United States beats Canada in exciting gold medal final at the Winter Olympics

The US men’s hockey team beat Canada 2-1 in a thrilling and thrilling game. Olympic final game Exactly 46 years after Team USA defeated the Soviet Union en route to its final gold medal.

Jack Hughes scored 1:41 into 3-on-3 overtime off a pass from Zach Werenski, sending the players into a wild celebration as the entire Canadian team watched from the bench.

“I can’t even believe this,” Hughes said. “I mean, it’s such an incredible game, USA-Canada. Such a good game. There are so many great players. We’re a great team. That’s exactly how we wanted it to go. We’re not favorites against Canada, (but) we beat them. It could have gone either way.”

Unlike that ragtag group of college kids who pulled off one of the biggest upsets in sports history at the Lake Placid Games in 1980, the Americans in Milan were a machine that rode goalie Connor Hellebuyck and a roster full of NHL players through the entire tournament undefeated.

“Right now this is all about our country,” Hughes said. “I love America, I love my teammates. It’s amazing. The brotherhood of American hockey is very strong.”

Werenski and Matthew Tkachuk carried a Johnny Gaudreau No. 13 around the ice as a tribute to the player who was killed along with his brother in 2024. In attendance were Gaudreau’s parents, Guy and Jay, his widow, Meredith, and his oldest children. It was John Jr.’s second birthday.

“Congratulations to our great USA Ice Hockey team. WON GOLD. WOW!” President Trump said in a post on Truth Social, adding, “WHAT A GAME!”

The United States took the lead early in the game with a goal from Matt Boldy exactly 6 minutes into the game. He got the puck from Auston Matthews, hit it with his stick to maneuver between Canadian defensemen Devon Toews and Cale Makar. He then slid a backhander past goalkeeper Jordan Binnington.

It took Canada until almost the end of the second half to tie the game with a goal from Makar, with an assist from Toews.

There were many opportunities for each team to win the final. The United States had more than three minutes of power play midway through the third after Sam Bennett attacked Hughes, who then attacked Nick Suzuki to give Canada the same lead.

Hellebuyck was by far the best player on the ice, stopping 41 of 42 shots. He made the save of the tournament by putting his stick on the puck on a Toews shot in the third period, and minutes later denied Macklin Celebrini on a breakaway.

“Amazing game from Hellebuyck,” Hughes said. “He was our best player by far.”

This was the third gold medal game between the United States and Canada.

In attendance was former U.S. captain Mike Eruzione, who scored the go-ahead goal for the “Miracle on Ice” team that stunned the Soviet Union on its way to the gold medal at the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Games.