02/22/26 09:58:00
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02/22 09:57 CST Jack Hughes scores in overtime as US beats Canada for gold at
the Olympics
Jack Hughes scores in overtime as US beats Canada for gold at the Olympics
By STEPHEN WHYNO
AP Hockey Writer
MILAN (AP) --- No miracle needed. The United States is on top of the hockey
world for the first time in nearly a half-century.
Jack Hughes scored 1:41 into overtime and the U.S. defeated Canada 2-1 in the
gold medal final at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Sunday, claiming the nation's
third men's title at the Games and its first since the "Miracle on Ice" on 1980.
Unlike that ragtag group of college kids that pulled off one of the biggest
upsets in sports history 46 years ago by knocking off the heavily favored
Soviet Union, the Americans in Milan were a machine that rode goaltender Connor
Hellebuyck and a stacked roster full of NHL players through the tournament
unbeaten.
Hellebuyck was by far the best player on the ice, stopping 41 of the 42 shots
he faced as Canada tilted the ice toward him. He made the save of the
tournament by getting his stick on the puck on a shot from Devon Toews in the
third period, then minutes later denied Macklin Celebrini on a breakaway ---
something he also did to Connor McDavid earlier.
It was only fitting they needed to go through Canada, their northern neighbor
that beat them at the 4 Nations Face-Off a year ago and has claimed hockey
supremacy for quite some time, winning every international competition over the
past 16 years that featured the world's best players.
Not anymore.
Winning a fast-paced, riveting game that was full of big hits and plenty of
post-whistle altercations, the U.S. got a goal from Matt Boldy 6 minutes in and
led until Cale Makar tied it late in the second period. Hellebuyck and the
penalty kill was a perfect 18 for 18 at the Olympics.
The U.S. finally came through after generations of churning out talent from the
grassroots level like a production line. All but two of the 25 players on the
team went through USA Hockey's National Team Development Program.
That group of 23 includes captain Auston Matthews, the top line of Brady and
Matthew Tkachuk and Jack Eichel, and the second set of brothers, Jack and Quinn
Hughes. Much of the team played together either at the program, under-18s, the
world junior championship or some combination of them.
The U.S. winning silenced criticism of general manager Bill Guerin and his
management group choosing a roster full of experienced veteran players to fill
specific roles and leaving four of the top 10 American goal-scorers in the NHL
this season at home. Some decisions were no-doubters, like coach Mike Sullivan
giving the net to Hellebuyck, who was the best goalie in the tournament.
Canada, back-to-back Olympic champions in 2010 and '14 and winners of three of
the first five, fell short while playing without injured captain Sidney Crosby.
The 38-year-old two-time gold medalist and three-time Stanley Cup champion left
the quarterfinal game against Czechia and sat out the semifinal game against
Finland.
McDavid, the widely considered best player in the world who wore the "C" in
Crosby's absence, suffered another devastating defeat on the doorstep of a
title. He and the Edmonton Oilers have lost to Matthew Tkachuk and the Florida
Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final each of the past two years.
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AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
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