Boston Bruins
“We did it. We’re part of that historical past. Nobody may ever take it away from us.”
For the primary time for the reason that “Miracle on Ice” in 1980, the U.S. males’s ice hockey crew lastly has Olympic Gold in its grasp.
In one of the anticipated hockey video games in many years, the U.S. outlasted Canada right away traditional in Milan — with Jack Hughes scoring the golden aim in 3-on-3 additional time to safe a dramatic 2-1 win over their biggest rival.
“That is all about our nation proper now,” Hughes mentioned postgame, per ESPN’s Emily Kaplan. “I like the USA. I like my teammates. It’s unbelievable. The USA Hockey brotherhood is so robust.”
Connor Hellebuyck was stellar in internet for Staff USA, stopping 41 photographs in a redepemptive efficiency for each himself and the Individuals after falling brief within the 4 Nations Face-Off Closing in Boston final February.
The U.S. is leaving the 2026 Winter Video games in Milan-Cortina with its third gold medal in males’s hockey — etching itself in hockey historical past alongside each the 1960 and 1980 rosters.
Listed here are 9 takeaways from an instantaneous traditional in Italy:
USA lastly reaches hockey summit as soon as once more
As straightforward it may be to attract parallels between this 2026 Olympic squad and the “Miracle On Ice” crew that impressed a nation — the truth that each gold-medal triumphs performed out on Feb. 22 (46 years aside) needs to be the place the connections begin and cease with these two groups.
This wasn’t a lovable crew of collegiate-level underdogs tasked with the seemingly unsurmountable endeavor of toppling the Soviet Union.
The 2026 U.S. males’s ice hockey roster was arguably the best roster this system has constructed — the fruits of years of homegrown hockey growth that has led to hockey superstars like Auston Matthews, the Hughes brothers, Tkachuk brothers, Jack Eichel, and others all thriving within the NHL.
It appeared all however inevitable that the trail to a gold medal was going to must undergo Canada — hungry to defend its crown because the premier authority on the sport it cultivated over a century in the past.
However after enjoying second fiddle to Canada over a number of different failed clashes — be it on the Olympic stage in 2002 and 2010 or throughout 4 Nations final yr — U.S. head coach Mike Sullivan preached the chance in entrance of the Individuals coming into Sunday’s showdown in Italy.
“The historical past of the game is vital, and particularly, on this occasion, the historical past of American hockey is vital,” Sullivan said, per Michael Russo of The Athletic. “We tried to deliver it to their consideration, as a result of I believe what it does is it heightens the chance that we’ve got. It’s a privilege to be right here. It’s an honor to characterize your nation. I do know these guys take it very severely. …There’s been two gold medals.
“The primary medal was in 1960; there have been 16 gamers on the roster — two goalies, 4 defensemen, 10 forwards. In 1980, there have been 20 gamers on the roster. So when you concentrate on it in these phrases, there’s 36 American-born hockey gamers which have gold medals. What an unbelievable alternative we’ve got in entrance of us.”
And on Sunday, the Individuals seized mentioned alternative.
No extra second place. No extra silver medals.
For the primary time in many years, U.S. hockey is holding court docket atop the summit of the game.
For a tight-knit crew that had bonded over the by, tragedies, tears, trials, and triumphs — the sight of the celebrities and stripes raised excessive above the ice was the top results of a years-long journey.
“Sully talked it about straight away, as quickly as we bought right here, that there was the ’60 crew, the ’80 crew, so 34 guys complete in all of USA Hockey historical past to win a gold medal,” Charlie McAvoy told The Boston Globe. “That’s what we have been enjoying for. And [expletive], man, two weeks later, we did it.
“We did it. We’re part of that historical past. Nobody may ever take it away from us. This group’s gonna stroll collectively ceaselessly. I’ve by no means been so proud in my life.”
Hughes, Hellebuyck the heroes for Staff USA
Coming into the Olympic match, a lot of the press surrounding a stacked American roster seemingly revolved across the U.S.’s celebrity forwards like Auston Matthews and bombastic antagonists like Matthew and Brady Tkachuk.
But when Staff USA wished to beat an uber-skilled Canada roster, it was going to want to depend on its goaltending, defensive fortitude, and depth to safe a gold medal.
Look no additional than the highest stars on Sunday, with Hellebuyck doing his half to clinch the Individuals’ first gold in 46 years.
Tasked with attempting to decelerate Canada’s high-powered offense, Hellebuyck answered the decision — turning apart a number of breakaways and Grade-A stops as his teammates routinely discovered themselves on the ropes.
It was a legacy-defining sport for the 32-year-old netminder, who made the save of the match with a goal-saving paddle cease in opposition to Devon Toews whereas additionally shutting down a pair of breakaways from Connor McDavid and Macklin Celebrini.
Regardless of having a Hart Trophy and three Vezina Trophies on his resume, the knock in opposition to Hellebuyck has been his incapacity to ship within the Stanley Cup playoffs for Winnipeg — together with getting pulled thrice within the first spherical of the 2025 postseason in opposition to St. Louis.
These narratives ought to cool down considerably after his efficiency between the pipes in Milan.
“He channeled his Jimmy Craig tonight,” McAvoy advised The Boston Globe of his goalie.
Whereas Hellebuyck stood tall, Staff USA also negated Canada’s potent power play — stymying a 5-on-3 sequence for 1:33 on Sunday and ending the match with an ideal 18-for-18 displaying in shorthanded conditions.
Backside-six foot troopers like Dylan Larkin, Vincent Trochek, and J.T. Miller delivered beneath these taxing minutes, whereas blueliners like Charlie McAvoy, Brock Faber, and Jaccob Slavin did what they might to attempt to decelerate Canada’s high-octane assault.
And in crunch time, it was Staff USA’s third-line ahead in Jack Hughes who delivered. Simply two video games after his brother, Quinn, gained a knockout-round sport in opposition to Sweden with an OT winner, it was Jack who tallied the golden aim.
Defenseman Zach Werenski began the sequence by wrestling the puck away from Canada’s Nathan MacKinnon, giving him time to feed the puck throughout the slot to Hughes. Hughes — his mouth nonetheless bloodied and tooth chipped after taking a high-stick to the mouth within the third interval — beat Jordan Binnington at 1:41 of OT to safe the victory for the U.S.
After a quiet displaying throughout 4 Nations final yr, Jack Hughes led all U.S. forwards with 4 targets and 7 factors in six video games this match. The one American skater with extra factors? His brother, Quinn, who completed with eight factors.
“He’s a freaking gamer. He’s all the time been a gamer,” Quinn Hughes told ESPN. “Simply mentally robust, been by rather a lot, loves the sport. American hero.”
Millis native Matt Boldy opens the scoring
Canada largely managed play within the offensive zone by the primary 10 minutes of motion, holding a 6-2 edge in photographs and testing Connor Hellebuyck within the early going. It took six minutes of motion for Millis native and former Boston Faculty standout Matt Boldy to land the primary shot on aim for Staff USA.
The 24-year-old ahead made probably the most of that probability — together with his try slipping previous Binnington to offer the Individuals a 1-0 lead.
Whereas skating into the offensive zone, Boldly flipped the puck previous Canada’s D pairing of Cale Makar and Devon Toews — splitting between the duo and breaking in alone in opposition to Binnington. The expert ahead tucked the puck previous Canada’s netminder to lastly break the ice and put Staff USA in entrance.
As captured by WBZ’s Kyle Bray, The Catman Cafe in Mansfield — the place Boldy’s mom works as a bartender — was fired up after Boldy lit the lamp.
Staff USA had one other prime alternative to double its lead on the finish of the primary interval after Brock Nelson drew a penalty in opposition to Shea Theodore. However the Individuals couldn’t put one other puck previous Binnington on the person benefit, with U.S. captain Auston Matthews passing up a Grade-A try within the slot.
Makar lastly beats Hellebuyck after stout second interval
As stout as Staff USA’s D corps has been thus far throughout Olympic play, it was all however inevitable {that a} Canada roster anchored by the likes of McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Makar, Celebrini, and others was going to make a significant push within the offensive zone.
The second interval was decidedly tilted in Canada’s favor, as they held a 19-8 edge in photographs on aim over these 20 minutes of motion.
Regardless of that lopsided shot complete, Hellebuyck and Staff USA largely restricted the injury — with Staff USA’s netminder turning apart a McDavid breakaway earlier than each Jake Guentzel and McAvoy have been despatched to the sin bin.
Tasked with slowing down a Canada 5-on-3 alternative for 1:33 of sport motion felt like a shedding trigger for the Individuals. However a pair of key stops from Hellebuyck in opposition to Celebrini and a number of other important clears allowed the U.S. to negate the prolonged man benefit for Canada.
However as Canada continued to ramp up the strain within the offensive zone, the gold-medal favorites lastly broke by with 1:44 to go till the second intermission.
After a faceoff win from Bo Horvat, Makar snapped a puck that hugged the far publish — beating Hellebuyck and knotting the sport up at 1-1.
Staff USA almost had the right counter after a shot from defenseman Brock Faber beat Binnington — however the puck rang off of a pair of posts and out of hazard.
Hellebuyck stands tall to drive OT — and a win
Canada’s offensive onslaught continued within the third interval, with Hellebuyck as soon as once more serving as the nice equalizer.
Staff USA’s high goalie made the save of the match early within the third — denying a point-blank try from Toews with a paddle cease earlier than later turning apart one other breakaway bid from Macklin Celebrini.
McAvoy additionally denied a aim after blocking a deflected shot from Tom Wilson that slipped behind Hellebuyck amid a scrum.
Whereas largely treading water for a lot of the second half of regulation, the Individuals did obtain a significant break.
After Staff USA averted a name for too many males on the ice, Canada ahead Sam Bennett was assessed a double-minor penalty after drawing blood in opposition to Jack Hughes with a excessive stick.
Regardless of getting 4 minutes on the ability play, the U.S. wasn’t capable of generate a lot in opposition to Binnington — with that prolonged man benefit ended early after Jack Hughes was additionally whistled for a excessive stick.
That late Canada energy play led to a different Grade-A shot from Celebrini, which was turned apart by Hellebuyck and the Individuals.
After 60 minutes of play, Canada held a 40-25 edge in photographs on aim. A gold medal was going to come back all the way down to 3-on-3, sudden-death hockey.
It didn’t take lengthy for Hughes and the Individuals to ship the dagger — and spill out onto the ice in full revelry.
Staff USA honors reminiscence of Gaudreau
Because the U.S. gamers celebrated on the ice, the crew made sure to celebrate the memory of Johnny Gaudreau amid their Olympic triumph.
Gaudreau — a longtime U.S. hockey standout and All-Star participant within the NHL — was tragically killed alongside his brother, Matthew, in August 2024 whereas biking of their native New Jersey on the eve of their sister’s marriage ceremony.
Throughout Sunday’s celebration, Auston Matthews, Zach Werenski and Matthew Tkachuk skated across the rink holding Gaudreau’s No. 13 USA jersey.
Each Tkachuk and Werenski — each of whom performed with Gaudreau in Calgary and Columbus, respectively — then introduced two of Gaudreau’s kids, Noa and Johnny Jr., onto the ice for the crew picture.
The whole Gaudreau household was in attendance for Sunday’s victory, with Sunday additionally standing as Johnny Jr.’s second birthday.
“It meant every little thing,” Werenski told Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press. “That is one thing John would have been at. And to see his household right here supporting us and seeing his children, bringing them on the ice, we talked about enjoying for him, making him proud and I believe we did that. Tremendous particular to see them and to have children on the ice, he was an enormous a part of USA Hockey.”
“That is for the fellows who wore this jersey earlier than us,” Larkin added. “All these individuals needs to be right here. Johnny particularly, Matty his brother. To get it completed right this moment, it’s simply an unbelievable feeling.’’
Two Bruins win gold
Two Bruins skaters are heading again to Boston with some gold {hardware} in McAvoy and Jeremy Swayman.
McAvoy — tasked with being the U.S.’s go-to defensive equalizer on the crew’s high D pair with Quinn Hughes — performed heavy minutes all through the match and doled out some painful hits in knockout-round play in opposition to Sweden and Slovakia.
Whereas Hellebuyck typically served because the final line of protection of the U.S., it was McAvoy who stored the sport knotted at 1-1 within the third interval by batting down Wilson’s fluttering try whereas located behind the American netminder.
Swayman noticed motion in only one sport throughout group-stage motion — permitting three targets (including a tally from the red line) and sporting an .857 save share in a win over Denmark.
Elsewhere, each Joonas Korpisalo and Henri Jokiharju earned bronze medals for Finland, whereas longtime Bruin and former Boston captain Brad Marchand gained silver in his first Olympic match with Canada.
The 37-year-old Marchand completed with zero targets and one help in 4 video games for Canada.
Canada misses Crosby’s presence
After Staff USA fell brief in opposition to Canada within the 4 Nations Face-Off closing with out each Quinn Hughes and Charlie McAvoy within the lineup, Canada was pressured to take to the ice with out its captain on Sunday.
Canada heart Sidney Crosby didn’t get the inexperienced gentle to play after struggling a lower-body harm in the course of the quarterfinal spherical in opposition to Czechia. After lacking Canada’s semifinal spherical in opposition to Finland, the 38-year-old Crosby was deemed as a “game-time” choice by Canada head Jon Cooper.
“Imaging revealed that Crosby averted the worst-case situation together with his harm, sources advised ESPN. Crosby did every little thing he may to return to the match, together with consulting with a number of specialists available in Milan,” ESPN’s Emily Kaplan wrote. “Sources mentioned it had been trending in the precise course for Crosby to play within the gold medal sport.”
Even at his age, Crosby continues to be one of many high gamers within the NHL and arguably probably the most revered participant in hockey right this moment. His presence for Canada was missed, particularly as a seasoned veteran with a pair of Olympic gold medals (in addition to the golden aim in 2010) on his resume.
”You are feeling unhealthy letting a man like that down,” Marchand mentioned of Crosby, per The Boston Globe. “Simply probably the greatest ever to play, one finest leaders to ever play the sport. Want we may have gotten it completed for him.“
Loads of native ties
Past the Bruins’ illustration on Staff USA, there have been a number of different gamers and coaches with ties to Massachusetts who secured their first Olympic Gold Medal.
Millis product and former BC ahead Boldy made a significant impression on Sunday, however North Chelmsford native and former BU star Jack Eichel additionally served because the U.S.’ top-line heart for your complete match — ending with six factors over six video games.
Defenseman Noah Hanifin (three factors in six video games) hails from Norwood and performed for Boston Faculty for one season.
There have been a number of different gamers on Staff USA with hyperlinks to the Commonwealth as a consequence of their collegiate groups. Winger Brady Tkachuk, ahead Clayton Keller, and goalie Jake Oettinger all went to Boston College, whereas Hellebuyck performed two seasons at UMass Lowell.
All 4 of Staff USA’s coaches additionally all hail from New England. Head coach Mike Sullivan is a Marshfield product and BU alum who each performed for and coached the Bruins over the course of his pro-hockey profession.
Fellow assistant coaches John Hynes (Warwick, Rhode Island) and Davis Quinn (Cranston, Rhode Island) additionally performed at BU, whereas John Tortorella is from Boston.
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