Crosby sat out for Canada due to a lower-body injury from the quarterfinals.
The story dominated U.S. headlines and X trends, with NBC Olympics calling it a repeat of history and WSJ hailing Hellebuyck’s heroics. ESPN shared top photos from the instant classic.
“This is all about our country right now, I love the USA. I love my teammates. It’s unbelievable. The USA Hockey brotherhood is so strong.” — Jack Hughes, via @NEWSMAX
Coverage from Forbes, NYT, and others emphasized the team’s chemistry ending a 46-year drought.
