MILAN — This wasn’t a miracle. It was a second of magic.
Forty-six years to the day after a bunch of unheralded amateurs shocked the closely favored Soviet Union en route to profitable Olympic gold, the U.S. males’s hockey workforce engineered one other epic victory. The Americans gained a battle of the game’s superpowers on Sunday, toppling longtime nemesis Canada 2-1 in additional time to win their nation’s first Olympic gold in males’s hockey since the famed 1980 “Miracle on Ice.”
Advertisement
Jack Hughes scored the decisive objective, ripping a shot previous Jordan Binnington lower than three minutes into 3-versus-3 additional time.
The Americans compelled additional time solely as a result of Connor Hellebuyck withstood goal apply from Canada’s all-world ahead corps. Hellebuyck made unbelievable save after unbelievable save in opposition to fixed Canadian strain, turning away 41 of the 42 photographs he confronted.
To win gold was a dream fulfilled for the American gamers. To do it at Canada’s expense made it all of the extra satisfying and cathartic.
In the largest moments, Canada had beforehand owned this rivalry since NHL gamers started taking part in the Olympics in 1998. Canada gained gold-medal matches in opposition to the U.S. on the 2002 and 2010 Olympics and shut out the Americans in the 2014 semifinals. The U.S. did beat Canada in round-robin play finally yr’s 4 Nations Face-Off, however when it mattered, the Americans misplaced once more.
Advertisement
A winner-take-all showdown between the U.S. and Canada has lengthy been probably the most attractive potential matchup at these Olympics, however neither hockey superpower had the luxurious of simply strolling to the gold-medal match. The U.S. wanted an additional time recreation winner from Quinn Hughes to survive Sweden in the quarterfinals. Canada rallied to overcome third-period deficits in opposition to Czechia in the quarters and Finland in the semis.
That arrange the gold-medal matchup that the hockey world has waited a dozen years to see on an Olympic stage. Bars opened earlier than dawn in New York, Minneapolis, Milwaukee and different hockey hotbeds. Fans throughout the U.S. watched “Miracle” on Saturday evening to hype themselves up, set their alarm clocks for an early wakeup after which gathered over early-morning beers and bloody marys.
The scene was much more festive throughout the Atlantic. The Milan metro was awash with Canada and U.S. jerseys of each period, Eruzione, Gretzky, McDavid and Tkachuk. Chants of “U-S-A” and “Let’s go Canada” rang out because the practice hurtled towards Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. One significantly brazen fan in a USA cap playfully tried to begin a chant of “51st state.” Outnumbered by Canadians, he was rapidly shouted down.
The mixture of velocity, talent and physicality on show lived up to pregame expectations as soon as the puck dropped. There had been ooohs and ahhhs each few seconds from followers on either side because the Americans and Canadians generated scoring possibilities.
Advertisement
It was American followers who had purpose to cheer first. Six minutes into the first interval, Matt Boldy scored a objective that was a product of each particular person stickhandling brilliance and defensive negligence.
With Cale Makar and Devon Toews between him and the Canadian internet, Boldy deftly flipped the puck over each their sticks and skated unencumbered proper between two of the NHL’s prime defensemen. Then he deked a shocked Binnington and beat the Canadian goaltender with a backhand.
The Americans withstood unrelenting Canadian strain for a lot of the second interval, even killing off the 5-on-3 energy play that lasted 93 seconds. Hellebuyck made a sequence of large saves at shut vary, even stuffing the Olympics’ main factors scorer Connor McDavid on a breakaway.
Advertisement
Then, simply when it appeared like a interval of squandered alternatives for Canada, Makar beat Hellebuyck with a depraved wrist shot from the fitting faceoff circle. It was a completely excellent shot from Makar, simply over Hellebuyck’s proper pad however slightly below the blocker.
That set the stage for a pressure-packed third interval with the Canadians pushing laborious for a recreation winner and the Americans desperately making an attempt to stand up to it lengthy sufficient to give themselves the prospect for a second of magic.
In the opening minutes of the third interval, Hellebuyck robbed Toews on the final doable second, reaching behind his again along with his stick to maintain the Canadian defenseman’s point-blank shot from crossing the objective line. Minutes later, Macklin Celebrini had a transparent breakaway, however Hellebuyck denied him with a pad save.
Hellebuyck withstood the onslaught.
Advertisement
Hughes delivered an additional time objective for the ages.
And now the U.S. gold-medal drought is over.
Follow together with Yahoo Sports for the most recent updates from the Olympics males’s ice hockey ultimate, that includes Team USA in opposition to Team Canada:
-
Who wants all their tooth anyway?
-
Team USA honored the late Johnny Gaudreau after their gold medal win. (Photo by Peter Kneffel/image alliance by way of Getty Images)
(image alliance by way of Getty Images)
-
Ian Casselberry
USA gamers rejoice profitable the lads’s gold medal ice hockey match over Canada on the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan. (Photo by Alexander NEMENOV / AFP by way of Getty Images)
(ALEXANDER NEMENOV by way of Getty Images)
-
Ian Casselberry
Jack Hughes wins the gold medal for Team USA, 1:40 into additional time. Hughes took a centering go from Zach Werenski and slaps it previous Jordan Binnington for the game-winner.
The U.S, wins gold for the first time since the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” workforce.
-
Ian Casselberry
Connor Hellebuyck stopped 41 Canada photographs in Team USA’s win over Canada in the lads’s ice hockey gold medal recreation.
-
Ian Casselberry
Jack Hughes created the profitable scoring alternative with a poke verify in the USA finish and Zach Werenski skated laborious up the ice to get the puck.
Retrieving it in towards the left nook, he finds a wide-open Hughes with a centering go. Hughes then whistled it previous Jordan Bennington for Team USA’s first males’s ice hockey gold in 46 years.
-
Ian Casselberry
Quinn Hughes had a one-timer alternative from the left aspect for the USA win, however Canada goaltender Jordan Binnington made the glove save.
-
Ian Casselberry
Looking on the photographs on objective, you’d be excused for questioning how this recreation is tied at 1-1 and going to additional time. Canada has 41 photographs to USA’s 26 after three durations.
-
Jay Busbee
MILAN — EVeryphysique’s exhausted. It’s been three durations of unbelievably tense, disaster-at-any-second gold medal hockey, and the gang on the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena feels simply crushed down from the strain.
And now it’s on to 3×3 for the gold medal, which is able to do no good for anybody’s blood strain. Hang on tight, buddies!
-
Ian Casselberry
Why not additional time for the lads’s hockey gold medal recreation on the 2026 Winter Olympics? The U.S. and Canada will go to an additional interval tied at 1-1 after three.
Under Olympic guidelines, the 2 groups will play 3-on-3 to resolve the winner. The Milan Cortina Games will final only a bit longer!
-
Ian Casselberry
Canada had a chance to rating on the facility play with Macklin Celebrini getting the puck in entrance of the online. However, he fired vast of Connor Hellebuyck and the U.S. will kill Canada’s one-minute energy play benefit.
-
Ian Casselberry
After taking a excessive stick, Jack Hughes will get referred to as for high-sticking on Bo Horvat. So we’ll have 4-on-4 hockey for 49 seconds and three:20 remaining in the third interval.
Canada could have a 5-on-4 energy play after Sam Bennett’s penalty expires.
-
Ian Casselberry
Sam Bennett known as for a four-minute double-minor penalty, committing a high-sticking foul on Jack Hughes behind the USA internet. The U.S, will likely be on the facility play for almost the rest of the third interval.
With Hughes bleeding from his mouth (and a few pondering he might need gotten tooth knocked out), referees had to make that decision.
-
Ian Casselberry
Canada followers will complain that the U.S. ought to have been referred to as for too many males on the ice throughout a line change. NBC’s replay confirmed Team USA had seven gamers on the ice whereas Jack Hughes dealt with the puck alongside the boards.
-
Ian Casselberry
That proper aspect of the objective is cursed for Canada. Nathan MacKinnon missed an open internet with Connor Hellebuyck out of place after Devon Toews couldn’t get a shot previous the U.S. goaltender earlier in the interval.
-
Ian Casselberry
Connor Hellebuyck stones one other scoring probability for Canada, denying Macklin Celebrini on a breakaway.
Canada has an 8-1 shot benefit seven minutes into the third interval.
-
Ian Casselberry
Canada’s Devon Toews had a incredible probability at a objective in entrance of the U.S. internet, with the fitting aspect vast open after Connor Hellebuyck stopped a shot by Mitch Marner.
However, Hellebuyck bought simply sufficient of his pad on Toews’ shot to save a objective. Had Toews stored the puck on the ice, somewhat than attempt to flip it in, Canada could have taken the lead.
-
Ian Casselberry
Canada battered U.S. goalie Connor Hellebuyck in that second interval, giving them a 28-16 benefit in photographs going into the third interval.
-
Ian Casselberry
Brock Faber almost gave Team USA the lead again earlier than the second interval ended, hitting the put up with a shot.
As the interval ended, Brad Marchand and Matt Boldy combined it up in entrance of the USA bench. USA’s Charlie McAvoy and Vincent Trocheck tussled with Canada’s Drew Doughty and Sam Bennett as properly.
Tied at 1-1, this third interval needs to be memorable.
-
Jay Busbee
MILAN — Canada was way more aggressive than the United States this era, outshooting the Americans 19-8, and it lastly paid off 18:16 into the interval when Makar lasered a shot previous Hellebuyck.
-Prior to that, the penalty kill was an enormous momentum shift. Canada had a 5×3 benefit for 1:42 and squandered a golden – pardon the pun – alternative.
-Hellebuyck’s shutdown of McDavid’s breakaway additionally took the air out of the substantial Canadian contingent right here.
-The followers had been just about silent for the ultimate 30 seconds of the facility play, the strain and anxiousness virtually seen in the air.
-Unrelated to the sport, however the best way that the organist trots out requirements like “Jeremiah Was A Bullfrog” provides this the texture, occasionally, of a Wednesday-night half-price ticket recreation in November.
-Very a lot associated: Now we bought ourselves a ballgame.
