The US men’s hockey team has won Olympic gold, beating Canada 2-1 in overtime at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics on Sunday. Jack Hughes scored the winner 1:41 into overtime, receiving a pass from Zach Werenski and firing the puck through the legs of Canadian goaltender Jordan Binnington to send the arena into chaos. Remarkably, the win came exactly 46 years to the day after the legendary Miracle on Ice victory over the Soviet Union on February 22, 1980.
It is only the third time the US men have won Olympic gold in hockey, following victories in 1960 and 1980. Canada had denied the US gold in both 2002 and 2010, making Sunday’s result all the more significant for the program.
The game itself was a battle. Canada outshot the US heavily throughout, particularly in the second and third periods, but US goaltender Connor Hellebuyck was outstanding, finishing with 41 saves. Matt Boldy gave the US a 1-0 lead six minutes into the first period with a creative finish, before Cale Makar leveled for Canada in the second. Canada dominated possession for long stretches but couldn’t find a winner, and the game went to overtime where the US converted on their chance.
Hughes had taken a significant hit late in regulation, losing several teeth after being struck in the face by a high stick from Canada’s Sam Bennett, which resulted in a four-minute penalty. The US couldn’t convert on that advantage and were even called for their own penalty shortly after, but held on to force overtime.
After the final buzzer, US players paid tribute to Johnny Gaudreau, the American star killed alongside his brother in August 2024, with Brady Tkachuk and teammates taking a lap carrying his jersey. The gold also completed a sweep for US hockey at these Games, coming three days after the US women also beat Canada in overtime.
Mike Eruzione, who scored the winning goal against the Soviet Union in 1980, watched from inside the arena as Hughes broke a nearly half-century wait to return the US men to the top of the Olympic podium.
