Team USA Beats Canada in OT for Olympic Gold

Sunday’s gold medal championship game between Team USA and Canada lived up to its Olympic hype.

And then some.

We thought this was going to be a close game — and it could not have been closer.

Although the ice was tilted toward Canada as it sustained pressure and kept the heat on goalie Connor Hellebuyck, Jack Hughes won it 2-1 with a goal at 1:41 into overtime.

The game came on the 46th anniversary of Team USA upsetting the Soviet Union in the 1980 ‘Miracle on Ice’ which led to that team’s eventual gold medal olympic championship.

Team USA had not won gold at the Olympics since 1980.

Until Sunday, that is.

Now, Matthew Tkachuk will bring home gold; Florida GM Bill Zito and equipment manager Teddy Richards are also part of Team USA.

Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart, and Brad Marchand will return with silver.

Per NBC, both teams will be flying from Milan to Miami tomorrow due to winter storms in New York.

Bennett gave Team USA a big lift with 6:34 remaining in regulation when he was hit with a double-minor for high-sticking Hughes in the corner tied 1-1.

At the time, Canada had been absolutely dominating play with numerous scoring chances thwarted — and were outshooting Team USA 10-4 in the third and 40-23 overall.

Only the Americans did not cash in — with Hughes being called for high-sticking Bo Horvat with 49 seconds left in the second power play making it 4-on-4.

Again, Team USA killed it off — going 18-for-18 in these games.

The score was tied after 60 minutes with Canada outshooting Team USA 41-26.

Canadian goalie Jordan Binnington, the 2019 Stanley Cup champ with St. Louis, was equally strong in net.

Team USA took the initial 1-0 lead at the 6 minute mark of the first period on a beautiful breakaway goal from Minnesota’s Matt Boldy.

Canada had a huge scoring opportunity in the second with a 5-on-3 power play for 1:33 — only the USA penalty kill shut things down again.

Colorado defenseman Cale Makar tied it for Canada with 1:44 left in the second period, scoring on a snapshot from the right circle.

— Team Canada captain Sidney Crosby missed his second straight game with a lower-body injury he sustained on a couple of hits during the quarterfinal win against Czechia.

2026 WINTER OLYMPICS

MEN’S HOCKEY

• Gold medal game: United States 2, Canada 1 (OT)
• Bronze medal game: Finland 6, Slovakia 1
• Semifinals: Canada 3, Finland 2; United States 6, Slovakia 2
• Quarterfinals: Slovakia 6, Germany 2; Canada 4, Czechia 3 (OT); Finland 3, Switzerland 2 (OT); United States 2, Sweden 1 (OT)
• Qualifiers: Germany 5, France 1; Switzerland 3, Italy 0; Czechia 3, Denmark 2; Sweden 5, Latvia 1.
• Day 1 — Group B: Slovakia 4, Finland 1; Sweden 5 Italy 2
• Day 2 — Group A: Switzerland 4, France 0; Canada 5, Czechia 0. Group C: United States 5, Latvia 1; Germany 3, Denmark 1
• Day 3 — Group B: Finland 4, Sweden 1; Slovakia 3, Italy 2. Group A: Czechia 6, France 3; Canada 5, Switzerland 1
• Day 4 — Group B: Sweden 5, Slovakia 3; Finland 11, Italy 0. Group C: Latvia 4, Germany 3; USA 6, Denmark 3
• Day 5 — Group A: Switzerland 4, Czechia 3 (OT); Canada 10, France 2. Group C: Denmark 4, Latvia 2; USA 5, Germany 1

FLORIDA PANTHERS

2026 MILAN CORTINA OLYMPIC GAMES

• United States (6-0-0, Gold Medal): F Matthew Tkachuk (6 GP, 0-6, 6 points); D Seth Jones (injured), Bill Zito (assistant GM), Teddy Richards (equipment manager)
• Canada (5-0-1, Silver Medal): F Sam Reinhart (6 GP; 1-1, 2); F Brad Marchand (4 GP, 0-1, 1); C Sam Bennett (5 GP; 0-1, 1)
• Finland (4-2-0; Bronze Medal): C Sasha Barkov (injured), F Eetu Luostarinen (6 GP; 0-4, 4); D Niko Mikkola (6 GP, 0-3, 3); C Anton Lundell (5 GP; 1-1, 2); Tuomo Ruutu (assistant coach)
• Sweden (3-1-1): D Gus Forsling (5 GP; 1-1, 2); Myles Fee (video coach)
• Germany (2-3-0): Jamie Kompon (assistant coach)
• Latvia (1-3-0): D Uvis Balinskis (4 GP; 0-1, 1); F Sandis Vilmanis (4 GP; 0-0, 0)